see a classic Douglas DC-8 flying today is a rarity, considering how long the plane was launched and also because it is a plane with higher operating costs due to its four engines.
As of October 7, 2022, when this article was written, there were six DC-8 aircraft in operation worldwide.
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engine plane officially launched in 1958, 64 years ago. The first two carriers of Douglas' North American model were United Airlines and Delta.
Sharing the spotlight with the Boeing 707, the Douglas DC-8 was one of the aircraft that were responsible for the transition to the jet age. See a little more of each aircraft still active.
DC-8-73(CF) from Sky Bus Cargo Charters
One of the aircraft still active today is the Douglas DC-8-73(CF) originally delivered to Transamérica Airlines. The Oakland-based company in the USA received the four-jet in 1970, since then it has gone through six other North American companies until it arrived at Sky Bus Cargo Charters in 2013.
At Sky Bus Cargo Charters the DC-8-73(CF) which operates as a freighter, flies with registration OB-2158P.
A curiosity of this plane is that it was originally delivered with Pratt & Whitney JT3D-7 engines and the designation DC-8-63(CF) and today flies with CFM 56-2 engines and updating the nomenclature with the ending -73. The classic plane flies for an incredible 52,8 years almost non-stop.
Skybus Cargo Charters still has another Douglas DC-8 in its fleet, this one also of the -73(CF) variant. The aircraft ed OB-2059-P has not flown since June, but the website PlaneSpotters still lists the active plane in the company's fleet.
Unlike the other planes, this DC-8 was delivered as a factory-new freighter with Pratt & Whitney engines. Received by the Flying Tigers of the USA, the quadjet was ed N780FT in 1968.
Since then, he has worked for 11 other companies, and spent five years rotating operations between two companies. In 1977 it operated for CargoLux with the registration TF-CCV until 1983, when it was operated by Air India with the same registration. In 1984, the PW engines were switched to CFM and the nomenclature was updated.
From then on, it began to alternate with Evergreen International, with a one-year break for each company. From 1985 it started to fly as N816EV, as it remained until operating for TNT Express in 1992.
In 1994, with registration number N807DH, it began operating with UPS, and with the same registration number operated by DHL Airways and Astar Air Cargo. In 2013 it was transferred to Skybus Cargo Charters.
As of April 2013, it received the Peruvian registration OB-2059-P and rotated operations with Peruvian. In the same year, it operated for the Australian Heavylift Cargo and returned to Skybus in 2015.
In 2016, it also almost came to operate in Brazil for Brascoota, but the agreement did not go ahead and the aircraft returned to fly for the Peruvian company where it remains until the present day.
DC-8-62(F) from Trans Air Cargo
A little older than the plane above, the Douglas DC-8-62(F) registration 9S-AJG has been flying for 53,2 years. Originally delivered as an airliner in 1969 for United as N8974U, the aircraft still flew enger carriers for four more airlines before being converted.
The conversion of this DC-8 took place in 1991 when it was operated by Rich International Airways still using the United registration. Its US journey ended in 2005, when it was transferred to African International Airways as 3D-AJG and soon after ZS-POL.
Still flying across the African continent, the aircraft went to Trans Air Cargo, its current operator in 2007, arrived and received registration number 9Q-CJG. Ten years later, the plane continued operating for the Congo company but changed its registration to 9S-AJG. Trans Air Cargo's DC-8-62(F) operates with four Pratt & Whitney engines.
DC-8-73(CF) from Trans Air Cargo
Trans Air Cargo do Congo still has another DC-8 in its fleet, this one is a little newer. This plane was supposed to be delivered in 1971 to Airlift International, but ended up being delivered to World Airways from the USA, the aircraft arrived with registration number N801WA.
For a brief period, he flew under a lease to Icelandair with the same registration. In 1982 he was loaned to the also North American Overseas National Airways (ONA) and the following year to Capitol Air, also from the USA.
Still in 1983, it was loaned to the Venezuelan VIASA, which flew the Douglas DC-8 until mid-1984. Again, the plane was transferred to Emery Worldwide and went through the same process as the first plane mentioned in the article, it was converted into a freighter and the engines that they were Pratt & Whitney now they were CFM.
With the nomenclature DC-8-73(CF) it still flew with the registration N801WA until in 1991 when it was transferred to DHL Airways and received a new registration, N961R. In 1999 he returned again to Emery and in 2002 he was transferred to the Spanish Cygnus Air and started flying with the registration number EC-IGZ.
At the end of 2009, the plane stopped flying and was stored for two years, until it was reactivated by Trans Air Cargo, which operated the plane under registration 3X-GHH. In 2013 the aircraft almost came to Brazil to operate for Brascoota, but it never came to the country even with the reserved registration PR-PFS.
With no agreement with the Brazilian company, the plane then returned to flying with the Congo company and in 2019 received its new registration, 9S-AJO. His current age is 52,4 years, despite flying 50,8 years.
DC-8-73 'Kombi' by Samaritan's Purse
Perhaps the only Douglas DC-8 still in service carrying engers, the Samaritan's Purse aircraft from the USA operates carrying engers and cargo with the registration number N728SP.
Originally delivered to Finnair as the OH-LFR in 1969, the plane carried 130 engers in one part and only cargo in the other, as a 'Kombi' version. The aircraft was delivered with PW engines but in 1981 as soon as it was handed over to the French Air Force it was upgraded with CFM engines.
The four-jet remained in operation for for 24 years, and in 2005 it was transferred to Air Transport International from the USA. The configuration was for 32 engers plus cargo.
In March 2015, still with the same configuration, Douglas DC-8 was transferred to Samaritan's Purse, having currently operated two registrations, N721CX and N782SP.
NASA's DC-8-73
NASA still has a classic Douglas DC-8 in full operation, this is the N817NA that was originally delivered to Alitalia as I-DIWK and with PW engines in 1969.
Ten years later, in 1979, it was transferred to Braniff International Airways of the USA and received registration number N801BN. A few years later, it was operated by Quiet Nacelle Corporation, where it flew for only two years before being purchased by NASA in 1986.
Since then it has been at the service of the American space agency, but has operated other registrations such as N436NA to the current N817NA.
