I’m offering prints of some of my favorite MD-80 images, please check out the store for pics and prices!
It was 1983. Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was at the top of the charts, the Baltimore Orioles won the World Series, and, most importantly: McDonnell Douglas debuted its new MD-80 in the United States with its first American customer…American Airlines.
The MD-80 would become the new short-to-mid-range workhorse for the growing airline. It had unique features from the DC-9 which go back to the beginnings of the modern era in aviation. It was comfortable and unique in the face of more modern jetliners and their boring 3-3 seating configurations.
And now it’s 2019. Old Town Road something or other is at the top of the charts, nobody really cares about the World Series anymore, and tomorrow will be the last day that American Airlines flies the MD-80.
I mean, just think of how much the world has changed since American started flying the MD-80: the internet, world-shaping events like 9/11, and the 1996 mega blockbuster The Rock (there are probably more/better examples than The Rock but it’s my favorite movie of all time leave me alone). All of the change that’s happened in the world and the MD-80 has just kept on flying, it’s bare-metal livery now an aged beacon in a sea of corporate airline liveries.
A very special tribute video to the MD-80
I wanted to put together a video explaining what made this old airliner so special to so many people. American Airlines was kind enough to give me access to one of their last MD-80s out at DFW a few weeks ago, and I’m proud to release this video to you today:
I hope you enjoyed it and maybe even learned a thing or two!
The best images from my MD-80 collection
Like I said in the video, I’m going to miss the MD-80 because of how unique and/or peculiar it is, especially compared to today’s jets. Photographically, there’s really not a bad angle of the jet! I’ve loved all the random moments I’ve had with this special bird over the years with my camera in tow.
From getting to spend some time in an MD-80 which had just finished maintenance during my tour of American’s overnight operations…
…to the many times I’ve photographed the MD-80 while planespotting, it’s just a special aircraft to me.
From time to time I’m lucky enough to have some resources available to charter a helicopter and go flying around the DFW area. One of my favorite stops is DFW Airport. Just yesterday was one of my favorite flights of all-time because I realized it was probably the last time I’d see DFW so full of MD-80s.
Just as the flight was winding down, we saw an MD-80 being pushed back from the gate, a perfect metaphor for its retirement tomorrow. The rest of the American fleet stood at the ready while the MD-80 was taking its leave after a long career.
I convinced the pilot to stay in the air just a little bit longer (ok in truth I was chartering the heli so I could really do whatever I wanted, was just trying to keep costs down) and we followed the MD-80 as it made its way to runway 17R at DFW, lined up, and began its takeoff roll. My pilot put me in the perfect spot to capture the takeoff, it was one of the coolest experiences of my photographic life!
The Final Goodbye
Tomorrow is the day. American’s final revenue (meaning “paid-passenger carrying”) flight is AA80 from DFW-ORD. I have plenty of friends making their way to Dallas today in anticipation of the flight tomorrow…but I won’t be joining them on that flight.
American is hosting a retirement celebration for employees, special guests, and media at the boneyard at Roswell, New Mexico, tomorrow afternoon. After the AA80 flight leaves, there will be two last MD-80 flights out to Roswell…and I’ll be on the very last passenger-carrying flight! I look forward to covering the event and taking lots of pictures and video so we can watch together how American says goodbye to a member of the family.
I will miss the MD-80. Like I said in the video, I’ll miss it much more because it represents a significant portion of my flying life and now that will be in the past. Much like my old middle school being demolished years ago, watching something move from our present to our past can be bittersweet. Instead of being too sad, though, I will choose to be happy and grateful for all the memories aboard this beautiful jet and the memories from the special places to which it brought me. May it always have clear skies and smooth air.
What is your favorite memory flying the MD-80? Are you going to miss it? Tell me in the comments below!
I’m going to miss the Mad Dog’s for sure. It’s like riding in your grandma’s old Buick. Nice plush seats with worn in leather. Beat up and doesn’t always start right away but always gets you where you need to go. I am shocked that AA isn’t holding on to these a bit longer to later in 2019 with the 737 Max issues.
Sad when an airplane goes to the boneyard. But after experiencing the pratt and Whitney lounge in the back many times. I can say I won’t miss it.
Best. Blog. Post. Ever! 🙂 Loved the pics and video. I’m pretty sure 4XY is the MD80 I left a….uhm….test article on one night to see if the cleaning crew found it. I’ll tell you what happened when I see you. Gosh….that was like 16 years ago.
My first American Airlines MD Super 80 flight was in December 1987 from GRR to ORD to DEN and back for a family ski trip.
At this time I was a 12 year old excited boy who was fortunate to have traveled all through his young life.
I actually have the June 1987 emergency exit instructions card.
Since then I’ve racked up many Advantage frequent flyer miles in many American Airlines MD Super 80 and other aircraft flights through hubs ORD and DFW.
I will truly miss the MD 80. What a reliable, comfortable, and strong plane with so many features ahead of its time.
Bummer they are considered gas guzzlers.
The last 24 MD Super 80’s are paid for. It’s sad that American Airlines didn’t invest $1 million dollars in MD 80 flight simulators to be current and plane software.
The airline will lose customers and lots of money from future cancelled flights from grounded 737 MAX planes.
American should have kept their remaining Super 80’s flying till January 5, 2020.
Thank you for your wonderful tribute!
So many memories like that of the MD80, I think it was a mix of the gas guzzlers and that a bunch of them needed heavy C checks that did them in. It was cool being out there yesterday to experience how a big company says goodbye to one of its bellwethers, so many employees were sharing similar stories!
Always a “gracious” bird – seems the engineering was almost perfect. If you look at one in the air, the wings are so small and set very far back on the fuselage (compared to other planes) but it worked so well. You wonder how those tiny wings had enough lift – but it all worked.
I will greatly miss this plane as well… flown thousands of miles in it.
Why American is retiring this before they get their Max8 situation under control is beyond me!!
First two-person cockpit. First digital autopilot (previously took multiple analog boxes). My first job out of college was as an avionics engineer at Douglas Long Beach working on the Super80 development. I ran the autopilot test lab. Also flew three weeks of flight test out of Yuma as the avionics engineer, often the only “passenger” besides the test pilots. The best time of my life!
Ed, thanks for this comment and for your comments on the video itself, really enjoyed reading them!
Just watched this video and am sitting here crying. Didn’t get to fly as often as I wanted, but always loved this bird. My favorite. Attempts to get to the airport here in CLE the day before or of the last flights failed thanks to the TSA…and even after contacting my congressman. So I was left with Plan B, which might have been the better views ultimately…a parking lot in a restaurant at the end of the runway and across the street, with the flight arrival and departure times, and calling the automated system for updates…and keeping watch with binoculars…and I got to see a number of the flights and take pictures I will treasure even if not the very best. I hunted down my little model that I once bought only to discover it was my other favorite plane…the 767…so I managed to get a little model of the MD-80, and more recently the bigger one…but going a little nuts brought me here because the wings on the model are not silver and I couldn’t be sure if they were or not. Apparently not? Someone tell me while I can still return it! Thanks for loving it along with me and making me know I’m not crazy:-) Probably a good thing I didn’t fly one of the last flights because I would have been crying….