BR715-A1-30 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 2129 times:
I hear AirTran is going to Donate a DC-9 to the Virginia Air and Space Museum which will open in 2003. The Ship will be 903 which is the exact one I flew on on July 28, 1999. It is sad to see her go, but she will be great in permanent collection. What is everyone else's views on this. I am definetely going to see it myself. You can find the story by going to AirTran's Website, and going to ABOUT US, and then click on PRESS RELEASE ARCHIVES
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Reply 2, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 2081 times:
Well that's a nice gesture on the part of AirTran. Of course their generosity could be thinly veiled as a tax write off or free advertising. Especially if the plane is left in AirTran colors.
B727 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 513 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 2055 times:
Does anybody know the registration of this bird that is being donated?
AirT85 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 2024 times:
904 was the one that crashed in the everglades correct?
Also, how fast are the DC-9s going these days? With all these new routes opening up this year aren't the majority of 717 deliviries being used to expand the schedule rather than replace the DC-9s?
Tony
Exnonrev From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 621 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 2005 times:
Hopefully they'll repaint her in Critter Blue. It would be a great tribute to an airline and it's people who were unfairly tarnished by greedy lawyers and sensationalist media.
CactusA319 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 2918 posts, RR: 29 Reply 8, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1995 times:
Exnonrev From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 621 posts, RR: 4 Reply 9, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1980 times:
DC-9-32
msn 47261
ln 411
delivered to Delta November 19, 1968 as N1266L
B747-437B From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1961 times:
I think that this aircraft, despite being donated by AirTran, should go into the museum in Delta livery since they were the original operator. Additionally, with Delta being the better airline and everything, it will have much more attraction value.
Wilcharl From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1158 posts, RR: 3 Reply 11, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1958 times:
I have many memories of working with ship 903 when I was a ramp rat in college. She was 904s sister ship, one late night i was sitting in her bin, and we had an imbound flight from MIA, in the front bin was a box of comat, and aircraft tires, just like ship 904 carried. it was a very haunting experience. My self and my family took many of rides on her, airtran is my past and i have moved on but I am glad I will be able to take my future children to see a ship that I worked with as a young kid
KUGN From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 615 posts, RR: 6 Reply 12, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1938 times:
It sounds fair to me that the airline which donates decomissioned aircraft gets some recognition from the Museum and visiting public.
In this case, that means the aircraft keeps AirTran colors, if the donor asks so. Delta as well as all operators of the ship (if there have been other than named two), should be mentioned as well, as the part of the ship's life; but the special honor goes to the one who has dedicated the ship to the museum (and not for scrap).
Sllevin From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 3376 posts, RR: 6 Reply 13, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1925 times:
Maybe they'll break it up into itty-bitty pieces painted in the old Valujet colors...
NDSchu777 From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 419 posts, RR: 3 Reply 14, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1915 times:
The only reason that they would paint it in Delta colors and not Air Tran would be if Delta payed the museum a lot of money to have it done. Delta sold that plane a long time ago and already got its money for it. Air Tran is the airline that's giving the donation.
Anyways, this new air and space museum sounds really cool. Now is going to replace the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, or will it just be a place to exhibit things too big to take to the Mall in Washington, or does this museum have nothing to do with the Smithsonian? Does anyone know what other exhibits will be in there?
The Air Tran DC-9 sounds a lot like when United donated one of its 727-22's to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Now that's a cool exhibit if you haven't been there. They pretty much cut the plane in half and you can walk through it. It explains the science behind flight and the operations of a commercial airliner. In fact every so often the plane goes through a "flight" where the flaps and landing gear and other movable parts are used to demonstrate how they are used in the same order they would be in a real flight. I wonder if they'll do something similar to this DC-9.
I can't wait till that museum's done! I'll definitely have to stop by the next time in Washington (granted that time is after the museum's complete!)
ONT 737 From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 574 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1901 times:
I have seen the plans for the new museum. I heard that they are planning to build a fake control tower a few stories tall with some mock up ATC equipment in it and it will have a view of the IAD airfield. (part of it anyway, the museum is going to be built right next to Dulles Airport)It is going to be several times larger than the present Smithsonian, but it is not going to replace it. The current Smithsonian is still going to be around, they just don't have enough room in it for all the stuff they have.
And yes the DC9 should be painted in Air Trans colors.
Exnonrev From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 621 posts, RR: 4 Reply 16, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1881 times:
Ouboy79 From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 3998 posts, RR: 23 Reply 17, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1858 times:
This DC9 will not be going to the new complex at Dulles. The museum in the story has nothing to do with the Smithsonian.
Any opinion/comment posted is that of my own and not that of Southwest Airlines Co.
BR715-A1-30 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1822 times:
I must say this is a great experience... The DC9 will go as a whole to the museum painted in AirTran Colors. They will separate some pieces so you can see the cockpit, and cabin. It is all going to be AirTran. I do not want to hear it as going in as DELTA colors. That would be a big disgrace. Valujet sounds like a good idea. Paint half in AirTran colors, and Half in ValuJet colors
Sllevin From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 3376 posts, RR: 6 Reply 22, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 1646 times:
Seriously, why would anyone want to remember Valujet, other than as a poster child for how NOT to operate an airline?
I remember (this was after they'd gone to AirTran) some bozo captain one day took off from ATL and ran into massive hail that obliterated the windscreen and damaged the nose and leading edges, and they made it back safely. People were talking about how "brave" he was.
My good friend was an EMB-120 Captain at the time for ASA, and he later told me that no one else (including himself) was willing to launch because of the weather at that time, and they were stunned when the DC-9 headed out to take off.
747-451 From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 2417 posts, RR: 6 Reply 23, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1627 times:
Hope it is in AirTran colors and not of ValueJet (the name has a stigma to it.)
242 From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 498 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (10 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1598 times:
The DC9 will go as a whole to the museum painted in AirTran Colors. They will separate some pieces so you can see the cockpit, and cabin. It is all going to be AirTran. I do not want to hear it as going in as DELTA colors. That would be a big disgrace.
I wonder how many parts will be removed before it's put on static display, bacause there's ex-Delta parts all over those 9s. Peer inside the avionics bay or crack open the cockpit overhead panel, half of the components, boxes and insturments have tags that say "Property of Delta Air Lines" or "Property of SAS" and "Property of Northwest Airlines".
Not to mention that if you look carefully around the inside of the aft cargo door frame and aft structure, you'll see the tell-tale baby blue valujet paint showing through worn areas of the Airtran green.
25 Hkgspotter1: What ever museum it goes to its great news. Hope one day to see it !!
26 Srbmod: Heck, one of their DC-9s has a sticker on the inner cargo door from it's previous operator, British Midland.
27 Wilcharl: you remember that SRBmod... another one had green curtains on the door from alitalia. and i remember alot of them had turkish writting in the potable
28 DCA-ROCguy: It's good to see another airliner being preserved at a museum, like the United 727 mentioned above. Where in VA is the museum being built? There's an
29 BR715-A1-30: I still cannot wait to see it. I plan on flying on an AirTran DC9 this fall or winter.
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