SAS Scandinavian Airlines MD80s

Drimnagh Road · 06-05-2013 11:56pm #1

Hi folks,

Obviously, the end has been nigh for this aircraft for the last few years, and I thought the original plan was they would solider on until 2014.

The dreadful situation that SAS finds itself in financially wise now sees that plan down the drain and I was horrified to find during a routine wiki search that there are now only 6x MD-82s in the fleet and they'll all be gone by October.

So, how does one plan a farewell flight on these? I note that they are all based at Copenhagen so I assume we mess around with various routes originating from there until we find one that comes up MD-80?

I'm thinking July-August.

My fear would be that I would find one scheduled to be operated by an MD-80, but in the time between booking and the actual flying date it would be upgraded to an Airbus or Boeing.

Any thoughts?

thanks
D.R.

Jamie2k9 · 07-05-2013 12:24am

Drimnagh Road wrote: »

Hi folks,

Obviously, the end has been nigh for this aircraft for the last few years, and I thought the original plan was they would solider on until 2014.

The dreadful situation that SAS finds itself in financially wise now sees that plan down the drain and I was horrified to find during a routine wiki search that there are now only 6x MD-82s in the fleet and they'll all be gone by October.

So, how does one plan a farewell flight on these? I note that they are all based at Copenhagen so I assume we mess around with various routes originating from there until we find one that comes up MD-80?

I'm thinking July-August.

My fear would be that I would find one scheduled to be operated by an MD-80, but in the time between booking and the actual flying date it would be upgraded to an Airbus or Boeing.

Any thoughts?

thanks
D.R.

They may all be based in CPH now but they were not a few months ago,

donvito99 · 07-05-2013 12:52am

I'd love to, and potentially could visit relatives in Copenhagen, but tis a busy summer this year.

And anyway, I'll always have those AZ mad dog memories!

robertowjr · 07-05-2013 12:56am

Flew in one of them couple of months ago, from Helsinki to Copenhagen, I'm hardly a aviation fan, just saw the thread on the front page and decided to post.

No a great contribution I know.

sparrowcar · 07-05-2013 8:46am

Used to come into DUB all the time with SAS but rarely see them these days.

Really are in poor shape when you get up close to them.

Without a shadow of doubt they're were the best a/c type to watch landing on a windy day.

L1011 · 07-05-2013 9:06am

Think they're gone from DUB entirely, that rotation is now 717s

Jamie2k9 · 07-05-2013 11:02am

MYOB wrote: »

Think they're gone from DUB entirely, that rotation is now 717s

Indeed 717's in the morning and mostly A321 in the evenings with the odd A319/20.

BuffyBot · 07-05-2013 11:37am

Ah, was on an AA one a few weeks. Nice plane, once you're away from the engines. Being phased out by them also in favour of 737's.

DieselPowered · 07-05-2013 1:12pm

110% I saw an MD-82 vectoring for finals onto RWY 10 in Dublin about a week, two weeks ago, it was low, These always catch my eye, slim, slender wings, engines mounted high up at the back.

Historically a great aircraft, but probably one of the worst I have ever flown on (with SAS), was seated down the back, looking straight out at the engine, literally you can not see anything else apart from the engine cowling and the NOISE was horrendous......deafening more like.

Bring ear plugs if you plan to go on one.:rolleyes:

DieselPowered · 07-05-2013 1:20pm

Just checked aircraft movements for Dublin.
Looks like one came in on Wednesday 1 May.

YR-MDK MD-82 Tend Air JOR155/6

sparrowcar · 07-05-2013 1:22pm

DieselPowered wrote: »

110% I saw an MD-82 vectoring for finals onto RWY 10 in Dublin about a week, two weeks ago, it was low, These always catch my eye, slim, slender wings, engines mounted high up at the back.

Historically a great aircraft, but probably one of the worst I have ever flown on (with SAS), was seated down the back, looking straight out at the engine, literally you can not see anything else apart from the engine cowling and the NOISE was horrendous......deafening more like.

Bring ear plugs if you plan to go on one.:rolleyes:

What you saw was probably a 717 as discussed in this thread. Identical looking to an untrained eye.

https://www.google.ie/search?q=717&safe=off&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=CwCJUfWcGY-u7AbrtYGwAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=672

DieselPowered · 07-05-2013 1:28pm

sparrowcar wrote: »

What you saw was probably a 717 as discussed in this thread. Identical looking to an untrained eye.

https://www.google.ie/search?q=717&safe=off&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=CwCJUfWcGY-u7AbrtYGwAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=672

Hands up !

I'm not familiar with the 717's, so you could be right.
You learn something new every day.

Thanks.

N7777G · 07-05-2013 2:35pm

MYOB wrote: »

Think they're gone from DUB entirely, that rotation is now 717s

Not true!

MD-80s operated the evening flight (SK2537/8) on Tues 30/04 & Wed 01/05.

zone 1 · 07-05-2013 6:12pm

BuffyBot wrote: »

Ah, was on an AA one a few weeks. Nice plane, once you're away from the engines. Being phased out by them also in favour of 737's.

yep sitting next to does engines is hard work on 2hr flight done it myself. heading to denmark. then was down in africa and whats waiting on the tarmac jesus i said not again.. but sat right up the front my god best flight ever no noise at all..

belcampprisoner · 07-05-2013 6:14pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_MD-80#Incidents_and_accidents

kona · 07-05-2013 6:22pm

belcampprisoner wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_MD-80#Incidents_and_accidents

??

donkey balls · 07-05-2013 7:17pm

SAS are still using the MD80 in to Dublin and they are due for retiring sometime in October,Some of the Amish guys have all ready transferred to the Boeing&Bus the B717 does look the same as the MD80 to the untrained eye it also has the same cockpit layout as the MD11 minus the third throttle control.
They will be sadly missed as the noise off them when rolling down the RWY is unreal.

Darwin · 07-05-2013 7:27pm

A few years ago I saw what looked like an MD80 on steroids depart out of Nice, the noise was absolutely deafening. Turned out to be a Vickers VC10. I'd say the MD11 is a noisy bugger too.

donkey balls · 07-05-2013 7:34pm

The MD11 would not be as loud as the old B727/MD80 and due to European noise regs that is why you don't see them flying in Europe anymore.

Solair · 07-05-2013 7:37pm

I see one of their MD82s was in trouble in 2012 with a part of an engine breaking off

http://avherald.com/h?article=44a63857/0000

That could have been *very* nasty.

kona · 07-05-2013 7:37pm

Darwin wrote: »

A few years ago I saw what looked like an MD80 on steroids depart out of Nice, the noise was absolutely deafening. Turned out to be a Vickers VC10. I'd say the MD11 is a noisy bugger too.

Military? Vc10 are mad looking

donkey balls · 07-05-2013 7:39pm

If I'm ever around when one of the MD 80 is here I will try and get a few pics including the flight deck and post them on here.

Darwin · 07-05-2013 7:45pm

kona wrote: »

Military? Vc10 are mad looking

Yes was an RAF VC10, it was 2 yearsa ago, not sure if they are still in service now. Anyway apologies for dragging the thread a little off-topic.

cml387 · 07-05-2013 7:46pm

kona wrote: »

Military? Vc10 are mad looking

VC-10?Mad looking? One of the most beautiful aircraft ever designed.
Unforunately not the most profitable.

cml387 · 07-05-2013 7:49pm

Apologies for off topic post but I couldn't resist.

As a young fella in my first job I was sent off to Sweden in 1982. I inevitably got the rear seat on a DC 9 as I still think of them.

I preferred the older viking livery:

kona · 07-05-2013 7:59pm

cml387 wrote: »

VC-10?Mad looking? One of the most beautiful aircraft ever designed.
Unforunately not the most profitable.

It's got four engines mounted off the back, it's mad!
Looks great, but mental.

cml387 · 07-05-2013 8:05pm

kona wrote: »

It's got four engines mounted off the back, it's mad!
Looks great, but mental.

There was a good reason for mounting engines at the back in those days.
Firstly the engineering behind wing mounting the engines was a trick known well only to Douglas and Boeing.
Secondly you had a clean wing configuration.
In the event of an engine failure on take off, the yaw effect was smaller.
And finally if you landed wheels up your engines were less prone do damage.

kona · 07-05-2013 8:08pm

cml387 wrote: »

There was a good reason for mounting engines at the back in those days.
Firstly the engineering behind wing mounting the engines was a trick known well only to Douglas and Boeing.
Secondly you had a clean wing configuration.
In the event of an engine failure on take off, the yaw effect was smaller.
And finally if you landed wheels up your engines were less prone do damage.

I understand quite well why they are there. Doesn't stop it looking mental!

Locker10a · 07-05-2013 9:03pm

belcampprisoner wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_MD-80#Incidents_and_accidents

what exactly are you trying to prove? All planes crash, all airlines have incidents from time to time, **** happens

Lustrum · 07-05-2013 9:26pm

Kent Wien who writes the cockpit chronicles has always been harping on about how much he loves flying the MD-80. His last article was about it

http://i.gadling.com/2013/05/01/cockpit-chronicles-how-i-fell-in-love-with-an-airplane-video/

MuffinsDa · 09-05-2013 9:23am

I grew up in a small town which was served by 1 x 737 and 1 x 727 flight daily in the 80s. Our house was about 10km away from the airport. Never heard 737, but when 727 was revving up for take off (for the pm flight) it could be clearly heard from where we lived!

Flew in 727 then again in 2004, fantastic plane, such great interior. Really from the golden age of flight.

MDx0s are meh in my opinion, flew on the AZ ones a couple of times in early 2000s to Milan and didn't found them to be special.

merisi · 09-05-2013 2:52pm

My house is right under rwy 16 departure and the SAS MD's really rattle the windows on climbout. The only comparable thing was a few weeks ago when a 777 did two go arounds before diverting to Manchester. That was loud.

It's a bit before my time, but for ear-splitting noise the Trident was right up there.

Skuxx · 09-05-2013 11:00pm

I flew on a SAS MD82 from Copenhagen to Dublin about this time last year! I have to say it was surprisingly nice! I don't know what it was, its just seemed like a lovely plane to fly on! I have also worked on them as a mechanic, which was good craic!! They are a proper mechanical aircraft, no fancy stuff....although trying to rig flight controls is a complete nightmare!!

The 717's that now fly the route, are they SAS aircraft?

Jamie2k9 · 09-05-2013 11:01pm

alan1990 wrote: »

I flew on a SAS MD82 from Copenhagen to Dublin about this time last year! I have to say it was surprisingly nice! I don't know what it was, its just seemed like a lovely plane to fly on! I have also worked on them as a mechanic, which I also enjoyed!! They are a proper mechanical aircraft, no fancy stuff....although trying to rig flight controls is a complete nightmare!!

The 717's that now fly the route, are they SAS aircraft?

Blue 1 have the B717's