Countdown to Retirement: American Airlines Super 80s

Great aircraft choice for people flying as a couple with their 3-2/2-3 seating and, unless you are way back by the P&W's, it's a nice, quiet ride. The aft position of the wings also allowed for more economy seats with unrestricted vision. Nice, solid, dependable aircraft and I sought when making reservations. I would even go to another, non-preferred airline to get on a Mad Dog. Our own, Home Town Airline, Midwest Express and then Midwest used them on long hauls which made our trips to Vegas, Phoenix, and The Left Coast pleasurable. Indeed. The Mad Dogs will be missed. But thanks for the joy.

I will sure miss the Mad Dogs. Great aircraft.

Sad to see them go!

After all these years it is still a beautiful aircraft. My favorite!

I always thought it was "interesting timing" when AMR/AA made their big MD-80 order announcement on March 1, 1984 - the same day Braniff, Inc started flying.

Loved your article on MD80. My father worked at M.D. in Long Beach, he worked interiors on the aircraft.

Normally visiting relatives in ETX & DFW from AL, I'd drive; breaking it into a two day trip out & back, & picking places I wanted to see. One Summer I drove from Tuscaloosa, AL to Longview, TX via US 11 then US 80 never touching the Interstate system unless I just absolutely had to. Another Summer, I decided to fly out/back ending up on an '83/90...I just don't remember. I just sat by the window gazing out watching the landscape pass by..sometimes trying to ID where we were.

This type is a serious piece of aviation history. The climax of the DC-9 story came with the purchase of Douglas Aircraft by Mc Donnell, in order to "rescue" the company from >serious< accounting shortcomings. The first one hundred and something-teen DC-9s were sold for LESS than it actually cost to build them. Given that in that era commercial aircraft were expected to return enough profit to cover development costs sometime before aircraft #75, discovering this issue left Douglas in a serious hole. McDonnell on the other hand was about to deliver the 5000th F4 Phantom Two to the USAF, every one of which returned profit because Uncle Sam paid the development costs for the upgrade from the old Phantom Ones. My employment with McDonnell in those days was focused on insuring those pesky accounting issues never happened again. Our project, "Omega", was specified in the purchase contract with Douglas.

why retire a good reliable well made aircraft?...Yes the seven three is a workhorse, stable and reliable aircraft. I don't get it.
The simple solution is to update the design and keep building them.....

Never did like them and that's why I stayed on the three holer for nineteen years before upping to 75/76 International....

Solid reliable AC in many ways, spent 20 years in left seat for AA. Amazing how they kept improving the plane over the years, the GFMS was user friendly but it is noe time to retire them to Roswell. ADIOS!

Seeing how the airlines, are packing us in like sardines nowadays, there are lots of retired birds that need to be back on line!

My favorite all time aircraft. I spent many hours in the jump seat in addition to hundreds of flights as a passenger.

I always loved these beutiful planes. As I was young I remember seeing the Mad Dog take off and hear its loud sharp scream over my head. (Lived by an airport).

Delta needs to rapidly follow suit and do the same with their 88's and 90's. They remind me of certain Vegas hotel rooms that haven't been updated in 20 years. They get tired, down for maintenance too often, and have few creature comforts that today's PAX want. So go the times.

DC 9's

I love the 3-2/2-3 seating. I can sit with my wife and not worry about some drunk goon pawing her during the flight. Actually have had to move to the center seat several times on the 3's arragement.
I know, it's my fault for marrying a "hottie"....LOL

Another sooty 2 holer bites the dust.