Mad Dog Transition

[DeepFriar]

There have been recent warm references on the list to memories and experiences with the Mad Dog. For those of you who actually flew (fly?) it or have great memories of it I thought I would send along a short piece I just read about one pilot's moving-on to the 738. What got my attention is how differently it is written. Sort of analog, if you will, rather than the usual "digital" airplane report.

I think he does a good job of describing that "feeling" you get when things finally start to come together when you get the "hang" of things. When you're no longer so far behind what you're doing that everything is a race. The bit about being able to look out and see the engines and wingtips is nice too. Apparently there was a lead-in article in the January issue but I can't download it for some reason.


http://twinandturbine.com/article/in-the-groove/

 

[CincyDavid]

I have never had the dubious pleasure of being a passenger in a 737 of any sort. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the 737 is NOT the place for airsickness-prone passengers to be, so maybe it's good that I've not been there.

Very nicely written piece by the way.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Originally Posted By: CincyDavid
I have never had the dubious pleasure of being a passenger in a 737 of any sort. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the 737 is NOT the place for airsickness-prone passengers to be, so maybe it's good that I've not been there.

Very nicely written piece by the way.
I remember my first flight on a 737. Flight from Farmington,NM to Denver through Grand Junction on Frontier. That early version 737 seemed to wag its tail all over the sky.

 

[CincyDavid]

Ugh...I make a point of getting exit row seats over the wing, on the premise that the least perceived movement will be there. Thank heaven for Jim Beam or Woodford Reserve (depending on the airline)...a couple of drinks calms me right down.

 

[FowVay]

I remember that Tuesday morning when the 737-700 was feeling strong and the fuel tanks weren't quite to the level that they needed to be. This bad boy got loose during an engine run on the taxiway and she went into the weeds.

The boss wasn't happy, the FAA didn't smile much at the scene, and we learned why they call the 737-700 the hotrod of the series.

 

[FowVay]

And then there was the time that the MD-88 with the JT8D-219 came into the hangar for high oil consumption. And don't forget the cracked disk from the Pratt 4000 that had a mild vibration from a flopping compressor blade...

 

[FowVay]

And keeping those darned 2nd stage HPT disks from the GE CF-6 in place and on the correct side of the airplane can sometimes be a task. This disk was ejected from the no. 1 (left side) engine, hit the ground and shot back up and perforated the exhaust nozzle on the no. 2 (right side) engine. It was one of those exciting ground runs that makes you go and change your drawers.

 

[FowVay]

And then there was the time that the CIC needed his oil changed...

 

[fdcg27]

I've flown on lots of MD-80s as well as DC-9s earlier.
I've also flown on lots of 737s of all models, except for the -100 and -600 as well as single aisle Airbuses of all models except for the 318.
I like the MDs for their five abreast seating, giving less chance of a middle seat as well as for their underdog status.
MD was dying as a commercial builder by the time that Boeing got hold of the company, but the last gasp MD-90s were built out by Boeing and the MD-95 was renamed the Boeing 717 and was built for some years at the old Long Beach plant.
It will be sad to see the last of these aircraft retired and although the B717 will be in service for at least another decade with Delta, that final flight must inevitably come.
The real death of Douglas as a commercial force came with their acquisition by McDonell.
Prior to that, Douglas had been unafraid to spend money to match anything Boeing could offer, and there was no Airbus.
The new management preferred to develop existing aircraft rather than investing in new clean-sheet designs.
Still, that the MD-90 was fully competitive with the 737-700 and the A320 is a real tribute to the skills of MD's engineers.

 

[zuluplus30]

First flight as a kid was on a Mad Dog when I was 6 years old. Still have the picture sitting in the FOs seat with his hat on. That's what sparked my love of aviation. Special place in my heart for them.