TRF and all,
To my knowledge, there is no stated date on retirement for the DC-8 fleet. Some are going/have gone to the desert. A wonderful airplane. Built like a tank (how many 707’s do you see flying). And the new paint scheme looks like it was designed for it.
http://!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/open.file/484071/S/
As for acquisition strategy, I agree. We now have Tay 727-100, 727-200, A-300, B-757 (two different motor types), B767, DC-8, B-747-100, B747-200, and MD-11 aircraft (two different motor types). A logistics nightmare.
UPS used to own (and contract out operation of) some Metro’s, but sold them a couple of years ago. They rely on contract operations for “feeders”. My guess is we have over 100 feeder aircraft a night working our system (domestically). There have been quite a few accidents in the last couple of years involving UPS and FEDEX feeder aircraft.
The “Lear Launches” are history. They use other means to recover the sort from late inbound volume. It was not unusual to see 40-50 aircraft arrive in Louisville to deliver late volume. Cost was high, service was still not made, and the wave of inbound Lears, etc. would slow down the outbound flow of main line aircraft. ”Hot spare” aircraft recover volume….every night there are approximately ten “hot” airplanes spread around the system to recover volume (“hot” aircraft block out within 30 minutes of phone call…pre-flighted, fueled, crewed, ready to go).
There is not much “service” in most service industries in the states any more. But UPS (and FEDEX) go to great lengths to deliver. Over 99% of air volume gets to where it is supposed to when it is supposed to.