American Airlines retiring the MD80

[wilkersk]

Not a huge fan of the MD80. Mostly because I did a few R&Rs for the C-checks on those. Receiving inspection always found plenty of gripes. Rip-outs were always nasty. And the avionics bay sucks!

 

[SCCutler]

WHAT? SPEAK UP! WHAT?

The one and only MD95/717 I ever flew in has the distinction of being the worst smelling airplane I have ever flown in. It gave truth to the nickname "whistling ****can'.

Nauga,
and a different kind of cabin dump

I flew in a 717/MD95 exactly once, on AirTran. It was in its first week or so of service, smelled like a new car.

 

[strangebird]

The Delta 717's came from Airtan when Southwest bought Airtran,I have many flight on those birds and Airtran was great to fly on

 

[weilke]

I wish someone retired american airlines. I have had uniformly awful experiences at their hands. United its at least 50/50.


I don't mind the end of the MD. 3+2 takes longer to board and some of the interiors have assymetric (iow unusable) overhead compartments. My DCA to MSP commute used to be mostly on MD series planes, now it's A32xs and I strongly prefer that.

 

[weilke]

I always loved the Mad Dog, but I always made sure not to sit in the back.

In First, it was the magic silent plane.

I thought Furman vs. Georgia had put an end to the use of row 38 on the MD80. No window, no seat recline, loud as hell, the ****ter right behind you and the knowledge that you could be vaporized by swirling blades of death at any given moment. It's the last flight on Friday and you had to standby, any port in a storm I guess.

 

[Ventucky Red]

Use to watch these roll of the assembly line at KLGB.... the plant was on the east side of Lakewood Blvd... they would "drive them" across the street to the finishing area and off they would go...

I remember watching the last five of them leave... they were call Boeing 717 when that happened...

The old Mac-D facility is now a Mercedes Benz parts and car distribution center, but the "Fly DC Jets" sign is still there... and being maintained

.

 

[Bill]

I never minded flying the MD series, as long as I wasn't near the back. Those who coined the phrase "turbine smooth" never sat in the back couple rows of a mad dog.

 

[texasag93]

I was talking to a buddy who flies with AA. The reason they ditched the MD-80 was the simulators. The required simulator upgrades were to costly to keep the pilots current under the new regulations. Bean counters win again.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I was talking to a buddy who flies with AA. The reason they ditched the MD-80 was the simulators. The required simulator upgrades were to costly to keep the pilots current under the new regulations. Bean counters win again.

Sounds more like the FAA/regulators/insurance companies won that one.

 

[wsuffa]

The Delta 717's came from Airtan when Southwest bought Airtran,I have many flight on those birds and Airtran was great to fly on

As I recall, many of DL's 717s came from Airtran, but a number also came from other sources. If I'm not mistaken, DL's fleet of the type is greater than the number ever owned by Airtran.

I was talking to a buddy who flies with AA. The reason they ditched the MD-80 was the simulators. The required simulator upgrades were to costly to keep the pilots current under the new regulations. Bean counters win again.

If I'm not mistaken, there was (is) a fairly expensive AD for fuel pumps, too, that contributed to the decision. At least for the ones already retired. Amd with the planes coming up for C-check, not a cheap proposition for a type destined to hit the bricks soon.

Sounds more like the FAA/regulators/insurance companies won that one.

Isn't that always the case?

 

[wsuffa]

Midwest (YX) flew the 717 before they went out of business (I used to ride in them from SAT-DCA... nice ride, all 2x2 seating) - they replaced DC-9s, and I believe TWA had some that AA promptly sold when they took over TWA (and as I hear it, they sorta wished they had them back for a while). I think the TWA fleet ended up with Airtran then to Delta, I don't recall what happened to the Midwest fleet.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I was talking to a buddy who flies with AA. The reason they ditched the MD-80 was the simulators. The required simulator upgrades were to costly to keep the pilots current under the new regulations. Bean counters win again.

That's not true.

 

[ktup-flyer]

I'm flying on a MD-88 on the 6th. Glad I'm finally getting a ride in one

 

[dmspilot]

I was talking to a buddy who flies with AA. The reason they ditched the MD-80 was the simulators. The required simulator upgrades were to costly to keep the pilots current under the new regulations. Bean counters win again.

Sounds like a rumor and a silly one at that. They started planning to replace the MD-80s in 2011 when they ordered 460 new planes. And they've consistently retired about 30 to 40 MD-80s per year for the past 5 years.

 

[ktup-flyer]

Use to watch these roll of the assembly line at KLGB.... the plant was on the east side of Lakewood Blvd... they would "drive them" across the street to the finishing area and off they would go...

I remember watching the last five of them leave... they were call Boeing 717 when that happened...

The old Mac-D facility is now a Mercedes Benz parts and car distribution center, but the "Fly DC Jets" sign is still there... and being maintained

.

I'd like to have that sign if they ever take it down

 

[Ventucky Red]

I'd like to have that sign if they ever take it down

Considered a historical and cultural land mark to Long Beach... ain't happening, but is it does... I have fist dibs… wonder what my electric bill would look like. It is a pretty big sign.

 

[Ventucky Red]

As I recall, many of DL's 717s came from AirTran

I think those were the last five to roll out of there... I was told they took off in military style, one right after the other, circled around and did a low approach flyover before heading to where they were going..

 

[weilke]

I think the TWA fleet ended up with Airtran then to Delta, I don't recall what happened to the Midwest fleet.

Midwest was partially owned by Northwest. While the Midwest 717s may have ended up with Delta, I remember there was some quirk involved with all the Midwest assets sold to a third party rather than merging them into Delta.

 

[3393RP]

I know that many don't share my opinion, but I love the MD80, and so it makes me sad that American has announced the end of MD80 revenue service.

September 4th will be the last flight - Flight 80 - From DFW to ORD.

The MD80 was the first airplane I ever flew on and I still think that they are beautiful birds. The school I work and study at is on the departure and approach paths for STL, and I always look up when I hear the characteristic MD80 roar.

I'm considering heading down to DFW on the 3rd and catching the last flight to ORD in the morning. Would anybody want to meet up in Dallas, grab dinner, and join?

The first MD-80 I flew on as a passenger was new, I believe it had less than 200 hrs on it. I thought "Wow, this is a NICE airplane".

I always enjoyed flying on them, but of course in later years the airlines reduced the generous seat pitch of the 80s and didn't do much updating of the interior. I guess this is also the end of the venerable JT-8D. Sorry to see it go.

 

[Groundpounder]

I'm pretty sure the first airliner (or airplane) I ever flew on was a New York Air MD-80 from BOS to DCA. I was 3, and I still have memories of it.

 

[Bacho]

We had some american avionics techs in our hangar last week. The MD-80s are not getting the ADS-B mod and will be grounded at the end of the year. ADS-B certainly is not the reason why.

In our fleet we have some 40k hour aircraft, they are certainly more of a headache across the board compared to our fleet much further from D-check. Everything just gets flat worn out.

Its my understanding that our oldest A/C are spring chickens compard to some if the MD fleet Delta operates.

 

[Pilawt]

I never minded flying the MD series, as long as I wasn't near the back. Those who coined the phrase "turbine smooth" never sat in the back couple rows of a mad dog.

Looks like Delta had an MD-88's engine come from together yesterday. A pax in the back had a close-up view into the maw of the nacelle and got a video clip (vertical format ).

https://gizmodo.com/video-captures-delta-airlines-md-88-engine-failing-mid-1836232799

The article's overall take on the MD-88 is grating, too:

"According to Popular Mechanics, the MD-88 is the 'oldest plane in service with any major U.S. airline' and has earned a notorious reputation among pilots due to its antiquated controls, cramped cockpit, and extreme noisiness. In 2017, Bloomberg reported that Delta had taken to offering junior pilots fast-track to captain status if they agreed to fly routes using the jet—which Delta is planning to retire by 2020."​

I had a primo seat for my first DC-9 ride in 1967 (Continental DC-9-15, LAX-ELP):

 

[Plano Pilot]

Looks like Delta had an MD-88's engine come from together yesterday. A pax in the back had a close-up view into the maw of the nacelle and got a video clip (vertical format ).

https://gizmodo.com/video-captures-delta-airlines-md-88-engine-failing-mid-1836232799

The article's overall take on the MD-88 is grating, too:

"According to Popular Mechanics, the MD-88 is the 'oldest plane in service with any major U.S. airline' and has earned a notorious reputation among pilots due to its antiquated controls, cramped cockpit, and extreme noisiness. In 2017, Bloomberg reported that Delta had taken to offering junior pilots fast-track to captain status if they agreed to fly routes using the jet—which Delta is planning to retire by 2020."​

I had a primo seat for my first DC-9 ride in 1967 (Continental DC-9-15, LAX-ELP):

My dad could have been the Captain on that flight. We were driving around KADS one day and noticed that Ameristar has some of Continental's old -15's. http://www.ameristarjet.com/dc9.htm

 

[Jmcmanna]

I believe the thing about the sims....a few years ago Delta auctioned off all of their DC-9 sims and I was able to snag one. The cockpit was on a hydraulic base with several bundles of wires that went under the hallway and into a huge room full of racks with 1960’s era technology. Once I got the thing into my garage, and after a year of connecting everything to be compatible with USB, I can drive the sim off a single PC.

Mine isn’t FAA certified, though.

 

[LoLPilot]

I believe the thing about the sims....a few years ago Delta auctioned off all of their DC-9 sims and I was able to snag one. The cockpit was on a hydraulic base with several bundles of wires that went under the hallway and into a huge room full of racks with 1960’s era technology. Once I got the thing into my garage, and after a year of connecting everything to be compatible with USB, I can drive the sim off a single PC.

Mine isn’t FAA certified, though.

At the risk of this being a rude question, what was the cost layout for this? I mean that is freaking awesome. Do you still have the full motion capability? What software runs it? What is your policy on house guests?

 

[wsuffa]

Delta plans to have the MD-88 fully retired by the end of 2020 rather than make updates to the FMS. The MD90 won't be far behind - they are the only operator using the MD90 and it uses a different engine (like its the only model of plane using the specific engine type).

The 717s will stay around a while longer.

 

[SkyDog58]

Delta plans to have the MD-88 fully retired by the end of 2020 rather than make updates to the FMS. The MD90 won't be far behind - they are the only operator using the MD90 and it uses a different engine (like its the only model of plane using the specific engine type).

The 717s will stay around a while longer.

I don’t believe your statement about the engine on the MD-90 is correct. It uses the IAE V2500 which is used on the Airbus 320 family as well.

 

[Jmcmanna]

At the risk of this being a rude question, what was the cost layout for this? I mean that is freaking awesome. Do you still have the full motion capability? What software runs it? What is your policy on house guests?

Not rude at all. I left the hydraulic base behind, so no full motion capability. I am using Lockheed Martin’s P3D software. There was a lot of engineering on my end to wire switches, potentiometers, LEDs, etc....to get them compatible with modern technology. The sim as I took it was run by a half-court gym sized room full of resistors, etc...it cost me $7000 to get the thing into my garage, then another $5000 in technology to get it to where it is now.

 

[wsuffa]

I don’t believe your statement about the engine on the MD-90 is correct. It uses the IAE V2500 which is used on the Airbus 320 family as well.

It's a different sub-version that's designed to be mounted on the tail. The Airbus version is underwing. A lot of the parts are similar, but there are enough differences that it's a problem.