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Many people are not surprised to learn that American Airlines has decided to withdraw its fleet of MD-80s. As the "Mad Dogs" grew older and did not consume a lot of fuel compared to newcomers, it was only a matter of time before the decision was made to send the aircraft to the "boneyard". of Roswell, New Jersey.
A day of events
Since the aircraft was at one time the backbone of the US fleet, it seemed appropriate that the airline organize a series of events to commemorate this special event. While the founder of AirlineGeeks, Ryan Ewing, was able to fly on the last commercial flight, I was charged with braving the desert sun and being on one of the ferry flights. Both events started in the same way with a celebration of food, balloons, a DJ and special guests.
After the last commercial flight left Dallas / Fort Worth for Chicago O'Hare, 120 members of the American Airlines team boarded their own flight to Roswell. In turn, the media representatives took a seat on a separate aircraft, the N9615W, which had been delivered to TWA in 1997 before joining the US fleet in 2001. Shortly after the last departure of the 39, aircraft, pilots raised the wings of the plane, a friendly goodbye to an airport this aircraft frequented. After a 65-minute flight, it was time to see where the planes were going to retreat.
The boneyard
Shortly after landing, our plane traveled a long way around the airport. The pilot identified several notable aircraft such as Elvis Presley's Lockheed Jetstar, Saudia's Boeing 747 and Scoot's Boeing 777. Perhaps it is surprising, but only one type of aircraft the others. The Boeing 737 MAX still had not solved the problem, so American chose to park several of his planes at Roswell until they could carry passengers again.
Of course, it would not be a trip to Roswell without seeing a lot more MD-80 aircraft. Although I certainly could not count the number displayed, it was obvious that each plane had its own story based on the wear and tear of each. In addition to the newly added Mad Dogs, their engine has been removed from all older aircraft. Some have suffered greater damage, probably due to the fact that they have been left to nature for a while.
After our tour of the airport, it was time to move to the hangar. All passengers landed on the stairs at the back of the plane to get to a celebration. All members of the team had already arrived and were busy eating a barbeque inside the hangar while evoking stories of MD-80s.
Unique stories and links with the MD-80
Shortly after his arrival, the official program began to take shape as three people recounted why the MD-80 was so important in their lives. For one of them, the plane was his last trip with his father and has since developed a tradition that he had taken his own son and nephew on an MD-80 flight during from a recent weekend.
Another person explained how, during her career at American, she lived the life of the MD-80, playing a role in her introduction into the fleet and into her current retirement.
To close the speeches organized, US CEO Doug Parker said a few words about how the aircraft was a key pillar for the airline and a preferred connection for many people. However, he also noted with optimism how the withdrawal of the MD-80s offers the opportunity to continue to introduce new aircraft that will appeal to both customers and employees.
At the appropriate time, the program was over and it was time to rush out to witness the arrival of another ferry flight to Roswell. It would continue for several hours, one by one, another MD-80 would arrive and the pilots would meet enthusiastic employees and media representatives. Everyone was promptly boarded to take some extra photos inside the cockpit, the infamous last row of seats next to the engine or cargo hold.
As fleet captain for the MD-80, Greg Kunasek was particularly proud to be able to ship the last plane. On the last Chicago-Roswell flight, Kunasek explained how even the Air Traffic Control had played in wishing him good luck, good luck and thanks to the Crazy Dog. In typical retirement fashion, pilots of each final flight were invited to sign the plane, as well as Kunesak and Captain Clint Beedle signing a special flag marking retirement.
Shortly after the arrival of the last plane, it was time for the customers to return home to their respective cities, taking one of the many flights from Roswell.
Closing thoughts
Given the size of the American MD-80 flight, it is not surprising that many had the opportunity to travel aboard the aircraft. Even though the plane may have been retired so far for Roswell, the memory should quickly alleviate for those who have long aspired to 2-3 seats in economy class (to unless you fly with the Airbus A220 of course!). The boneyard marks the end of an era, but also the beginning of new planes, new challenges and a promising future.
Joe Pesek
Joe joined AirlineGeeks in 2014 and, in his current role as Editor-in-Chief, runs a growing team of writers in North America and Europe. He enjoys spending most of his time researching, learning and analyzing the latest trends in the airline industry, while mentoring new members of the AirlineGeeks team who want to do the same. Research areas include revenue management, code-share partnerships and alliances, as well as airline financial results.
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