DC-9-32 C-FTLL - Fin # 711
I have always had an affinity for the DC-9's. To me, they looked and felt (in flight) the way an aircraft should feel.
Back in the nineties, after a fun (and tiring) weekend visiting family in Halifax, I remember sitting in a window seat and, resting my head against the wall, fell asleep to the vibration of the engines, despite the noise. They did not have an entertainment system installed, probably could not have heard it anyway.
At the airport, when a DC-9 was taking off, you knew it was a DC-9. The Pratt & Whitney JT8D's were not quiet engines. As residential areas around airports grew, the DC-9 was quite a noise problem and its days were numbered.
In my early years with Air Canada, while meeting an incoming flight with an AOG part on board, it would seem to take forever to unload the baggage and cargo before the small box I was waiting for would appear. With a capacity of just over 100 passengers, it sure could carry a payload underneath the cabin.
Knowing how I feel about the aircraft, Terry sent me the following link on the Canada Aviation and Space Museum website:
CASM-Aircrafthistories-McDonnellDouglasDC-9-32.pdf
This 15 page documents details the history and lifecycle of the DC-9 in the Air Canada fleet. The last few pages are dedicated to registration C-FTLL (Fin #711), the only DC-9 preserved in Canada.
Excerpt from the CASM article:
"Acquired by Air Canada in 1968, Fin #711 was the fourth in the DC-9-32 Series. CF-TLL led the Air Canada DC-9 fleet with the highest airframe time, including a total of 81,558 hours and 72,464 landings. The aircraft was donated to the Museum in 2002 after a successful landing on the runway near the Museum at the Rockcliffe Flying Club."
I remember this aircraft very well, I'm sure that I have flown on it and definitely met it inbound to pick up AOG's. A trip to Ottawa for a visit is likely in the future.
|
