beachfront71

Hi and let me thank you for your time in advance!

I have always wondered if pilot ever gets a little more anxious/nervous based on the appearance and age of a plane he is flying...

For example, on Monday I flew from Texas to California on an MD 80 built in 1987 and definately was showing its age (in appearance) as well as lacking the glass cockpit upgrades I have seen in some of the later built planes of the same model.. Does the lack of "newness" ever bother/concern you? or is does it really jsut come down to the maintenance of the plane?

It seems to me that if a new pilots first flight for training was on a brand new Cessna built in 2007 versus a Cessna built in 1985, there would be somewhat of a confidence boost on looks and features alone... was wondering if that would apply to the pro's as well..

Appreciate it!

G SXTY

Not really an issue. I'd say that maintenance standards are far more important than the aircraft's age. My company's fleet is very young, but flying something older wouldn't bother me at all. Ultimately, most airplanes are limited by the number of pressurisation 'cycles', as the fuselage is inflated like a balloon every time we fly, which gradually fatigues it, i.e. wears it out.

Most will have been retired long before that limit, however, for the simple reason that newer aircraft are more fuel-efficient and hence cheaper to operate. Your MD-80 probably won't be around for too much longer, but not because there's anything wrong with it.