The DC-10 is my second favorite aircraft after the 747 and I flew on a slew of them in the 1980s and 1990s. Unfortunately, I never did fly on the version appearing below, an American Airlines international DC-10-30 LuxuryLiner from 1985 – this week’s installment of Vintage Airline Seat Maps.
DC-10 engines had such a unique sound to them on takeoff and I loved sitting in a window seat near the wing to absorb the vibrations. Also, when I was on my unpaid internship with United in 1993, my benefits included unlimited cockpit jumpseat passes and I flew thousands of miles that year up front in what I consider the best jumpseat of any airliner – huge window next to the seat and an incredibly spacious cockpit.
Seating a total of 241 passengers, this configuration had 25 seats in First Class, 36 in Business Class and 180 in coach. In First you’d find me in row two or three. In Business I’d definitely be in a window seat in row seven or eight to savor the engines and in coach, row 13 looks particularly good if the amount of legroom showing was indeed that much on the AB/HJ sides.
Where would you sit?
I always thought it was cool how AA painted “LuxuryLiner” in Helvetica near the front of the plane. It’s such an interesting phrase….you might travel on a 737, but on a LuxuryLiner, you go on a voyage.
I, also, loved that engine note at full power. I believe that it was caused by the fan blade tips going supersonic.
Did AA ever fly DC-10′s DFW-NRT? I swear they did, but I was talking to some AA pilots and they said they did not. I lived in Tokyo in 1993-1994 and flew back and forth. I I thought AA used DC-10′s on that route prior to MD-11′s.
Comments??
i honestly don’t know where these birds flew.
I know they flew the ORD – HNL route. I did this nice little 9hour in ’99.
They were used on Dallas-London Gatwick, DFW and Chicago to Frankfurt, Dallas-Rio de Janiero and on the DFW-HNL-Sydney and Auckland flights. DFW to Tokyo was on a 747SP
@Smith: Thanks for the route details!
In 1984 or ’85 these flew DFW-ORY. I was in 13, 14, or 15A. During the movie, they lowed the wall between the main cabin and business so you could see the screen.
@Matt: Thanks for the info – neat the wall was lowered.