Simviation Forum - Does anyone still use MD-11s or DC-10s?

Jan 23^rd, 2012 at 6:59pm

Dave71k Ex Member

I've just been watching family guy and Stewie got on a DC-10 and it got me thinking. I see DC-10s/MD-11s all the time on TV shows but I thought that there pretty much unused in a civilian commercial role these days.

So does anybody know if they do? Or are they totally obsolete.

If they are it's a shame because I think there one of the coolest looking commercial airliners built!

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Reply #1 - Jan 23^rd, 2012 at 7:28pm

SaultFresh Offline
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Woodbridge, Ontario

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According to wikipedia, these are the current operators of the DC-10:
Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Omni Air International
Avient
DETA Air
FedEx Express
Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter
Master Top Airlines
Royal Netherlands Air Force
Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos

As for the MD-11s, according to wikipedia again, the list is:
KLM
World Airways
Aeroflot-Cargo
Avient Aviation
Centurion Air Cargo
Ethiopian Airlines
Etihad Crystal Cargo
EVA Air Cargo
FedEx Express
Lufthansa Cargo
Martinair Cargo
Nordic Global Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Shanghai Airlines Cargo
UPS Airlines
World Airways

Whether the information from wikipedia is 1) trustworthy; and 2) current, remains completely unknown, but I would say that at least somewhere in the world, there are operational DC-10s and MD-11s.

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Reply #2 - Jan 23^rd, 2012 at 8:37pm

DaveSims Offline
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Clear Lake, Iowa

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Not many left in passenger service anymore. The DC-10 caught a bad rap after the engine fell off the one in Chicago (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines_Flight_191). ; It is also much cheaper to operate a 767 or 777 these days on many of their routes, now that you can fly over the ocean with two engines.

However, they do seem to have found a calling in the air freight industry. If you are ever in Memphis, you can see them flying all day long in FedEx colors. I suspect FedEx will be using the DC-10 for quite a while, as they just spent a large amount of money upgrading their DC-10 fleet to MD-10s, basically a DC-10 with a MD-11 flight deck.

Dave

www.flymcw.com

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Reply #3 - Jan 24^th, 2012 at 9:58pm

skoker Offline
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DaveSims wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2012 at 8:37pm:

I suspect FedEx will be using the DC-10 for quite a while, as they just spent a large amount of money upgrading their DC-10 fleet to MD-10s, basically a DC-10 with a MD-11 flight deck.

Actually that's why they just bought the 767, to dump the DC/MD-10 Wink

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Reply #4 - Jan 25^th, 2012 at 7:48am

DaveSims Offline
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Clear Lake, Iowa

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skoker wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 9:58pm:

DaveSims wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2012 at 8:37pm:

I suspect FedEx will be using the DC-10 for quite a while, as they just spent a large amount of money upgrading their DC-10 fleet to MD-10s, basically a DC-10 with a MD-11 flight deck.

Actually that's why they just bought the 767, to dump the DC/MD-10 Wink

Actually the 767 is going to be replacing the much older A300/A310s that are still in their fleet.

Dave

www.flymcw.com

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Reply #5 - Jan 25^th, 2012 at 12:00pm

skoker Offline
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DaveSims wrote on Jan 25^th, 2012 at 7:48am:

skoker wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 9:58pm:

DaveSims wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2012 at 8:37pm:

I suspect FedEx will be using the DC-10 for quite a while, as they just spent a large amount of money upgrading their DC-10 fleet to MD-10s, basically a DC-10 with a MD-11 flight deck.

Actually that's why they just bought the 767, to dump the DC/MD-10 Wink

Actually the 767 is going to be replacing the much older A300/A310s that are still in their fleet.

A friend of mine who is a head ramper for Fedex said they would start retiring there MD-10-30's in the coming months and replacing them with the 767. Just what I biased it off.

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Reply #6 - Jan 25^th, 2012 at 6:09pm

DaveSims Offline
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Clear Lake, Iowa

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skoker wrote on Jan 25^th, 2012 at 12:00pm:

DaveSims wrote on Jan 25^th, 2012 at 7:48am:

skoker wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 9:58pm:

DaveSims wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2012 at 8:37pm:

I suspect FedEx will be using the DC-10 for quite a while, as they just spent a large amount of money upgrading their DC-10 fleet to MD-10s, basically a DC-10 with a MD-11 flight deck.

Actually that's why they just bought the 767, to dump the DC/MD-10 Wink

Actually the 767 is going to be replacing the much older A300/A310s that are still in their fleet.

A friend of mine who is a head ramper for Fedex said they would start retiring there MD-10-30's in the coming months and replacing them with the 767. Just what I biased it off.

Maybe they are tossing them then. Doesn't make much sense to upgrade all of those aircraft to get rid of them, but not much these large corporations do would make much sense to a common person like me. For example, Delta repainted 20 Mesaba Saab 340s from NW colors to Delta colors, then retired them less than 12 months later. Or Delta spending thousands per month to lease a big fancy deicer for a station they will be leaving in a couple of months.

Dave

www.flymcw.com

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Reply #7 - Jan 26^th, 2012 at 10:43am

The Ruptured Duck Offline
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I flew on a Northwest DC-10 from Detroit to Gatwick in 2005. I imagine they were scrapped as part of the merger with Delta.

In other news, American is still flying MD-82's.

"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing" -Ben Franklin&&&&"Man must rise above the Earth to the top of the atmosphere and beyond, for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives." - Socrates&&&&" Flying is a religion. A religion that asymilates all who get a taste of it." - Me&&&&"Make the most out of yourself, for that is all there is of you"- Ralf Waldo Emerson&&

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Reply #8 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 1:04am

BlackAce Offline
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I got to fly the KLM MD-11 from Vancouver to Amsterdam, and the sound from the top engine is unreal... Cheesy

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Reply #9 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 12:23pm

beaky Offline
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I still see the FedEx three-holers here at KEWR on a regular basis. Or maybe it's just one, LOL.

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