MD-90 Aircraft: The Definitive Thread
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Orange County, CA
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MD-90 Aircraft: The Definitive Thread
I finally saw an MD-90 in the latest paint scheme! For a very long time, only the L-1011 and the MD-90 were left in the old paint job. I could understand that not much was done to the L-1011's, after all they are on their way out. That led me to believe that there was some truth to the rumour that MD-90 was on its way out too. But now with the latest "Deltaflot" paint job, maybe they are going to stay?
BTW, ship 9215 was the one I saw. Are there any more out there?
/Pete
BTW, ship 9215 was the one I saw. Are there any more out there?
/Pete
#2
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: SAN Diego (Hillcrest); formerly LEXington, KY; still like the nym
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L1011: MD90's & MD11's are on an accelerated depreciation schedule to be retired over the next six or seven years. This is part of the plan to reduce fleet types. Probably the one you saw simply got to a point where it had to be repainted.
Sadly, all 1011's (your moniker) will be gone by August. *sob*
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"Service" should be a noun, not a verb.
Sadly, all 1011's (your moniker) will be gone by August. *sob*
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"Service" should be a noun, not a verb.
#4
Original Poster
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At what time do the aircrafts get their major overhaul? The oldest MD-90's seem to be from 1995, so that makes it 6 years of service before a new paint job. Some other aircrafts have had two paint jobs in that time (I've seen some with both the "Delta Air Lines" and the "Deltaflot" paint schemes). The MD-11's have had a new paint for quite some time now, and they are about of the same vintage and the -90.
/Pete
/Pete
#6
Join Date: May 2002
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Whither the MD-90?
So what will happen to the ultra-quiet final-product-of-MacDAC* of which DL has 15 (or is it 16?) examples?
Could they be re-cofigured into a dedicated shuttle/charter fleet to operate BOS-LGA/LGA-DCA *and* BOS-DCA (goodbye CRJ'S!) service, with the possibility of being available for charter service on weekends?
That would help DL do away with the folly of the one-class "Shuttle" 738's ending up scattered in terra incognita (i.e. the world outside of the NEC )and allow DL to retire/sell the 733's, Glass- or Classic-cockpit.
Or is the range of the MD-90 too good to have them not fly long routes?
What say you?
*(Assumes that you believe that the Boeing merger was not in fact the takeover of Boeing by Stonecipher et al that many think it truely was)
Could they be re-cofigured into a dedicated shuttle/charter fleet to operate BOS-LGA/LGA-DCA *and* BOS-DCA (goodbye CRJ'S!) service, with the possibility of being available for charter service on weekends?
That would help DL do away with the folly of the one-class "Shuttle" 738's ending up scattered in terra incognita (i.e. the world outside of the NEC )and allow DL to retire/sell the 733's, Glass- or Classic-cockpit.
Or is the range of the MD-90 too good to have them not fly long routes?
What say you?
*(Assumes that you believe that the Boeing merger was not in fact the takeover of Boeing by Stonecipher et al that many think it truely was)
#9
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Originally Posted by USCGamecock
I always thought they were similar in maintanance to the MD-80 series.
The MD-90 maintenance base is in DFW - another bad sign for the fleet type.
#10
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Gorham, Maine, USA
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$40 Oil Might Trump Commonality Madness
Originally Posted by RobertS975
They're outta here... no way to keep up such a small fleet economically.
#11
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Originally Posted by veliger
I know Airtran was pleasantly surprised when the 717 ended up being 25% better on fuel than their old DC-9's.
BTW I happen to love the 717, pity it appears never to have caught on in the airline industry.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Originally Posted by noserider76
I would expect to see the MD-90s flying out of SLC primarily. They are not on the list of the 4 fleet types to be retired.
#14
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Originally Posted by veliger
Commonality madness made sense when Oil was $25 per barrel or lower, now it just seems silly. I bet Frontier just loves those A-318's with oil at $44 per barrel!
#15
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actually I've read the 90s are more expensive to operate than the 88s. can't remember where otherwise I'd post a link.