I loved the look of the big Douglases as a boy and was lucky enough to go on to fly many of them for an unbroken 25yr stretch - I initially converted from the BAC 111 to the DC9-32 in the '70's and immediately realised why the former didn't sell! The DC9 on 1 eng was better than a 1-11 on 2 with DMW injection! I was sold for life.
Converted to the DC9-81 in 1981 before it was rechristened "MD", I liked that too for the technology but it wasn't as operationally flexible as it's predecessor.
Got my first Command on the '9, which could do 320kts down the ILS (or downwind for a visual), then drop the gear at 300, slats at 280, (speedbrake!! speedbrake!!) and still get in. And the DC9-15 climbed at 4000 fpm all the way to FL200 when it became slightly more sedate. I was lucky enough to fly every DC9 variant bar the -21 (pity!), although I have to admit the -51 was a bit of a pig.
The absolute pinnacle was the DC10-30 - who on earth said earlier it was an MD??? - the best a/c I ever flew. Every time I walked out to that beautiful a/c I felt privileged to be doing so. Did my last flight on it 10yrs ago this month.
Would have loved to get my hands on the stretch '8, but I suppose you can't have everything.....
Now flying Peugeots - sorry, Airbuses
