Runway closure at LYN

[Grimweasel]

Paper round here reports that a DC-8 run by MK airways has blocked the main R/way at Lyneham by having an Undercarriage failure? Any further news?

[ZH875]

One DC-8 blocked one runway with undercarriage problems, was sat at the end of the runway, the next day, another DC-8 landed and burst some tyres, but managed to taxi onto the peri track. Thank goodness Lyneham has two runways. Imagine what would have happened if all the AT fleet was at RAF Brize Norton and the ONLY runway was blocked. KEEP LYNEHAM OPEN. You know it makes sense.

[Grimweasel]

Thanks old chap. Like you say its a good case for keeping Lyneham open with its two runways!! Also says a lot about who the MoD hire to bridge the AT gaps! Sounds like this Ghanaian registered MK airways is a right load of old tosh!
DC-8? I'd never heard of them? The engines on it lead me to believe that it was some Russian crate.
Won't be using them again lets hope!

[6nandneutral]

DC-8 Macdonnell Douglas DC 8, an old american transatlantic passenger jet of the seventies.

[dc8loadie]

and your point about a transatlantic jet of the sixties is ?
it may be getting on a bit but it beats the VC10 hands down for payload/range.:O

[gaterbait]

hey gb fyi the engines on dc8's are p&w jt3d-7s

[Blakey875]

MK stands for Mike Kruger. He's a Zimbabwean and his airline now operates out of South Africa. Most of the crews are South African with the natural 'gruff' attitude but they are very professional...

If GW doesn't know what a DC8 is then he's no freight hauler. Perhaps we chartered these guys because no British carrier was available or could meet the criteria. These kites are offering 40 tonnes a trip with one flag stop.

Seem to recollect that the runway gets blocked now and then every year by 'Lyneham's own'. It happens....

[Grimweasel]

Blakey.... True, I am too young to remember the DC8, I know the DC9 onwards etc and the DC3 too! I was merely stating that I couldn't believe that those old birds were still flying out there for the Civil lot. Old sixties aircraft are still flying strong just look at the VC-10! Allthough that will soon be replaced??

[dc8loadie]

MK actually stands for Massimiani and Kruger (who were 2 of the original 3 Affretair crew who thought up the idea of their own cargo airline) and not mike kruger as is widely thought.:8

[DrSyn]

Too young to remember the "Deisel-8", GW? You must be extracting the urine! There are still around 150 of them flying out of the original 550+. Many of them now sport CFM-56s to improve the economy/range/noise factor.

Out of the six 4-holer jet liners of its generation, it has certainly proved one of the most enduring although, of course, it is not as beautiful as the less prolific VC-10 - but what is? ;)

[newswatcher]

DC-8 actually first flew 30 May 1958!

This guy seems to be keeping tabs on the current fleet, and reckons that there are still some 259 airworthy!

http://www.dc-8.co.uk/

[DrSyn]

Obviously a devoted Deisel-8 enthusiast, that Mr Gothard, whose cup is half-full rather than half-empty, but all credit to his site and those like it. There may be 250+ "airworthy" DC-8s around, but only 156 of them are actually in service. The remainder are in storage and, in the current climate, few of these are likely to see daylight beneath their wheels again.

However, as this is not a spotters' forum, the original topic is that one of these venerable beasts dared to block the sacred concrete at RAF Rompers Green ;)