Also operated to Honiara, weekly I think.
Fascinating how well designed the '9 cockpit was. You look at the 777 cockpit and see the fingerprints of the DC-9 all over it.
Look at these things the '9 had and compare to the almost the same in the 777
- The Master Caution and Master Warning system
- The Annunciator Panel (as someone already said, an early EICAS and Electronic Check List system)
- Fuel system almost identical-wing tanks and centre tank with higher pump outputs and a DC start pump for the APU
- Split Bus electrical system with APU gen fully integrated and a cross-tie system
- Early auto-throttle
- Excellent F/D and A/P with coupled approach capability
- APU that could run anytime, ground or air
A long way ahead of its time and not surprising that so little had to be done to it to build the MD-80
And as for the little cap on the rudder trim......flying the MD-80 in a Nordic country I was surprised to lift that cap and find a heavy gauge rubber band in there. On questioning the F/O, was told it was used to wrap around the Battery Sw to hold the booster pumps on the Fwd Aux tank in the Test position in cruise once the centre tank had started emptying so you could move the C of G back more rapidly than the auto system allowed, thereby getting a few more miles per gallon out of the fuel load and maybe getting home to Scandinavia non-stop rather than an expensive and time-wasting fuel stop. A great idea!