Originally Posted by
WHBM
In posing the question I had somehow thought that the merger was a bit earlier than the first NW 757s came along, but in fact it was after. I went with Republic in 1980, which I think was my one and only ever flight with one of the old-style "local service carriers" (although it was a merger of several of them) in a DC9 from Toronto to Detroit. The merger was actually 1986.
I can point to a pair of RC flights, both in June 1982: 727-200 N721RC BOS-DTW, connecting to Convair 580 N27287R DTW-SBN-ORD
Originally Posted by
WHBM
Northwest's first DC9s were indeed from Republic, but afterwards they topped up with a range of other secondhand aircraft as well ...
my last DC-9-10 flight (August 2004) was on N8915E, which was originally delivered to Eastern
Originally Posted by
WHBM
N751NW was new to SAS in early 1968, when I was quite well down still in school. Sold to Northwest in 1991 after a good 23 years service, it lasted right through to the Delta merger, whose colours it took, until the start of 2011, when it was scrapped at Sanford.
two Series 40 flights: N753NW DTW-ATL in Aug 1992, and N775NW DTW-BNA in Dec 2010 (I believe it was still in NW bare-metal finish, but with DL logos)
Originally Posted by
WHBM
43 years was a pretty good innings. Can you imagine a 1945-built DC4 still being in front line service in 1988 ?
not quite the same scenario, as unpressurized aircraft aren't subject to anywhere near the same life cycle stresses, but N1018F -- a vintage-1954 De Haviland Beaver, still in regular service with Kenmore Air -- was a fine ride two summers back
