DC-8. Who has flown it?

[Orange Anchor]

I seem to remember hearing that before you could do the inflight reverse on the 8s at Widget Wonderland, you had to make a PA to warn the pax. Apparently, it made alarming noise/vibration ? That would seem to make the option not very practical.

Concorde's inboards could be reversed in flight but it too caused a fair amount of rumble.

 

[derg]

Not really, it was an easy cockpit to get in and out of. If there was a lot of wind it could be a pain to release/engage the lock though.

The cloth seats were easily replaced, not a whole lot of pilot funk.

Southernjets doesn't spend a whole lot of scratch on seat comfort either. Hell, they're probably digging around the boneyard for seat pad and cover replacements.

 

[JLF]

PA: "Hey ya'll....check this [imagine the word I'd put in here] out!!!"

:buck: lol

 

[scarface]

I am fortunate to have had 15 years in the 8. We would vary between using inflight reverse as normal ops and not. It was well known by our crewmembers with previous DC8 experience that using inflight reverse would cause eventual cracking of the inboard pylons so we stopped that as a normal procedure. We would use it if ATC gave us a slam dunk and it was that or to the back of the pack. I found that I never had to go in the powered reverse range in order to make profile.
We were taught the inflight reverse was needed in order to meet the time restriction to 14,000 feet in case of a rapid depressurization.
It's a great airplane but could be a handful.

 

[cb_boarder04]

This is all very good information. It will definitely help.

Did the -8 have a three man crew through its entire service or did they reduce it to two on later versions?

Anybody know if it was a specific series that had the apu's?

 

[Dugie8]

This is all very good information. It will definitely help.

Did the -8 have a three man crew through its entire service or did they reduce it to two on later versions?

Anybody know if it was a specific series that had the apu's?

Those crazy Canadians actually converted a couple of -60 series DC8s to two man crews. I understand it was a handful under the best of conditions.

I think all series had the apus but they were eventually taken out due to MX costs.

 

[KLB]

Did the -8 have a three man crew through its entire service or did they reduce it to two on later versions?

You're talking like the DC8 dead and gone. They're still flying today. I love the look of the aircraft.

 

[JayAre]

Love that pic KLB

When I did DHL in SLC there was no mistake who was coming in 10 miles away