Last Midwest & Airtran 717

[mpenguin1]

The 717 line is coming to an end, here are photos of the last 717 Midwest bird & the last 717 bird.

[SeanD]

Sweet pics, I love that airplane, very clean looking. Check out that guy on the bike . Must be a huge building.

[AlexF]

Originally Posted by SeanD

Sweet pics, I love that airplane, very clean looking. Check out that guy on the bike . Must be a huge building.

It's a huge building! I remember when Pengy took us on the 717 tour, we saw that plane in it's infancy stage when it was in pieces all across the floor. And the tour guide talked a little while about the bikes and said the building is soo large, that the bikes are almost "sacred," if you're not guarding your bike, another employee will just snatch it from beneath you so they can get around.

P.S. those seats are SWEET!!!! They were the most comfortable ones I have ever sat on, and they smelt so good when they were combined with the toxic "new plane smell".

[SeanD]

Where is the plant. The LBC ?

[AlexF]

Originally Posted by SeanD

Where is the plant. The LBC ?

Yep, on either side of KLGB!

The commercial side (soon to close )

This one is actually across the street from the airport. So when they want to send a plane out for a test flight, they have to close the street and tow the airplane across it. I hear it's a pretty cool site, although I have yet to see it!


The military side!

[AlexF]

Here's an Airtran 717 crossing the street over to the airport:





And here is what the military side is working on, the C-17 Globalmaster:

[Aero_Engineer]

Sad times, but the legacy will live for at least 20 or so years with the bird still flying.

[ASpilot2be]

Definently a sad sight to see

[FlyWhiteSox]

It's actually pretty surprising to see how many people have never ever heard of the 717.

I remember someone explaining to me the reasoning for the low number used on the model but I have forgotten. Does anyone know the story behind it?

[ROFCIBC]

Originally Posted by FlyWhiteSox

It's actually pretty surprising to see how many people have never ever heard of the 717.

I remember someone explaining to me the reasoning for the low number used on the model but I have forgotten. Does anyone know the story behind it?

The so called "missing 7". 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777....but no 717. Urban legend says the 717 was not used as that was in fact the KC135 military tanker. However the KC135, at least according to the FAA as evidenced by the type rating I got for flying it was a 707/720. While the 135 is pretty close to the 707 it has a different shape fuselage. So hard to say if the urban legend is true or not.

Back when Douglas Aircraft Company was making airplanes the 717 was just the MD90, albeit a shorter version. The MD90 held 150 peeps, don't know what the 717 is. (maybe 100ish?)

The Delta MD90s didn't have the nifty six across CRT cockpit as Delta wanted a common category with the MD88 so it had the same (with minor differences due to engines and some systems) cockpit layout. When I retired only the DFW based pilots flew the MD90, which now are SLC based. Delta first flew them starting in April 1995.

I loved the airplane as it never flew into Crackertown, USA! Did a lot of DFW to the west coast trips. It was a natural for SNA as it could fly full out of there and meet the noise restrictions. RNO was a good place too as the engine out performance made a straight out climb possible (vs turning tight back over the field) It also flew into DCA as again due to noise (lack of really) there were no curfew limits. Some of the other “nice” places were FLL, SAN, SEA, SFO and even ORD. Oh yeah, and Billings!

[pilot602]

Back when Douglas Aircraft Company was making airplanes the 717 was just the MD90, albeit a shorter version. The MD90 held 150 peeps, don't know what the 717 is. (maybe 100ish?)

Actually it al started with the DC-9-10. No slats on em so final was a little fast. My father's first (and the -40) last jet.