I remember having been on a USAir MD80 (don't know if it was a MD81,82 or 83).
My question is, how many of the Maddogs did USAir have. When did they recive the first and for how long did they utilize this type?

Thanks for any replies.

According to airfleets.net, they had 19 MD-81's. They were all active for US from 1997 and were dropped between 01-04.
Have a good day!

I think they all came from PSA, I dont recall US ever ordering new MD-80's (although they hada sizeable fleet of DC-9's).

Quoting ConjureMe (Reply 1): They were all active for US from 1997 and were dropped between 01-04.

Quoting WesternA318 (Reply 2): I think they all came from PSA

IIRC, all US MD-80s were ex-PSA birds; which joined the fleet in the late '80s following the merger.
US' last MD-80 was retired in April 2002.

Note: none of the MD-80s ever wore the '97 livery.

Quoting PHLBOS (Reply 3): IIRC, all US MD-80s were ex-PSA birds; which joined the fleet in the late '80s following the merger. US' last MD-80 was retired in April 2002. Note: none of the MD-80s ever wore the '97 livery.

They had 30 MD80s (MD81 and MD82s).

Quoting ConjureMe (Reply 1): According to airfleets.net, they had 19 MD-81's. They were all active for US from 1997 and were dropped between 01-04.

They also had 12 MD-82s for a total of 31 airplanes.

There were some MD80's built new for US but while under construction at LGB the order was cancelled and the aircraft went to an airline either in China or Tawain. Also a little trivia since the oldest of the MD80's US operated where among the first off the line to launch customer PSA, US had the distinction of operarting several MD80's that where actually older than their newest DC-9-30's. Around 20 of the 31 MD80's operated by US are flying around the world, the rest are stored or scrapped.

Regards

LGA777

Did any of the MD-80's receive the pre-current (black/grey) paint scheme or at least part of it (like the DC-9's, which were used on some shuttle routes, which got the new US Airways tail colors)?

Thanks for all your replies.

Quoting TriStar500 (Reply 7): Did any of the MD-80's receive the pre-current (black/grey) paint scheme or at least part of it

No US Air MD80 revieced the entire black/grey scheme. HOwever if I am not mistaken I am sure I saw an MD80 with the current tail.

It would be cool if they would bring one back to PIT and put it on display somewhere near the airport. Similar to what they did with the Concorde. Tribute to what it was like back in the good old days of PIT.

Quoting Captaink (Reply 9): HOwever if I am not mistaken I am sure I saw an MD80 with the current tail.

It was a DC-9-30.

Upon the takoever of PSA, US fairly quickly closed the West Coast ex-PSA network and moved the M80 fleet east, mixing with the DC-9/732/733/734/752/F100 fleets in CLT/PIT/PHL. Quite an eclectic mix of aircraft.

Quoting LGA777 (Reply 6): Also a little trivia since the oldest of the MD80's US operated where among the first off the line to launch customer PSA, US had the distinction of operarting several MD80's that where actually older than their newest DC-9-30's.

True! US placed a late order for more DC-9-30's that were delivered in 1980/81 and were produced concurrently with the initial M80's.

Quoting LGA777 (Reply 6): There were some MD80's built new for US but while under construction at LGB the order was cancelled

Are you sure? I do not recall a US M80 order at all. US was moving over to Boeing with orders for the 722/732/733 in the early 80's.

Quoting Luketenley (Reply 10): It would be cool if they would bring one back to PIT and put it on display somewhere near the airport. Similar to what they did with the Concorde. Tribute to what it was like back in the good old days of PIT.

Same here!!! The good ol' days before PIT became a ghost town... Is this the fate of PIT? That beautiful terminal with nobody to use it? It looks like our grand children will be paying for that thing then...

Quoting Steeler83 (Reply 13): Same here!!! The good ol' days before PIT became a ghost town... Is this the fate of PIT? That beautiful terminal with nobody to use it? It looks like our grand children will be paying for that thing then...

Nah I doubt this is the end of PIT. Someone will realize the mistakes they've made, be it US or ACAA themselves. And they will do what it takes to resolve the problems. We may never see the same numbers again but we will definately see an increase in numbers over the next 5 to 10 years.

Quoting Yyz717 (Reply 12): US placed a late order for more DC-9-30's that were delivered in 1980/81 and were produced concurrently with the initial M80's.

The last dozen or so "real" DC-9s built (i.e.not counting MD-80) were all delivered to US, including the very last DC-9, pictured below, delivered April 6, 1982.

View Large View Medium Photo © Robert M. Campbell

View Large View Medium Photo © Rafal Szczypek

That last DC-9 above was almost a year and a half newer than the oldest US MD-81, delivered to PSA as N924US on November 14, 1980. It was the 7th MD-80 built. It became N800US at US. Photos below.

View Large View Medium Photo © Frank C. Duarte Jr.

View Large View Medium Photo © Daniel Werner

Quoting Yyz717 (Reply 12): Quoting LGA777 (Reply 6): There were some MD80's built new for US but while under construction at LGB the order was cancelled Are you sure? I do not recall a US M80 order at all. US was moving over to Boeing with orders for the 722/732/733 in the early 80's.

LGA777 is correct. A batch of 10 MD-82s ordered by US for delivery in 1992/93 were cancelled at a late stage in production. At least half of them went to China Northern (which merged into China Southern about 2 years ago). Photos of a few of these cancelled US MD-82s below. The first photo in China Southern livery was the first of this batch of 10, and the last photo in China Northern livery was the last one.

View Large View Medium Photo © Weimeng

View Large View Medium Photo © Toni Marimon

View Large View Medium Photo © H.J. Yen

View Large View Medium Photo © JetPix

Quoting Luketenley (Reply 14): Someone will realize the mistakes they've made, be it US or ACAA themselves. And they will do what it takes to resolve the problems.

I don't think it was US that made the mistakes. I place the blame on the ACAA. Yeah, they had the airport to pay for, but they actually put that above the region's economy? Pittsburgh's economy in the wake of the collapse of the steel industry was on services. The region tried to establish a services-oriented economy, and given that US was the biggest employer at the time that happened, that right there was a pretty good start. Of course, I think it was in the late 1990s when things went downhill for US. Did the ACAA give them any leeway? The last time I checked, they did not. Then 9-11 happened. People stopped flying, and US was the hardest hit airline in all of that. The ACAA ripped them off to land at their biggest hub. Because of that, US had to charge high fares, but the Pittsburgh flyers do not like paying high fares. They do want to fly; they just don't want to pay an arm and a leg in order to do so. Therefore, nobody was flying, US wasn't making any money off of the PIT hub anymore, and they were forced to close it. Governor Rendell and the ACAA did NOTHING to aide US in their PIT operation. Yet, PHL is the major international gateway for the airline. Go figure, right? I remember in the early days of the Rendell Administration, both PHL and PIT were in danger of becomming history regarding US Airways.

Eddie could have done better with things in Western PA, come to think of it, but he was the better candidate over Mike Fisher. He is one of the reasons why western PA is in the pickle it is in, as I have said before. He wanted high taxes; everything about western PA is about high taxes and raising them some more. That doesn't allow for growth! THAT JUST PUSHES MORE PEOPLE AWAY!!! DON"T THEY GET IT??? That is one of the big reasons why the city is down to almost 300,000 people, and at this rate, it will be under 300,000 by the next census, 2010. That is very scary!!! THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING! What is currently being done is not it!

Quoting Luketenley (Reply 14): We may never see the same numbers again but we will definately see an increase in numbers over the next 5 to 10 years.

I don't think we'll see anything like the 500-some flights like before, but I would like to see PIT have a second airline establish a focus city there. Sure the O&D isn't there, but as soon as it is, that is what I would like to see... Even at that, Pittsburgh NEEDS.... NEEEEEEEEEEEEDS to participate in the global economy again! I will NOT stand to see my hometown removed from the map! I don't care if I move to TOKYO... I WILL NOT STAND TO SEE THAT!!!

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 15): That last DC-9 above was almost a year and a half newer than the oldest US MD-81, delivered to PSA as N924US on November 14, 1980. It was the 7th MD-80 built. It became N800US at US. Photos below.

Just correcting a typo in the reference above in Reply 15. Registration of the first PSA MD-81 should read N924PS (not US).

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 15): That last DC-9 above was almost a year and a half newer than the oldest US MD-81, delivered to PSA as N924US on November 14, 1980.

I take it you mean N924PS. PSA used Papa Sierra on basically every aircraft they flew.

Where did these birds end up? Did another carrier take them or are they in the desert somewhere?

Quoting Steeler83 (Reply 16): Of course, I think it was in the late 1990s when things went downhill for US.

Only when Stephen Wolf walked through the damned doors...

Quoting N1120A (Reply 18): I take it you mean N924PS. PSA used Papa Sierra on basically every aircraft they flew.

Yes, please see my correction in Reply 17 just above yours.

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 15): A batch of 10 MD-82s ordered by US for delivery in 1992/93 were cancelled at a late stage in production.

Weren't a couple kept for a few years before being given to other airlines? Also, why did US cancel this order? Was this part of the decision to go with the A320?

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 15): At least half of them went to China Northern (which merged into China Southern about 2 years ago).

The others to Far Eastern Air Transport and Spanair.

Quoting PHLBOS (Reply 3): IIRC, all US MD-80s were ex-PSA birds; which joined the fleet in the late '80s following the merger.

They are all ex-PSA, but Airfleets shows "USAir" & "US Airways" as two different airlines. Thus, every plane when you look up "US Airways" shows as delivered in 1997.

Quoting Alitalia744 (Reply 11): Quoting Captaink (Reply 9): HOwever if I am not mistaken I am sure I saw an MD80 with the current tail. It was a DC-9-30.

It was used for the Shuttle. For some reason, I saw it at CMH once & PHL later, though. It wore a hybrid livery (like the USAir MetroJet 732s), with the new titles & the new tail, but still the old fuselage scheme.

DeltaRules

Quoting DeltaRules (Reply 23): They are all ex-PSA, but Airfleets shows "USAir" & "US Airways" as two different airlines. Thus, every plane when you look up "US Airways" shows as delivered in 1997.

Sounds like a glitch in the Airfleets program to me. Since the name US Airways was established in 1997; the program probably uses that year as the earliest default when one types in that airline name.

The hybrid liveried DC-9 was used for the short lived LGA-IAD Shuttle that operated every other hour. After they discontinued it she went back to regular manline service.

AL also had DC-9-50's that were swapped/sold with EAL for more 30's series airplanes. At one point in the 70's, AL/US was the largest DC-9 operator in the world.

Quoting N1120A (Reply 18): I take it you mean N924PS. PSA used Papa Sierra on basically every aircraft they flew.

And, as a neighbor who was a CO captain told me, the PS stood for "Poor Sailor", as PSA was the "Poor Sailor's Airline"     

Quoting KELPkid (Reply 26): And, as a neighbor who was a CO captain told me, the PS stood for "Poor Sailor", as PSA was the "Poor Sailor's Airline"

And thats how it will always be

Quoting PHLBOS (Reply 24): Sounds like a glitch in the Airfleets program to me. Since the name US Airways was established in 1997; the program probably uses that year as the earliest default when one types in that airline name.

It's not a glitch, just the way the website programs the info. For instance, the same applies to American Trans Air aircraft that became ATA.