Not sure if it's true but I heard that AA used to have nose cameras on the DC10s and that feed was displayed on the video screens during taxi and takeoff.
Yes, that is true (almost, it was a cockpit camera)! I almost forgot about it.
This practice ended after the crash of AA191 on takeoff from ORD.
No, it was still there well after this. I will see if I can find more.
As far as the 77W, it could be AA's lawyers. When a B6 had a front landing gear stuck sideways, and the news made it live on CNN etc, which was broadcasted inside the B6 aircraft, some passengers of that uneventful flight talked about suing (and maybe did sue) B6 claiming that they had suffered some sort of trauma from B6 by having TVs on board (which, incidentally, are individually controlled).
However, that never went anywhere, so am not sure what AA is fearful of. I guess another reason to fly CX and IB!
