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Remembering the DC-10: End of an era or good riddance?
The DC-10, which makes its final passenger flight later, has been labelled a "death trap", hailed as a "workhorse" and even immortalised in a Clash song. (www.bbc.co.uk) More...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I flew the DC-10, both the -30 and -40 series for Northwest Airlines as Captain and F/O and as an O.E. and Line Check Pilot/Instructor. Loved the airplane. Cockpit was nice and quiet and a joy to fly. High speeds for climb and T/O and landing due to the relatively small wing. Only thing I didn't like was the wing engines having to be so close to the fuselage due to the small rudder with the straight engine setting thru the tail. Would love to fly it again. My how time flys....
The article leaves out United 232 in Sioux City, Iowa from 1989. I was surprised this crash wasn't mentioned in the history of incidents. That crash was an excellent example of CRM at its finest.
I don't know how many KC-10's are being used, but I'd think that there are quite a few at this point, and does anyone know how many DC-10's are still hauling freight? And what in the world happened to the Lockheed L-1011? It didn't seem to stick around for very long.
L-1011 was a great plane, extensively used by DL and TWA, among others. There was a book called the "Sporty Game" that talked about Lockheed's insistence on using Rolls Royce engines, and at least one US airline wanted to buy American made engines (even though they otherwise preferred the L-1011)they ultimately decided on the DC-10, thus depriving Lockheed of the critical mass that they needed for the L-1011.
There is also the story about Fred Smith at FedEx buying up DC10's at bargain proces after the series of crashes.
There is also the story about Fred Smith at FedEx buying up DC10's at bargain proces after the series of crashes.
I would like to add to this chat that the UK Royal Air Force have been and are still using ex British Airways and Pan Am frames although even these are being retired in favour of A330 MRTT.
The DC-10 and L1011 were unique in being a three engined widebody passenger aircraft that met a market that did not fit the much bigger B747 of the day. I shall miss seeing these characters at airports because the current fleets are bland and sterile and would excite no one other than the dead noise protesters and aviation haters of this world.
The DC-10 and L1011 were unique in being a three engined widebody passenger aircraft that met a market that did not fit the much bigger B747 of the day. I shall miss seeing these characters at airports because the current fleets are bland and sterile and would excite no one other than the dead noise protesters and aviation haters of this world.
Can I just suggest we add the descriptor "workhorse" to the list of aviation news clichés? Is there any airplane out there that an airline doesn't want to have flying as frequently or as long a distance as it can? The only showhorse airliner that I can think of in the last 50 years is Concorde.