The last Douglas Commercial aircraft ever... is a Boeing?

Robin Capper

Robin Capper

— 2 min read

It’s the end of an era as the last Boeing 717 rolls off the line. It was based on the McDonnell Douglas MD95, which in turn evolved from the Douglas DC9 Series, so represents the last of a long line of the Douglas Commercial aircraft dating back to the DC1.

Boeing Blog: Randy's Journal: California dreamin'
“Let this week's events serve as a great tribute to the Douglas legacy. The Long Beach factory with its legendary sign, "Fly DC Jets," will live on forever in the history of commercial aviation, and in its lasting impact on the Boeing of today and the future”

I’ve only flown in a few Douglas/McDonnell Douglas aircraft types (as a passenger!). One was much older than you’d think given I was born at about the time the jet age arrived in New Zealand;

  • The first Air New Zealand DC8 ZK-NZA arrived in July 1965, I arrived about six months later!
  • The oldest Douglas commercial aircraft I’ve flown in was a QANTAS DC4 Skymaster which operated into the mid ‘70’s servicing Norfolk Island. TEAL/Air New Zealand chartered these aircraft for the Auckland – Norfolk Island route from 1955 to June 1975. My grandparents lived at Norfolk and I still remember the, seemingly endless, flight I did at about age 6 or 7. The flight didn’t take a whole year, about 3 or 4 hours I think, but I can’t remember which year it was! For any child flying is an adventure but a long flight to a tiny dot in the Pacific in a multi-engine un-pressurised prop aircraft was a real adventure!
    I think the reason the DC4 was still in use at that time was thanks to the short runway at Norfolk and regulations regarding twin engine aircraft and long ocean crossings. It seems odd that an ancient 4 engine DC4 was thought more reliable than a modern jet! The Norfolk DC4 was initially replaced by Fokker Friendship’s and, after a runway extension, the Boeing 737’s used today.
  • I still have fond memories of Air NZ DC10–30’s which operated from 1973 to 1982. I remember drawing them as repeatedly as a child, the Koru on the tail was hard to get right! A flight to Sydney on one was my first international jet flight and still remember it was a nicer experience than the return flight on a QANTAS 747 (sorry Randy!).
  • I did a L.A.– San Francisco flight in a MD80 (or was it a MD90?) in 2004 and that’s my total flight time in Douglas Aircraft to date but I still have one more to add…
  • There are a few DC3’s doing charter/fun flights in New Zealand and I plan to get a flight in the most famous Douglas Aircraft of them all.
Dates from www.airnewzealand.co.nz Company History (PDF)

Dates from www.airnewzealand.co.nz Company History (PDF)

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