FSX-SE When Delta said Goodbye to its DC9s (a 2nd time)...

[P_7878 6,612]

What do you think of an airplane, 42 years and 2 months old, that, since born in 1978, (so old, the word "internet" didn't exist then...), has been continuously operated in grueling (takeoff/touchdown- intensive) regional transport...? Well..."tough" and "workhorse" come to mind...! And, also, how about "beat up", but "durable" and "dependable"...? That aircraft was a DC-9-51, registered N773NC. This venerable DC-9, on January 6, 2014, operated the final flight on behalf of all its DC9 brethren, with Delta Air Lines, from Minneapolis (KMSP) to the airline’s home base of Atlanta (KATL). That event marked the last commercial passenger flight for a DC-9 aircraft. But, here is a lesser-known fact: Delta had actually already retired its DC-9s, once before. Delta, the (1965) launch customer for DC-9, had operated them for nearly 3 decades before having them phased out, first time, in 1993. But, due to a strange sequence of events, a fleet of good-old DC-9s found their way back to Delta (first adoptee of the type), one more time, in 2008. These "sturdy" and "profitable" planes were too good to be got rid of immediately, and would go on to serve with Delta for another decade and half...!

Here is how it transpired for N773NC: The plane was originally (factory) delivered to North Central Airlines (NCA) in October 1978. Then the lineage evolved as follows: NCA merged with Southern Airways to form Republic Airlines (1979) => Republic Airlines merged with Northwest Airlines (1986) (NWA loved DC9s, btw) => NWA finally merged with Delta Air Lines (2010). So, this last standing stalwart (DC9) N773NC, through a series of adoptions, down the long family tree, had finally ended up with Delta colors (same paint and variant as shown in this post, but, please excuse the different registration number, used, here)

In my earlier DC9 (Cargo) post, I'd reminisced that, I had travelled in a Delta DC-9 back in December of 2013, from Miami to Chicago (I remember because that was my 2nd (and likely the last) trip to Disney World). It was just before Christmas, and what I recall was the near semi-circular (westward) detour return to Chicago (the normal routing, for folks not from this part of the world, is pretty much a straight track, up north, on the map). Within weeks of it, Delta retired its entire DC9 fleet. Having my family members (both from up and down generations,...🙂...with me, in that plane), and while listening to the "tired"(?) sounds of those (aged) P&W JT8Ds, I was mentally visualizing the "Dependable Eagle" Logos on those engines, and, was thankful, the pilots, for the sake of safety, took their time to detour well around the (nasty) mid-western thunderstorm...."Better Late Than Never" never sounded so good...!

Anyway, N773NC DC-9-51, in the role of Delta Flight No. DL2014 (same no. as the year), on that January morning, faced off a bitter (coldest in decades) "-15" degrees Fahrenheit start in Minneapolis, but completed its final assignment in a (veteran) matter-of-fact manner...! Of course, not "everyone" of the passengers on that flight was an AvGeek (and often visiting Avsim...🙂...) and, therefore, being un-aware of the significance, those folks must have been (somewhat) surprised by the complimentary glass of champagne served (on-board) to mark the special occasion...!

For this post, I've used here the Sky Simulations (longest series DC-9) -50 variant, but accompanied by a special exercise, to educate myself a bit more about installation and use of INS. For only the 2nd time, in a decade, since my early FSX days, I've installed all 3 Units of SimuFly INS (3 CDUs, 3 MSUs, 1 ADEU, 1 NAVMODE - see screenshots), into this DC-9 panel (of course, as 2D Pop-up gauges only). Plus, for the first time ever, I've installed/used the (nice) ADEU (Automatic Data Entry Unit) Gauge to automatically upload INS waypoints into the CDUs (just click at the Card-Reader slot to select and upload file - see screenshot). In the past, I've typically manually entered the LAT/LONG co-ordinates for the waypoints. The motivation for this INS exercise originated from my desire to purchase the DC Designs Concorde and equip it with Triple-INS (however, I ended up buying the SkySim DC9, instead, no regrets though...🙂..). The DC-9 aircraft were equipped with the (old-school) Sperry SP-50 Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), and flown by basic radio navigation (using VOR, DME, and ADF etc., no FMS/LNAV/VNAV/Auto-throttle etc., and no glass but all steam...!). As far as I can tell, the DC9s were never equipped with INS (not required to be), so, if you are a non-Pilot, like I am, and happen to be curious about (SIM) INS, please consider this post as an illustration of my (limited) experience with installing a Triple-INS configuration into an aircraft. I've skipped, here, non-essential (INS) gauges, and for the subject flight of this post, have (minimally) utilized only two INS units (actually one for navigation and the other for position). The SimuFly Tutorial provides information about (complex) concepts such as "Dual DME Updating" and "Triple Mixing" - which are what Pros do/did during INS navigation, which, sounded interesting, in the documentation, but seemed too complex for this amateur "armchair" pilot, at this time...🙂...with no experience whatsoever with such techniques. Maybe some day...a deeper dive is warranted...

So, as a (symbolic) mnemonic of Delta DC-9's final flight, please find, below, a set of images of my (virtual) DC-9-50 flying the same route (appx. 800 nm), from Minneapolis (KMSP) to Atlanta (KATL), ably guided by "5" (equidistant) en-route INS waypoints. INS navigation is activated (right bank) soon after "gears-up"/"flaps-up" all the way to the Localizer capture for KATL/09L. Also, for simplification, I've set my 5th (INS) waypoint to be a Rwy-09L-extension FIX, 20nm from KATL. So, exactly at the 5th waypoint (see CDU and other screenshots), after deactivation of INS navigation, the plane has directly turned (left bank) to capture the Localizer. If you're not familiar with INS and (at all) interested in installing such an INS to any of your "classic" aircraft, this post might help (btw, always remember to save your original panel files first...!). INS is obviously a far-cry from today's advanced FMS guided (FBW) aircraft, and hardly ever used these days, but, does give a feel for those Pilots and Planes, that were, once, routinely crossing the (vast) oceanic distances by means of this technique, and of course, the supersonic Concorde, too, used INS for its transatlantic voyages. For us "arm-chair" pilots,..🙂...all it takes a (SIM) flight of e.g. FSL-A320/QW-787/PMDG-748, before or after an INS based flight, like this, to appreciate the differences and progression of navigational technology...!

Anyway, irrespective of your interest in INS, hope you enjoy the (below) selection of (iconic) images of this DC-9-50, flying the virtual skies, here. Thanks for your interest...!!

[SkySim(DC9), Freeware SimuFly(INS)]

[Steve Dra 7,588]

Fantastic set!

Sadly the routes I always took out of KATL never featured the old girl.  Flew on her biggest sister the MD90 many times to Dallas, but never on her. (The MD90 was a nice ride up front...could not hear the engines at all except a small whine at takeoff...and when she rotated, you were so far forward of the rotation point it was a feeling I got in only that plane...was very cool)

My last DC9 flight was an Eastern from KATL to KDTW.  It was memorable as it was the last time in a coach cabin I ever got a full breakfast (hot scrambled eggs, bacon, the works) on the old serving trays, and real, METAL flatware to eat it with...real glasses too if I recall.

Like the L1011, DC10, 727, 707's before her....I sorely miss seeing them in the skies. (as we all pretty much do. 😉 )

 

EDIT:
Oh, and I built this model as a kid...funny the things you can remember from a 1/2 century ago but can't recall what you had for breakfast!🤣

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Steve Dra

[Brisafresca 58]

beautiful

👍

 

[Phantom88 3,287]

***Awesome Expose***

[rightseat 277]

"What do you think of an airplane, 42 years and 2 months old, that, since born in 1978, (so old, the word "internet" didn't exist then...), has been continuously operated in grueling (takeoff/touchdown- intensive) regional transport...?" 

I think I resemble that remark....

[P_7878 6,612]

Thanks folks...!!

The DC9 Model and video of the "real" N773NC are wonderful...!!

[Steve, you recall real flatware and real glasses...from your (last) Eastern DC9 flight...🙂...btw, I forgot to say this detail: The champagne on that (final) DC9 DL2014 flight, I had read, was also served with real glasses...🙂...]

[bernd1151 5,857]

Wonderful story and screenshots, P_7878. I never had the pleasure flying in a DC9, but have logged many hours in the 727 and 707 instead. In those days they wouldn't dare to serve champagne in plastic glasses. (And as far as my experience goes, they also don't do it today, at least not in Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines)

[P_7878 6,612]

Thanks for the comments, Bernd...!!

Singapore Airlines, I don't know, Bernd, but, in Lufthansa (of your home-country), I've had about 10 years of annual travel experience, but only in the sardine (eh...economy) class...🙂...so, I'm only used to plastic cups there...sure, they serve in glass in the upper class. BTW, I recall you used to be (sometimes) flown around in Private Jets,...🙂...for work, so, probably you've experienced first class, in Airlines, more often...

My only first-class experience was in Air France, many moons ago, based, of course, on the merit of points, I vividly recall the extreme care and attention...e.g. before dinner, being offered a choice 3 wines (not the mini-size bottles, that are offered in the economy...🙂..., but full-size ones), and finally, left alone with one in a ice bucket...and, of course, a wine glass, made of "real" glass...

Anyway, in the current state of affairs, all these considerations, are probably moot...