The DC-8 (50, 61, 62, 71 - That's all I flew) is all airplane. There's none better with jet engines! If you treat her right, there's NO problem getting in the proper position to land. If ATC won't cooperate, tell 'em. Don't let them fly your airplane...simple. The only time I used reverse thrust in flight was in the sim. The -71 required starting down EARLY. Without seeing any report on this incident, it's hard to tell what went wrong, but it would seem like poor planning.
