How Douglas Outsmarted Boeing with the DC9!

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Boeing 737 is often thought of as the plane that has been in production the longest. But what about the Douglas DC-9? And would the 737 even be around without it?
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#mentourpilot #turbulence #boeing737

[msromike]

My dad was an engineer at Douglas specializing in landing gear stress analysis (using a slide rule, but that's a different story.) He was on the DC-9 (and by extension the MD-xyz) project from the time before it came off the drawing board until long after the merger. Even after it was out of production, he still worked on it. In those days you used to keep analyzing failures to support the operator even if no new aircraft are being built. Long story short, he spent the vast majority of a 40-year career working on that one design and its variants. Thanks for the good memories.

[fleipeg]

Just prior to Eastern closing it's doors I booked a flight from Miami to Atlanta to visit my girlfriend. The DC-9 we flew was stopping in West Palm Beach (we picked up 18 more passengers) before continuing on to Atlanta. Well, on the Miami to Palm Beach leg I was the ONLY PASSENGER! I couldn't believe it.
What added another layer of humor to the whole thing was that one of the flight attendants quizzed me on the emergency procedures instead of briefing them (asked me questions like.... where are the nearest exits, etc). She and I were laughing as she asked the questions. Its such an amazing memory that it brings a smile to my face whenever I tell the story. Love the channel.

[Cam-kzxu]

I'm 75yrs old..retired with a 47yr career with the airlines..worked the ground as a CSA(customer service agent)...we had DC3's and Convair 580's to start...when we got our first DC9's we were so ezcited and proud..what beatiful planes...loved working them. Flew to a lot of northern Michigan cities and when the weather got really bad(snowstorms)..those trustee old Convairs always seem to get in...loved those 2 aircraft..miss those early days..many blessed memories and life lessons..I thank God he granted me the pleasure of those experiences😊❤

[jaminswinney]

I became a flight attendant for American Eagle out of DFW when I was just 19 years old (you had to be at least 19 although most airlines have a minimum age of 20) and I was usually on the ATR 72 during the dark Roselawn period. I live in Dallas and have always lived just north of downtown close to Love Field so when a company called Legend Airlines announced that it was the new Dallas Airline flying only out of Love Field instead of DFW, with a small fleet of 3 DC-9 jets I jumped at the chance and was the 3rd Flight Attendant out of about 100 finally hired . I fell in love with the DC-9 and although they were not necessarily new, ours were completely stripped of the original cabin configuration and became 2/2 with 64 seats instead of 2/3 with 90-100 seats. The concept was an all first class airline with leather recliner seats, one of the first airlines with TV’s in every seat back, designer uniforms, full inflight 3 course meal service with complimentary champagne and wine. I always bid the number 3 position so I could be in a forward jump-seat with the number 1 F/A rather than having to sit in the aft jump-seat (number 2 position) because of the noise of the engines and the terrible thought that if we had to evacuate the aircraft I’d have to use the aft cone exit that we used only for emergencies not for boarding or deplaning. I fell in love with the DC-9 and we were probably the last company that flew them exclusively from DAL to LAX, LAS, Washington DC, and LGA. Great memories of great equipment that we will probably never use commercially again.

[TechnicalBard]

My last flight on a DC-9 was in early 2002, flying Air Canada from YYZ to DCA. As I was boarding, I found myself standing in the doorway and looked up and read the Douglas nameplate that said the airframe had been manufactured in 1968. Have since flown on MD-80s and 90s.

[rosssmith]

I am retired aircraft engineer in Australia, the DC-9 was my first jet powered a/c I was licensed on. Achieved that privilege in 1971. At retirement I have 47 jet endorsements on my licence. The DC-9 is my second best favourite a/c. Great plane, easy to work on, reliable and easy to understand the systems. (except for the electrical crosstie bus system, 11 relays in series that had to operate in the correct order or you would get a crosstie lockout. Only could be rest by an engineer.) My favourite though is the Airbus A320. That is the greatest.

[rabbithutch]

I was a ramp agent in Lincoln, NE for TWA from '98-2000. We almost exclusively had the dc-9 md-80 variants 4-6 times a day. These were great planes to work on. We were a remote station and were trained on APU starts, engine starts and engine push-backs. I can still recall going through the APU startup procedure on a cold morning to help make it ready for the flight crew. We also had the best deep cleans on the evening shift. Bins were scrubbed, gum cleaned from carpets and galleys and bathrooms deep cleaned like new condition. The crews thought we brought them a new aircraft in the morning. I miss the days of sitting organizing the sky-mall magazines with new clean safety cards and crossing seat-belts after removing all the pretzel salt from each seat back. I still have my TWA ramp training manual and APU engine start procedure book ready to go.

[jonnyzi]

I was a Flight Attendant for three years from 2000-2003 and the MD-80s were my favorite plane to fly :)

[andreas]

I made around 2600 flight hours as a first officer on the MD-80. It was a great aircraft to fly. A real "classic" with old instrumentation and no FMS.

[mikej]

I lived 3 miles off the end of the runway in Long Beach California. As they flew directly overhead, the Boeing 727s (PSA airlines) were real screamers, while the DC9 were noticeably less noisy. I did like hearing the newly assembled DC 10s take off. They had a distinctive low whine, and of course provided many jobs to Long Beach.

[berkeleygang]

As a child, my first experience with the DC-9 came as a result, of meeting my sister's Godparents. Her Godfather worked for Northwest Airlines, at the maintenance facility in Minneapolis - St. Paul. He took us aboard a DC-9, and sat me in the cockpit. "Don't touch the landing gear handle!" (as if it wasn't pinned). I also remember going through the engine shop, where I marveled at the clam-shell thrust reverser. In my professional career, I flew many times on DC-9s and it's variants. I can't say it was my favorite airliner, but who can forget those PSA DC-9s with the big smile painted on their fuselage? I also was involved in evaluating proposals for the US Navy P-3 replacement (Long Range Air Anti-submarine Warfare Capable Aircraft, LRAACA), which included a MD-80 variant with unducted fan engines, the P-9, ; a designation clearly giving homage to it's DC-9 roots.

[pierreinuk]

At one time I worked for a computer manufacturer based in Minneapolis.Flying there often involved going to Chicago and riding a DC9. My favourite memory was one time when we arrived somewhere with all the normal gates busy. Parked near a door, some passengers left using the built-in stairs. When it came to leaving the pilot used the thrust reverser to go backwards unassisted and off we went

[ricksmail]

I have a soft spot in my heart for the DC-9 as it was the first jet I piloted. My relationship started as a passenger in 1967 flying on a TWA DC-9 from PIT to STL to attend collage. In 1977 I upgraded from being a 727 Flight Engineer to DC-9 First Officer. What a thrill it was for me as all of my previous experience was flying prop aircraft. The biggest short coming of the DC-9 for me was the lack of ground cooling for the cockpit. On hot days we would open the cockpit windows when taxiing and waiting for takeoff and close the outflow valve (the valve in the back of the plane that controls cabin pressurization by opening and closing) so all the air-conditioned air would flow out of the plane through the cockpit windows. When you did that you had better make sure the outflow valve was open before closing the cockpit windows!! This was the only way to keep cool in the southern cities we served. I only flew the DC-9 for about a year when I moved to the right seat of the 727. After the 727 I few the 757, 767, and ended on the 777 but the DC-9 will always be my first!!

[jamesfirnhaber]

I flew the DC9 as both FO and Captain. I always told my FO, "I am the FMC." Probably my most memorable DC9 experience (among many) was on a flight between MSP and Toronto. Approaching Toronto we were cleared to an NDB to hold on an NDB radial. It was nighttime and we were in the clouds with an 80 knot crosswind to our holding radial. By the time we figured out the correct crosswind heading to maintain the radial, we were cleared out of holding. The DC9 was a very physical airplane to fly. It may have been the first commercial aircraft with an integrated master caution/warning system. It was fun to actually pilot, but exhausting after the fourth or fifth leg. My favorite variant was the -30 with -15 engines. Still can't believe we used reverse thrust (where allowed) to back out of our gates. One other note- it had to have the most complex cockpit window closing mechanism of any aircraft in history.

[MikeJamesMedia]

I love these videos, because I'm in my late 60s, and grew up transitioning from airliners like the DC-3, DC-7s, Constellations, etc., to the DC-9s, 727s, 737s, and the 707. It was striking (putting it mildly!) to make a flight in a DC-3 at 8000 feet, then switch to a jet, and travel at 30, 000 feet, and three times faster.) :)

[doctortmd]

My grandfather was a chief pilot for Eastern Airlines and got to captain many of the jets in their fleet, all the way up to the venerable L10-11. But he said that the DC-9 was easily his favorite to fly. Like a little "hot rod".

[LandNfan]

I loved the “Dizzy 9.” It once led to me flying part of a trip in first class by pure luck. I was flying from EVV to BOS with a connection in PIT. It was when airlines started experimenting with giving all your boarding passes at your first check-in. The EVV ticket agent asked if I had a seat preference and I asked for an aisle seat forward. She checked her screen and and said you can have 3B. After a further look she said you can have 3B on both flights. When I boarded the plane was a DC-9 and was configured as all one class. Where the story gets interesting is the connection in PIT. It was supposed to be 2 hour connection, which was OK because it gave me time for an unhurried dinner. The weather in Pittsburgh was wretched, with heavy thunderstorms. Planes were delayed both in and outbound. My 1900 departure finally boarded at 2200. When I stepped onto the plane, it turned out to be a 727 with seat 3B in first class. I sat down and the FA said, “would you like something to drink?” I replied, “I wouldn’t mind shaking hands with Jack Daniels.” The head FA kept came forward three times muttering about 93 in the back and 6 in the front. At one point the first class attendant asked to see my boarding pass. Seeing the 3B assignment she asked if I would like another Jack Daniels. Finally the head FA said 93 in the back, 6 in the front, we’ve got our 99, let’s go. So I got to enjoy the flight to BOS in the relative luxury of USAir first class.

[RepublicD]

My dad flew the DC-9, MD-80 and MD-90 in the past. As an 80s airline brat I was lucky enough to sit on the jump seat many times, and even got to fly the DC-9 simulator SAS had in Stockholm. Long live the legendary DC-9 and thanks for the video!

[georgedyson]

In the early 1970's I flew many times on Air Canada DC-9s. I really loved them as they were the most common aircraft within Canada at that time and they just seemed to fly so well. In many smaller airports at that time, there were no gates that the aircraft pulled right up to, and instead the internal ladder was dropped and we all went down that and walked across the tarmac to the terminal - often in subzero temperatures. It was indeed very refreshing to start out of the warm plane and be attacked by sub-zero winds as one went down the stairs until one could scurry into the terminal Nothing like a drop in temperature from plus 20C to minus 25C!

[erniepyles]

I used to work on dc-9s as a young A&P mechanic, absolutely love them, easy to work on you can reach everything under the wing simple controls easy Avionics, just easy access for everything