Well, I'm a day late and dollar short as I know it was yesterday, but for those who didn't know, Delta retired the MD-88 & MD-90 yesterday. I've had a lot of good memories on the MD-88. We just need someone to make the Ron Allen scheme.
Just a little fun fact, there was actually another livery modification during Delta's 10 year identity crisis. The flowing fabric scheme originally began with the widget in the Gemini model being curved. It was later changed back to the traditional non-curved version. The Gemini 757 has the later flowing fabric scheme.
The maddog looks great in every scheme. Wished I got one last ride on one before the retirement. Last ride for me was February 2019 from ATL-ICT. Thanks for the great pictures of the fleet and the tribute.
The maddog looks great in every scheme. Wished I got one last ride on one before the retirement. Last ride for me was February 2019 from ATL-ICT. Thanks for the great pictures of the fleet and the tribute.
Yeah, I wish I got the chance too but such is life. I still remember my first was when I was a kid and it was to PBI. I remember them a lot as a kid, broke my knees loading a lot of them when I was on the ramp, continued to fly them a lot over the last 30 years, and had the privilege of jumpseating on them too. I didn't work the final flight but I did work them after when they were ferrying them back out. I know they all look the same on the scope but it was still the end of an era.
Shame to see this great airframe dissappear. Allmost no more mc donnel douglas for pax anymore...
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Just a little fun fact, there was actually another livery modification during Delta's 10 year identity crisis. The flowing fabric scheme originally began with the widget in the Gemini model being curved. It was later changed back to the traditional non-curved version.
Are you talking about the white paint near the nose on the widget livery? That widget livery is what was delivered from the factory. Subsequent in-house repaints lacked the wide white band near the nose, the "Delta" under the forward widget and the small "MD-88 McDonnell Douglas" on the tail.
In fact, most of the wide white bands near the nose on L-1011s,727s,737s,757s and 767s were eliminated when the planes were painted in house. My guess is that they wanted to keep all the nose gear doors unpainted so that they could be swapped between aircraft.
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Where have all the TriStars gone?
Are you talking about the white paint near the nose on the widget livery? That widget livery is what was delivered from the factory. Subsequent in-house repaints lacked the wide white band near the nose, the "Delta" under the forward widget and the small "MD-88 McDonnell Douglas" on the tail.
In fact, most of the wide white bands near the nose on L-1011s,727s,737s,757s and 767s were eliminated when the planes were painted in house. My guess is that they wanted to keep all the nose gear doors unpainted so that they could be swapped between aircraft.
No. I’m talking about the actual widget on the fuselage. The widget is more curved at the edges which they later changed back to the more traditional shaped widget. There were two versions of flowing fabric.
We just need someone to make the Ron Allen scheme.
Yes please! I have over 630 flights on the Mad Dog. First was either Delta Widget or Continental Saul Bass (Meatball) - my record-keeping was non-existent back then unfortunately. That was followed by all the other Delta liveries and Continental globe, but the bulk was on American's silver fleet out of Dallas. I flew close to 70% of their entire fleet. Top Dogs were N564AA and N972TW with 6 flights each. I also got a couple of MD-87 segments on Aeromexico. I don't think I ever got an MD-81 (CO only had 5, and again, no records). But I managed every other variant - tons of -82s, -83s, and -88s, plus 9 legs on the MD-90. In fact N936DN ended up being my last Mad Dog flight altogether last May (if you don't count 717's that is).
And the only one I don't have a model of is the Ron Allen scheme. Hrmph.
No. I’m talking about the actual widget on the fuselage. The widget is more curved at the edges which they later changed back to the more traditional shaped widget.
Ahhh, I see. We called that the frowning widget.
We also around that time had blue/gray vertical striped cabin divider curtains that looked a lot like the Auschwitz prisoner uniform. It amazes me what the marketing people don't see....
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Where have all the TriStars gone?
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