Strictly a consumer here. I hated the damn things. Seating is bad enough in a wide body, but in a toothpaste tube? However, pilots I have talked to said it was an interesting plane to fly with the two engines mounted so close together on the tail. Any comments?
This video will help you understand the appeal of the MD-80, from a pilot's point of view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R0CViDUBFs Some of my friends fly them for fire-fighting, which is a bit different sort of work than typical airline flying.
Damn, I'm impressed. Old school is good. Although, I still hate the damn things. 😉 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kent Wien, who made the video I linked above, comes from a very famous Alaska flying family. This is his dad: http://www.adn.com/bush-pilot/article/alaska-aviation-legends-noel-merrill-wien-all-purpose-pilot/2014/09/11/ When he talks about the DC-3, he's talking from experience.
Allegiant Air still flies them everyday. They leave our local airport regularly. Not too bad if you're on the two seat side of the plane. They're starting to replace them with the Airbus (can't recall which one). I don't mind flying in them, at least you know the plane you're in is time tested. D
American Airlines still flies them and I have never been a huge fan. Old interior and I am never sure if the thing has the power to get off the runway. I flew on one from DFW-ORD a couple months ago and again from DFW-DEN. There might be a couple more times recently that I can't remember. The video definitely changed my perspective.
Flew into Ownesboro, Ky on one with Allegiant a couple years back. Still had ashtrays in the armrests...lol. Screwed shut. But still, plane wasn't horrible. Just a little tight. I was more surprised about them putting it down in that small of an airfield. Wheeled out the ramp.
the extended length hulls had a lot of flex... the distance from arm rest to wall would go from nominal to several inches as the plane rotated on take off
Trivia question for the next game night... " Where is the compass located in a MD-80 ? " BEHIND the pilot!!! Love the video, S
It sounds like they still do but there are only 61 left in the fleet and that will go to zero in 2018. Thanks for the article! It was a fun read
I flew one on Delta on Sunday from PBI to ATL and it had plenty of get-up-and-go on takeoff. I prefer their MD-90s but the 80s are still fine. (Interesting how their 90s have 2+3 seating while the 80s are 3+2.)
I've only flown on an MD-80 once a few months ago from ORD to PSP and it was almost the last thing I ever did, as we lost an engine as soon as the wheels left the ground. Pilot earned his paycheck that day, but as a passenger I can't say I'm a fan of the plane
Been there done that too... Took off from DET headed for PBI, sitting beside my 30 year old daughter and the engine just outside our window didn't sound very good on the ground.. As we climbed out it go worse and by the time we got to about 20 k we leveled off and it sounded like a meat grinder, front bearing is going and the fan is rubbing pretty bad..... I told my daughter that we weren't going to Fla and it was likely we'd be going back to DET in a few minutes.. She says... Dad! don't be so dramatic.. Just cause you design jet engines... yada yada.. Sure enough in a couple of minutes he secures the engine and as it spools down I tell her "for sure we're going back....we do a big slow turn over Toledo and head back.. Pilot announces that we're going back and daughter is like... Well damn, you do know what you're talking about... Pilot put that sucker ON the numbers, he sure didn't want to do a go-around in one of those with only one engine.. I never really liked the DC 9 series, always preferred the 3 holer, it had a lot more power margin, and in particular if you lost an engine..
I assume that you are talking about the 727 as the 3 hole'r. In my mind that has to be one of the best. I worked many many hours on that from the beginning and there were some great engineering minds that designed it and the most highly skilled mechanics who built it. It broke ground for a lot of new concepts. Great airplane.
