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NWA DC-9's - how is it to fly?

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It is a great plane to fly. It just beats the crap out of you for five legs. One or two legs would be nice, but on a five leg day it exhausts you.

The airplane actually flys like a dream....you just have to watch it every minute, cause there is no automation to back you up.
 
I have very fond memories of the -9, It hand flys great and you will do alot of that. The wing leveling system(autopilot) is very primative. I will never forget the first time I rode a -9 jumpseat home for the weekend from Indoc, I had just found out a couple of days before that I was going to the -9. Setting in the cockpit I wondered what did I get myself into.
If you have only flown glass, it will definately be a challenge, but doable.
 
It was fun for the first few trips, then it becomes a pain. Sorry. Been there, done that, moved on. I love flying but that is a chore - at best!

5 legs in a day and you are tired!!!

A "basic" autopilot doesn't really describe it. Remember your first flight in a 172 with a wing leveler. That describes it much better. It does not level off, it does not track the heading bug on the FO's side, and it does not track a VOR.... It's definitely old school.

Well its just not that bad and as for tired its only because you are switching A/C every leg. When we would fly up to 8 legs a day and kept the same a/c it was a cake walk. BTW 6700 hrs PIC in the thing.
 
My first jet after the commuters... more like

the B1900c model than the DHC-8 I had flown.


The hard part is juggling charts, coffee etc...

The first 20 min in the DC-9 sim after downgrading

from the 320 was very humbling and I had flown it

for 5 years previously.

Things I hated..

I was always hot/cold.

Stuff drips on you in your bag when you deice.

We swaped all the time.

Your ears pop all the time.

Stuff I liked....

I had really sharp skills.

I always felt safe in bad weather, it is a tank.

Bottom line.....

Not hard to fly, not easy to fly well.

DB
 
It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.
 
My first jet after the commuters... more like

the B1900c model than the DHC-8 I had flown.


The hard part is juggling charts, coffee etc...

The first 20 min in the DC-9 sim after downgrading

from the 320 was very humbling and I had flown it

for 5 years previously.

Things I hated..

I was always hot/cold.

Stuff drips on you in your bag when you deice.

We swaped all the time.

Your ears pop all the time.

Stuff I liked....

I had really sharp skills.

I always felt safe in bad weather, it is a tank.

Bottom line.....

Not hard to fly, not easy to fly well.

DB

Probably the best analysis of DC-9 flying on this thread. I also did my time on the NWA DC-9s (around 4k in the right seat). It was a really fun airplane to fly especially when we used to fly out west to MSO and FCA. My biggest complaint was the fact the APU would not supply enough air to the packs to keep the aircraft cool when on the ground. If the outside air temp was above 75F, you had to have external air hooked up or you were in for a pre-departure baking.

Descent planning was easy. Pull the power off and it comes down like a rock. It will easily do a 1000ft down for every 2 miles usually without the boards. GL, you and "the nine" might just be a nice fit for the next couple of years. It will be cool to see it in Delta colors.
 
My first jet after the commuters... more like
the B1900c model than the DHC-8 I had flown.

The hard part is juggling charts, coffee etc...

The first 20 min in the DC-9 sim after downgrading

from the 320 was very humbling and I had flown it

for 5 years previously.

Things I hated..

I was always hot/cold.

Stuff drips on you in your bag when you deice.

We swaped all the time.

Your ears pop all the time.

Stuff I liked....

I had really sharp skills.

I always felt safe in bad weather, it is a tank.

Bottom line.....

Not hard to fly, not easy to fly well.

DB


We'll put!

The DC9 is a blast to fly. It can be a handful but you will be very sharp after flying it. Everyone should have to fly the DC9 before flying any other commercial aircraft. ;)
 
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