DC - 10 NEWS

April 10th 2002

*Although some people say it's not true I can confirm it is: I am still alive and the page too. I just uploaded the news, the updated aircraft files and a lot of new pics will be online within the next few days. *The page is now online for excatly two years! Over 17000 visitors came to know more about the DC-10. Thanks to everybody to help me! *Since I have a lot of ideas for changes and additions of my page, but not the time to do all of them at once. So please, mail me, to tell me which part should be expanded or updated (or perhaps you have an idea for a completely new section). *Now to the DC-10s: Aeroflot gave back its only DC-10 early this year and dropped the plan to add three ex JMC / BA aircraft to its fleet. Instead, four ex-JAL DC-10-40 aircraft will be added via Ten Forty Ltd from Ireland. Two of these aircraft are known (306 and 349) *The first ex-American DC-10 was broken up by FedEx in February. It was 9. *A Continental DC-10 will get the same fate: #88, an ex-Alitalia aircraft which made the last Continental DC-10 flight, was ferried to Greenwood, MS for scrapping. *Now, it is confirmed that ASA has phased out the DC-0. This aircraft will be used for passenger operations of a DAS Air Cargo subsidiray. *AVENSA is still negotiating about its ex-Continental aircraft. The aircraft is still in Miami in full AVENSA colours. *Aerowings Switzerland started operations with a Skyjet DC-10-15.

January 10th 2002

*First, happy new year and sorry for this long delay. I hope the next update will not last so long...
*YV-69C, the new aircraft active with AVENSA, is #133 which was active with AVENSA as YV-51C. A third aircraft, ex Continental N41068 (#178) joined the fleet in late 2001.
*Skyjet is transferring DC-10 wet-lease operations to its greece subsidiary Electra Aviation. The last own DC-10 was stored in Maastricht
*Northwest Airlines phased out four more DC-10-40s. Check out the Northwest Airlines page for more information
*Although I thought, JMC will operate its last DC-10 until early 2002, I got the confirmation that the last aircraft was already phased out in September 2001.
*Rumours or true? I heard that ASA (African Safari Airways) will replace its DC-10 with 2 ex-Hapag-Lloyd A310-300 aircraft


October 19th 2001

*As mentioned in August, FedEx plans to use 29 DC-10-10s as spare source. They are not listed anymore as active in the statistics as they will not be converted to freighters anymore. These are following aircraft: 1, 3, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 24, 37, 45, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 56, 58, 64, 68, 74, 80, 95, 163, 271, 273
*#91, the aircraft which made the last service for American Airlines, was bought by Omni Air International as spare source.
*Has anybody an idea where #19 really is? Some people say this aircraft went to FedEx, from other sources I have the info that Omni Air bought it... I will try to find this out until next update
*And finally a correction: Of course, Delta was not the last original L1011 TriStar operator. It is BWIA which still has 4 L-1011-500s in the fleet.


September 1st 2001

*Delta Air Lines, the last remaining original operator of the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar phased out its last TriStar in early August. Today, quite over 100 TriStars are still active all over the world. Compared to this, over 300 remain active today. 12 of the original DC-10 operators (Bangladesh Biman, Continental Airlines, FedEx, Garuda Indonesia, Ghana Airways, Japan Air Lines, JAT Yugoslav, Nigeria Airways, Northwest Airlines, US Air Force, VARIG, World Airways) still have their faith in the old Douglas trijet.
*Now some sad news: Of course the number of DC-10 operators is also shrinking day by day. Now, also Northwest Airlines started to phase out the DC-10. The first DC-10, #108 (N148US), was ferried to Greenwood, Mississippi on August 5th. The DC-10-40 will be broken up and become a spare source for FedEx.
*Due to the bad financial situtation of AOM, the company decided to reduce its fleet. Two DC-10s (#193 and #288) were already returned to their lessors on October 31st 2001. One more (#217) will be returned in September. Probably the oldest DC-10 in AOM's fleet , #85, will go the same way. The fate of AOM and Air Liberté remains uncertain. *A new DC-10 appeared on 4th August in Madrid: It is YV-69C in Avensa colors. Does anybody have an information about this aircraft? Please mail me!
*#322 is actually being dismantled in Bornemouth/UK. The aircraft was a former Western / Delta / Premiair DC-10-10


August 8th 2001

*Alarming news! With a sinking overall cargo transport demand, FedEx plans to break up 29 DC-10s for spares. This will probably affect the ex-AA aircraft which are awaiting freighter and MD-10 conversion, inclduing the first DC-10!
*JMC's first DC-10 left the fleet after the arrival of the new Boeing 757-300. #338 already found a new home with World Airways and is flying as N352WA. The second DC-10, #305, is romoured to go to Aeroflot as freighter in early 2002.
*Together with this JMC aircraft, Aeroflot would like to add two more DC-10-30F(AF). This will be ex British Aitways / British Caledonian aircraft which are currently under freighter conversion.
*On August 5th 1971, 30 years ago, American Airlines introduced the first DC-10 to service with a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago! Congratulations, DC-10, for 30 years of magnificent service!

June 9th 2001

*Almost no interesting news this month. FedEx has just converted two more aircraft to MD-10s.

May 8th 2001

*Continental Airlines is braking up two of their DC-10-30s. These are #141 and #149. A third aircraft (#99) is also stored with unknwon fate.
*Sun Country Airlines has recently phased out their last DC-10s. One of them will be sold to an undisclosed carrier in Europe, the fate of the other two is unknown
*The "ghost tour" of #267 continues! It departed from Victorville to an unknown destination in Asia. Since Challengair ceased flight operations in 1998, the aircraft has been converted to a DC-10-30F(AF) and re-registred N526MD - and I have no idea who the owner/operator of this aircraft is.
*#179 which was planned for Emery Worldwide, will now go to VarigLOG as PP-VQY
*One of the stored Challenge Air Cargo DC-10-40F (AF) aircraft (#262) returned to service after some months of storage. *For many years, #19 was the oldest DC-10 in passenger service. It arrived in early April in Mojave for storage.

April 18th 2001

*One of the first MD-10s, #42 was substantially damaged on March 5th 2001 in Boston. Fire was detected in engine #2 during take-off so that it came to an abortion of the start. When the thrust reverser was switched on, engine #2 exploded.
*#358 was leased from Skyjet to Saudia for the Hadj Season
*On January 31st 2001, a DC-10-40 from Japan Air Lines (#349)was almost involved in a mid-air collision with a JAL 747-400 over Yaizu (Japan)
*For all safety-card collectors: Lots of safety-card scans were added. Have a look!


April 10th 2001

*HAPPY BIRTHDAY! The Mc Donnell - Douglas DC-10 homepage celebrates its first birthday! Many thanks to all friends of the civil aviation who helped me with the page and also to the 4913 visitors who visited the page between April 10th 2000 and April 10th 2001. I hope, the page will continue showing you the "secrets" of the DC-10 for at least one more year. For my part, I'll do the best to make this come true.


March 20th 2001

*News from the Hadj-season: Nigeria Airways leased #372 from Electra Aviation
*It is right that Challenge Air Cargo has only one aircraft in service, but it turned out to be #212 and not #262.
*VARIG renamed its cargo sections. The two DC-10-30F(AF) aircraft are now operated under the name of VARIGLog. Photos will follow soon
*A new MS Word list with all DC-10 regs is available in the download section
*some new photos have been added, but there areen't still enough. So send me your DC-10 photos!


February 14th 2001

*A slightly new design was applied to the homepage. Pleased feel free to send me an e-mail and tell me what you think about it
*United Airlines' DC-10 era ended ten days ago on February 4th with the last flight of a DC-10-30F. United operated in total 59 aircraft for almost thirty years
*Shortly after Greece, Perú got its first registred DC-10. Cielos del Peru gave #127 the registration OB-1749
*Challenge Air Cargo is reported to have only one of their three DC-10-40F(AF) in service
*A large number of ex-American, United and Continental aircraft has been stored. They are waiting for new operators all over the USA


January 16th 2001

*This update includes a lot of news since the last update in August. Here just a few:
*Skyjet leased a DC-10-15 to greek operator Electra aviation. #372 (SX-CVP) became the first greek-registred DC-10
*Sun Country started to phase out the DC-10. #365 will probably be the first DC-10-15 to be scrapped
*Continental Airlines phased out more DC-10s while World Airways is building up again a DC-10 fleet
*New photos were added as well as some of new safety-card pictures


August 7th 2000

*The largest part of the photo section is online again! So please check out the DC-10 photos. More will come in the middle of September
*Just a restaurant, but already a first step: #92 (ex Continental) will become a restaurant in South Korea and will so be the first DC-10 preserved!
*DAS Air Cargo leased #335 (N335SJ) from Skyjet to replace #228 which was written off some months ago
*CORRECTION: #281 is NOT going to Emery, but to World Airways
*As you probably noted or already know, your webmaster is writing exams so that this update contains only the most necessary. The one in the middle of September will be great!


July 7th 2000

*At first, I want to apologize for the large delay of this update. I hope to have the next update already in two weeks* *As you probably noted, the photo section is not online due to problems with fortunecity. But it will come again on the webspace of "webcamz.de"
*The accident reports from N1301F and N1302F are now online!
*The reports about the DAS DC-10-30F (AF), which was lost in Entebbe on April 30th N800WR (46955/228) are now online.
*Japan Air System and Harlequin Air phased out their DC-10s. The two aircraft were sold to Northwest Airlines
*Two of Iberias ex-VIASA aircraft (#197 and #276) were or are planned to be broken up
*Two ex-Canadian Airlines aircraft found a new home with Emery Worldwide (#268 and #281)



May 8th 2000

* Four new airlines were added to the "operators" section: Arrow Air, Icelandair, Laker Airways (II) and Novair.
* Two more airlines came in touch with the DC-10 during the Hadj season: Skyjet operated DC-10-15s for Air Gulf Falcon (#372) and Cameroon Airlines (#358).
* Aero Lyon operated some flights for Lufthansa Cargo in March 2000. If you have more info, mail me.
* After the liquidation of TAESA, the DC-10-30CF was sold as N105AN to an unknown operator / lessor.
* The Brazilian Government cancelled Transair's license. The airline was grounded, the DC-10-15 (#300) was stored in Sau Paulo.



April 10th 2000

After more than a year working on the project, it is finally online: The DC-10 homepage. Since January of 1999, I have been collecting information, photos and other material of the Mc Donnell - Douglas DC-10, which is, in my humble opinion, one of the best airliners ever built.
Of course, the making of this page would not have been possible without the help of several friends, aviation fans like me and airlines. I am very grateful to every one of you and hope that you all enjoy this tribute to the DC-10.
In the future, I would like to expand several sections of this page. There are still several DC-10 operators which should be presented, for example the Royal Netherlands’s Air Force or the new formed JMC Airlines. The history section is still nothing more than a short overview and also the accident reports I still have should be added to this page. Some other sections are still incomplete, for example the one with collector’s items or the download area. There’s still a lot of work to do but I hope, that we all can contribute to make this place a nice internet site for everybody interested in the DC-10. Contributions are not only welcomed but urgently wanted as well as questions, critics and also complaints and suggestions. Just mail them to DC-10@taxiways.de. As soon as I get any DC-10 news, I will post them here and hope to get only good ones :) Enjoy the stay!

Karl-Heinz Beulke Moreno


If the interest in this page is big enough, homepages about further aircraft will appear in the future.

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