MD-80/90 airstairs

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Wasn't that DB thing on a Western airplane? I remember someone telling me that he knew the FO on that flight or something.

[/ QUOTE ]NWA, I think.
 
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Wasn't that DB thing on a Western airplane? I remember someone telling me that he knew the FO on that flight or something.

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Nope, it was a Northwest flight. Saw something on it the other day, it was just the anniversary of it I think.
 
So, lemme get this straight, the three of you are saying it was American?
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I was looking at a cargo 727 and I was inspecting the Cooper vane. Pretty simple solution to a unique problem. I was curious if that was a mandate for all 727's, or simply for passenger opertations. I believe the airplane I checked out used to fly passengers.

Didn't they go out the side of the airplane in Cliffhanger?
 
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I was looking at a cargo 727 and I was inspecting the Cooper vane. Pretty simple solution to a unique problem. I was curious if that was a mandate for all 727's, or simply for passenger opertations. I believe the airplane I checked out used to fly passengers.

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The DB Cooper incident was probably the main impetus for the latch, but I think it was decided that it was never a good idea to have this door open in flight so the latch was universally installed.

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Didn't they go out the side of the airplane in Cliffhanger?

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No, they went out the tail, with the tailcone off. They actually did a mid-air transfer from the DC-9 to the JetStar. The guy made it into the JetStar but was yanked back outside, slid along the top of the JetStar and had to release from the cable and use his parachute. No matter what he was paid, it wasn't enough.
greatest aviation stunt
 
I talked to a mechanic and the -82/-88/-90's that were delivered to Delta never had the airstairs because they were uber heavy and rarely worked correctly.

Strange how the ground school instructors taught us how to reactivate them if the situation arose.
 
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I have to ask why would the stairs be gone? Was there a problem with them regarding safety. It seems to be OK board RJ's by walking out onto the field and up the plane's own stairs. British Airways still do it when their 737 lands in JER, if the weather is good enough. And I remember countless Delta CRJ's being boarded on airstairs. Not to mention BA46's and Dash 800's in the UK on various trips.

Has someone banned airstairs?

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One reason...money!

Delta didn't go anywhere they were needed. Each station either had a jetway or portable air staris for the 1L door. Plus there's always the aft airstairs.

So why drag around several hundred pounds of extra weight equipment you never use? Especially when that extra weight is NOT generating revenue.

Plus if it's on the airplane, it will at one time or another require maintenance and/or inspection. This too takes time, i.e. money.

So just take them off. Although I'd bet they just told Mickey Dee to leave them off the MD88s and MD90s they were buying. That way you don't have to store a few hundred of them. Probably required some FAA paperwork.
 
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I talked to a mechanic and the -82/-88/-90's that were delivered to Delta never had the airstairs because they were uber heavy and rarely worked correctly.

Strange how the ground school instructors taught us how to reactivate them if the situation arose.

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See? The much beer soaked old brain located in the upper cavity of moi was right!

Plus I only believed what a ground instructor said if I could actually go to the airplane and make it happen!

FWIW I did carry a spare rope for the manual starter in case the one on it broke!
 
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I talked to a mechanic and the -82/-88/-90's that were delivered to Delta never had the airstairs because they were uber heavy and rarely worked correctly.

Strange how the ground school instructors taught us how to reactivate them if the situation arose.

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Sounds right to me. The 737-200s were delivered with the airstairs which were then deactivated and (I think) finally removed to save weight.
 
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