PAWA Dominicana to acquire twenty Delta DC 9-50s

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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There are still DC-3's built in the mid-forties in service in the backwoods of Colombia and Peru. Some are over 70 years old.

Yes, but the DC3 is not pressurized. One of the factors of airframe fatigue is pressure cycles. Ie the number of times the cabin is inflated to 9psi then deflated again.


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LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
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Each ticket you purchase comes with a machete and a parachute. Good Luuuuccccckkkkkk! Only serious. It is about time a the DR had a local airline again.

LTSTeve
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
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Each ticket you purchase comes with a machete and a parachute. Good Luuuuccccckkkkkk! Only serious. It is about time a the DR had a local airline again.

LTSTeve

you can fly in that airline. the guy in the seat beside you is not me. nor the seat in front, nor behind..
 

wrecksum

Bronze
Sep 27, 2010
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Aircraft accidents are very rarely caused solely by technical failure.
Training and currency are by far the most important factors for safe flight , whether you are in a DC-3 or a B-787.

Pilots and maintenance personnel are the most vigorously tested and controlled specialist workers in just about any industry you can think of and the aviation record is second to none when you consider how many aircraft are in the air at any one time.

I've been in the industry for over 40 years and, when I'm a passenger, half the time I have to look in the seat pocket safety card to find out what type of plane I'm on as coming in through the finger dock,plane door and sitting down is not much different from BA to Boondock Airlines. (You can tell a National, or 'Prestige' airline quickly by the age and decrepitude of the cabin crew).

I pay far more attention to the company operating the aircraft than it's age or cycle life.

If it's old and still flying, they must have made a good one!
Some of the 'newer' planes in regular service that you fly in could well have far more work under their belt than these old '9s for all you know and could well be carrying far more squawks than them as well.Newer planes are much more complex and in the search for economy have not always become safer, but easier to fly using the automatics, cutting out human factors and reducing training time. (Viz Asiana crash) and burning less fuel than a Zippo to cross the ocean.
This does not always mean safer, but the record shows that flying is the safest form of transport, still.

There are folks here that say they won't climb on a particular plane, about which they know nothing, but will put their kids and loved ones on an un -maintained,Cheap, Chinese-made, underpowered, overloaded, brakeless motorbike , driven by a teen crack-head with no schooling and hurtle off into the homicidal traffic of SD or POP without aforethought!! Amazing

You'll never get me up on one of those things!!!!
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
44,346
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I asked my wife if she would ever consider flying on a Dominican Air line. Her response was quick and firm, "NO! Forget about that!"....
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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Is there any subject on which you are not an expert?

so because i make mention of something i read, that now qualifies me as an expert, or qualifies you to insult me?

listen here, and listen good. i am going nowhere, unless the mods ban me. i know it galls you that some people should be allowed to have a voice here, but that is just the way it is. so, i am going to say my piece when i feel like it, and if it boils your blood, put me on ignore. as i said in another posting, i am not going to sit in the corner and wait until you give me permission to speak.
 

chazthespaz

New member
Feb 16, 2014
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I have been a passenger on the Delta DC-9-50s and they were in excellent condition. These were updated and fitted with hush kits in the 1990s and Delta has a fine reputation for aircraft maintenance. The DC-9 type is rugged and has a long fatigue life.

The downside of the DC-9 is fuel burn but I suppose if they are acquired for a low price that would some what offset the greater fuel burn compared to more modern models.
 

chazthespaz

New member
Feb 16, 2014
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I would add that the Delta DC-9-50s were among the newest models, dating from the late 1970s. At about 35 years of age, they should have several years of useful life left.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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The problem with DC9 is not the Delta/Northwest maintenance, but the DOMINICAN maintenance.
A brand new A320 or E195 can withstand some...let's call it "less rigorous" maintenance by Dominican maintenance crews... but a 35 year old DC9 is another thing.
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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yahoomail.com
Since the purpose of the airline is to bring "DRUGS" from Caracas to the DR, and MONEY back to Caracas, these plains should b just fine!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
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Uhhh, folks??

There was an article by the Motley Fool on the problems of the feeder airlines (as mentioned, fuel consumption and then the new regulations for pilot certification for a commercial license) have caused many of the major airlines to cut back on their fleets of these 50 passenger feeder planes.

I think I remember something about the airlines just stopping their maintenance programs and putting the plane out to pasture, as a way to reduce the number of planes in service.

There was also a reference to the newer Embraer 70 passenger aircraft as being more fuel efficient, and with more seats for
people willing to pay more (first and business class) therefore more revenue per pax than the single class DC 9 variants.

Another note: it was a DC 9 that wiped out the Puerto Rican volleyball team and killed Carlos Teo Cruz way back when when it lost an engine on takeoff and was mishandled by the pilot..


HB
 
May 5, 2007
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Huh, just reading this thread and noticed some people would fly the MD 80 but not the DC 9 Beside using Google and the obvious, what as a passenger makes you like the MD80 over the DC9?
 

Trainman33

Bronze
Dec 11, 2009
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I would still fly on the DC-9's, they were rated to be able to continue flying until 2030 at the rate Delta was using them.