Diesel Nine Arrivals

[YesterAirlines]

I have been lucky to have recently picked up over 20 DC-9s from Ryan Dunning for very reasonable prices. Gradually I'm introducing them to the collection with the usual admin (update central list, take photos, update MADb etc) and I thought I'd start a thread to chart the progress.

Mostly they are Aeroclassics but there are a couple from other brands and I'll start with one of those. This THY DC-9-30 was released under the Sovereign brand name in 2005 and uses the SMA mould. Named 'Anadolu' the aircraft was delivered new in August 1969 and served until sale to ValuJet as N923VV in December 1994. It was finally retired with AirTran in July 2003.

 

[YesterAirlines]

This TAESA DC-9 was the only series 30 operated by the private Mexican airline and would prove to be a disastrous addition as on November 9, 1999 it would be destroyed in a crash on the last leg of a multi-part route between Tijuana and Mexico City. Fortunately, it only had 13 passengers and 5 crew aboard at the time, but all were killed. Even though the aircraft only served with the airline for just over a year it seems to have been wearing the yellow top livery at the time of the crash and not this scheme. This is an Aeroclassics releases from 2017.

Incidentally I wrote about TAESA in a three part series in 2017 at the avhistory blog: https://www.yesterdaysairlines.com/airline-history-blog/taesa-pt3-dc-9-disaster

 

[YesterAirlines]

As you probably know Thai Airways International was setup as a joint venture between the Thai Government and Scandinavian Airlines in 1959 and in the 60s and 70s operated a lot of SAS equipment on lease. This included a pair of Douglas DC-9-41s leased from January 1970. HS-TGM was OY-KGG 'Sune Viking' before and after her lease, which lasted only until October 1971. She joined Northwest as N762NW in May 1991 and flew her last revenue service with Delta in January 2011. This is an Aeroclassics release from 2007.

 

[LeoMuse747]

Aeroclassics DC-9 mould have a much better nose section than Sovereign, which is too Snoopy for my taste

 

[YesterAirlines]

Next up is OE-LDA, the first of 9 DC-9-32s Austrian received in 1971/72. The first 3 only served with Austrian until December 1980 when they were sold to the Texas Air Corp. LDA became N521TX with Texas Air Int and then Continental where she was re-registered as N16521 in 1991. Sold to Sun Jet International in 1999, as N930BB, and then Southeast Airlines in 2001 her career ended in 2003.

 

[YesterAirlines]

In 2010, three years after Aeroclassics made the Austrian, they also made her sistership OE-LDC, which was leased to Air Malta for a 5 month period from December 1979-May 1980. I already owned this one but it looks great paired with its fleetmate:

 

[YesterAirlines]

Two for one with this pair of DC-9s both released in September 2022 and both PH-MAX. This airframe, named Europa, was the last of 4 DC-9-30s for Martinair delivered between July 1968 and February 1971. Martinair's DC-9s were all sold by 1983 but this frame was leased out to ALM Antillean in 1979/80 and more oddly Iran Air for only about 3 weeks in January 1976. Surprisingly considering the short lease titles and tail logo were added. MAX was transferred to KLM in December 1981 and then went to the US for Midway as N947ML in June 1987. She later flew with Trans American Charter, Spirit Airlines and ended her career in 2008 with Aero California of Mexico as XA-ACZ.

 

[YesterAirlines]

Another arrival using the SMA mould is this Japan Air System DC-9-41 JA8427. I agree the nose on the SMA Nine is too snoopy-like but these subjects haven't been made elsewhere and the model overall still looks very nice. This aircraft was delivered to Toa Domestic in June 1974. It was one of 22 DC-9-41s TDA received. TDA was renamed as JAS in 1988 and this Nine served until Feb 1993, when it joined ABX Air as N953AX in freighter configuration. It was finally withdrawn in 2009.

 

[YesterAirlines]

Another pair of fairly recent Aeroclassics DC-9s are this pair from the Caribbean. I recall seeing some rather grievous QC issues with this pair but fortunately these copies seem pretty decent. 6Y-JGA was one of 2 DC-9-32s transferred from Air Canada almost immediately on delivery in 1969. They were joined by a third in 1974. JGA was sold to USAir as N958VJ in November 1980 and served with them until July 2001.

9Y-TFI was the only DC-9 series 30 operated by BWIA. Delivered in 1978 and named 'Buccoo Reef'. She was sold to Aeropostal as YV-37C in November 1986 and served at least until 2005.

 

[YesterAirlines]

The weekend gives me another chance to add in some more DC-9s to the hangar. First up today is EC-BIH, one of 50 DC-9-30s operated by Iberia. Delivered new in May 1967 and named 'Santa Cruz de Tenerife' she was later renamed as 'Ciudad de Barcelona' before moving to Iberia's subsidiary Aviaco in July 1984. She was retired, in November 1999, just after Aviaco was subsumed into Iberia.



I already owned EC-BIG in the slightly earlier 1963-1967 livery and they make a nice pair:

 

[YesterAirlines]

The third and last of the Hangar Club exclusive DC-9s to join my collection is the ZAS Airline of Egypt series 32 YU-AHJ, leased from Adria in September 1988. I recall seeing ZAS quite a bit at LGW and the airline operated a fairly diverse fleet including various MD-80s and A300s. This was one of a pair of DC-9s leased from Adria. ZAS ceased all operations in April 1995.



And here she is with her Adria sistership YU-AHW. AHJ had been delivered new to Inex Adria in April 1969, named 'Ljubljana', and flew with them until February 1999, by which time she was S5-ABF. She then went on to fly for 6 more years with Cebu Pacific in the Philippines as RP-C1538, being withdrawn in July 2006.

 

[YesterAirlines]

There are still penty more DC-9s to showcase. This pair are actually the same aircraft - I-DIKF. Alitalia operated a trio of DC-9-32/33Fs delivered new in 1968/69. One, I-DIKG, was sold in 1972 but the other pair served until 1980/81 when they both went to Evergreen International (and actually joined the other aircraft). I-DIKF became N935F and served until June 2000 when she was bought by USA Jet. Incredibly she is still flying in 2025 and is now operating with Aeronaves TSM of Mexico.

 

[YesterAirlines]

Another airline that operated cargo DC-9s was Air Canada, but they appear to have only flown a single series 32CF and that aircraft was secondhand. The original 1969 delivered CF-TMN was passed almost immediately to Air Jamaica but in May 1973 they purchased N932F from ONA and she took up the reg. She was sold back to the USA regaining her original N reg in October 1977 when she joined Southern. Re-reged as N59T in 1978 she was sold to the US Navy in 1984 and became 163036. She was finally withdrawn in July 2003.

 

[LeoMuse747]

So many cool DC-9s here. Lots of classic liveries! Great to see all these

 

[Jazajia]

So many cool DC-9s here. Lots of classic liveries! Great to see all these

And so many more left to be done!