Greetings.

Today I called Maxton airport in North Carolina and learned that the aircraft recorded on photos here (747, 727) no longer exist there. So I'm wondering about Marana-Pinal airport, if there remain to be seen there any aircraft in NW livery. And, about other places which qualify. And for anyone interested, I would like to plan a photoexcursion to these places.
In sum I know that MZJ is actually possible to visit, and I want to know about other places currently home to NW aircraft being parted out.

Like for example there is a AA MD80 sitting in KBP airport, according to internet, this frame is N70504.
I guess my real question is if there are NW MD80 in MZJ still, because I have never seen one of those. Airfleets says there are three N307RC N302RC N931MC

I discovered MZJ is where the 744 fleet went.

Thanks in advance for your knowledge.
Alex

The 744, DC95, and 757 fleets are there, including the 757 that were not painted into DL livery.

Someone correct me but I also think the cargo 742s are there as well.

I remember seeing pics of the DC93 and DC94 flwet without engines at SFB. No idea about M80s.

Where did the just retired M90 and 320s go? MZJ also?

N126DL wrote:

The 744, DC95, and 757 fleets are there, including the 757 that were not painted into DL livery.

Someone correct me but I also think the cargo 742s are there as well.

I remember seeing pics of the DC93 and DC94 flwet without engines at SFB. No idea about M80s.

Where did the just retired M90 and 320s go? MZJ also?

I emailed MZJ so I will try to find that out for you.

Thanks, I will call SFB.

There are a bunch of B742Fs from the former NW Cargo parked up at KOSC / former Wurthsmith AFB in Oscoda, MI. They used as parts mostly for Kallitta I believe.

Last time I was by there was about 2 years ago, can't remember what else was up there.
http://michiganexposures.blogspot.com/2 ... -base.html

DL sent a bunch of the D95s and MD90s up to BYH. I'm pretty sure that NW never sent anything up and that everything would be in DL colors up there.

N70504, noted by the poster, was sold to a Ukrainian operator and is now registered UR-CRX.

As for planes at OSC, that is basically Kalitta's graveyard. They have a ton of B742s and B744s there for parts.

There's a not-parted-out DC-9 and 744 at the Heritage Museum by the GO

catiii wrote:

There's a not-parted-out DC-9 and 744 at the Heritage Museum by the GO

Where is that, exactly

Alphazone wrote:

catiii wrote:

There's a not-parted-out DC-9 and 744 at the Heritage Museum by the GO

Where is that, exactly

GO aka the headquarters for Delta

So just north of the Atlanta airport

An airfleets search by airline will show you locations of some of the craft.

deltal1011man wrote:

Alphazone wrote:

catiii wrote:

There's a not-parted-out DC-9 and 744 at the Heritage Museum by the GO

Where is that, exactly

GO aka the headquarters for Delta

So just north of the Atlanta airport

I understand now, thanks.

N126DL wrote:

The question I have is how reliable is airfleets really, like the other day I was doing an inventory of Aeroflot fleet and some of the info does not match that of other online databases, especially in the case of aircraft being stored or returned to use. In this case airfleets says three of the NW MD80s are "stored" and the rest "scrapped" but as we see in photos there are aircraft "scrapped" to varying degrees. It will be nice to find out simply by visiting MZJ airport.

PSU.DTW.SCE wrote:

aemoreira1981 wrote:

Thank you for this information also.

I think they consider scrapped as anything not properly wrapped for storage. My namesake aircraft was stored and wrapped and is now parted out, but not torn up yet.

The coolest stored NW aircraft I have ever seen was N289, a DC-7C at AXN - Alexandria Minnesota Chandler field. I saw it in about 1989 or 1990 when it was being readied for flight and for delivery to T+G aviation at (coincidence) Chandler Arizona, who was going to prepare it for onward sale to Aerochago, a cargo carrier based in Santo Domingo. It was still in full but faded NWA colors, and looked spectacular. Sadly the airplane was lost in an accident at MIA not long after it went into service.

Very sad to have missed the ultimate stored ex-NW aircraft, the B377 Stratocruiser that was in full but faded NW colors at TUS until about 1982. It was the last non-Guppy converted strat in existence.

I hope others chime in on this thread. Is it (sadly) safe to assume that no ex-NW DC-10-40s (the only with JT9D-20s) exist? Are there any 747 classics in existence other than the ones at Oscoda? Spent so much of my youth watching those airplanes that I cannot believe they are gone.

Correct. Most metal touched Marana under NWA in the waning years. Many of the D14's went to Greenwood, Ms & a couple of the last 72R's went to Maxton, NC.

PSU.DTW.SCE wrote:

DL sent a bunch of the D95s and MD90s up to BYH. I'm pretty sure that NW never sent anything up and that everything would be in DL colors up there.

Alphazone wrote:

Greetings.

Today I called Maxton airport in North Carolina and learned that the aircraft recorded on photos here (747, 727) no longer exist there. So I'm wondering about Marana-Pinal airport, if there remain to be seen there any aircraft in NW livery. And, about other places which qualify. And for anyone interested, I would like to plan a photoexcursion to these places.
In sum I know that MZJ is actually possible to visit, and I want to know about other places currently home to NW aircraft being parted out.

Like for example there is a AA MD80 sitting in KBP airport, according to internet, this frame is N70504.
I guess my real question is if there are NW MD80 in MZJ still, because I have never seen one of those. Airfleets says there are three N307RC N302RC N931MC

I discovered MZJ is where the 744 fleet went.

Thanks in advance for your knowledge.
Alex

I wouldn't be so inclined to believe them at Maxton. They just may not want aviation enthusiasts snooping around there. I just checked google maps and there are still several "red roof" planes there. Now obviously, I have no idea how current the image is, but I would call back and maybe you will get somebody that will give you a different answer.

crownvic wrote:

I wouldn't be so inclined to believe them at Maxton. They just may not want aviation enthusiasts snooping around there. I just checked google maps and there are still several "red roof" planes there. Now obviously, I have no idea how current the image is, but I would call back and maybe you will get somebody that will give you a different answer.

A friend was there about three weeks ago (June 30ish) and posted a photo of one of the NW DC-10s (N228NW) on the ramp near the terminal. He didn't get down to the other end, but he things at least one NW 747 was down there. He was told (in a change from the past) that he could not go out on the ramp to photograph any of the aircraft, as there had been some recent issues, but you can still get photos from the fence.

Moose135 wrote:

crownvic wrote:

I wouldn't be so inclined to believe them at Maxton. They just may not want aviation enthusiasts snooping around there. I just checked google maps and there are still several "red roof" planes there. Now obviously, I have no idea how current the image is, but I would call back and maybe you will get somebody that will give you a different answer.

A friend was there about three weeks ago (June 30ish) and posted a photo of one of the NW DC-10s (N228NW) on the ramp near the terminal. He didn't get down to the other end, but he things at least one NW 747 was down there. He was told (in a change from the past) that he could not go out on the ramp to photograph any of the aircraft, as there had been some recent issues, but you can still get photos from the fence.

Oh forreal, then I have to get down there since N228NW was the first DC10 I ever flew on.
That's awesome.

This one is still here...

Alphazone wrote:

Oh forreal, then I have to get down there since N228NW was the first DC10 I ever flew on.
That's awesome.

You should still be able to shoot it from the fence at the side of the road. I shot this a few years ago, but from what I saw of my friend's photos, it looks like it is in the same spot.



Here are photos I took a few years ago, it sounds like the 727s and second DC-10 (N220NW) are gone, but the 747s may still be down at the other end of the field.

https://www.moose135photography.com/Air ... n-Aircraft

Moose135 wrote:

crownvic wrote:

I wouldn't be so inclined to believe them at Maxton. They just may not want aviation enthusiasts snooping around there. I just checked google maps and there are still several "red roof" planes there. Now obviously, I have no idea how current the image is, but I would call back and maybe you will get somebody that will give you a different answer.

A friend was there about three weeks ago (June 30ish) and posted a photo of one of the NW DC-10s (N228NW) on the ramp near the terminal. He didn't get down to the other end, but he things at least one NW 747 was down there. He was told (in a change from the past) that he could not go out on the ramp to photograph any of the aircraft, as there had been some recent issues, but you can still get photos from the fence.

I emailed Charlotte Aircraft a few weeks ago about another visit if the fall . I was told since 'someone' broke into one of the planes,and no more visits to the ramp area allowed ,unfortuneatly . I'm not happy,but what can you do. When I was there in Oct '16,they were great about going onto the ramp.

Moose135 wrote:

Alphazone wrote:

Oh forreal, then I have to get down there since N228NW was the first DC10 I ever flew on.
That's awesome.

You should still be able to shoot it from the fence at the side of the road. I shot this a few years ago, but from what I saw of my friend's photos, it looks like it is in the same spot.



Here are photos I took a few years ago, it sounds like the 727s and second DC-10 (N220NW) are gone, but the 747s may still be down at the other end of the field.

https://www.moose135photography.com/Air ... n-Aircraft

Nice photos. What resolution are the prints / how do they look in person?

The MSP airport fire trainer is a former DC-9-50. Its painted in non-descript tan colors.
This was an aircraft involved in a ground collision when it lost hydraulic power and ran into another NW aircraft when approaching the gate about 15 years ago.

Last time I was in Smyrna, TN (MQY) there were still 2 727's in the best livery ever, the bare metal with the blue and white stripe and beautiful plain red tail. I can't remember if "Orient" was still on them or not. They are on Google maps still.

Perhaps this is the incident that lead to the security changes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neOBRDQDw1s

rexchase12 wrote:

Perhaps this is the incident that lead to the security changes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neOBRDQDw1s

I'm sure it had something to do with it,but I believe it was more recent. Like May or June according to the wording of my email from them about a visit in the fall.

So those pics were 2015.

Well out of order.

People like that are a PITA.

rexchase12 wrote:

Perhaps this is the incident that lead to the security changes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neOBRDQDw1s

Does anyone know why that plane has Pan Am seats in it? It's such a shame that those seats are rotting away inside that plane.

Alphazone: I would think calling an airport to get that info may be sketchy...they may not want to attract lookers...the other resource is Google Maps satellite view, which can be 3-4 years old, but go to street view and the actual photo date is shown on the lower right toolbar, sometimes much more recent than the satellite view. Some Google map pages now have 3D view, which can be helpful. The other resource is the use of a drone at abandoned airfields, but forget it at active airfields, as it is obvious they will take action against you. I wonder if the great Delta Museum in ATL has any aircraft in NW colors? Maybe someone with a lot of time on their hands will create a website with this info, but it would take frequent updating and contributors helping to keep it current. Once it is seen as not current, no one will visit it.

friendlyskies22 wrote:

Alphazone: I would think calling an airport to get that info may be sketchy...they may not want to attract lookers...the other resource is Google Maps satellite view, which can be 3-4 years old, but go to street view and the actual photo date is shown on the lower right toolbar, sometimes much more recent than the satellite view. Some Google map pages now have 3D view, which can be helpful. The other resource is the use of a drone at abandoned airfields, but forget it at active airfields, as it is obvious they will take action against you. I wonder if the great Delta Museum in ATL has any aircraft in NW colors? Maybe someone with a lot of time on their hands will create a website with this info, but it would take frequent updating and contributors helping to keep it current. Once it is seen as not current, no one will visit it.

Regarding the DL museum: no aircraft in NW colors. Lots of other artifacts that convey the history of NWA and former NWA aircraft now repainted into DL colors, like the DC-9 and 747 (which you can go into), but no NWA painted aircraft.

friendlyskies22 wrote:

Alphazone: I would think calling an airport to get that info may be sketchy...they may not want to attract lookers...the other resource is Google Maps satellite view, which can be 3-4 years old, but go to street view and the actual photo date is shown on the lower right toolbar, sometimes much more recent than the satellite view. Some Google map pages now have 3D view, which can be helpful. The other resource is the use of a drone at abandoned airfields, but forget it at active airfields, as it is obvious they will take action against you. I wonder if the great Delta Museum in ATL has any aircraft in NW colors? Maybe someone with a lot of time on their hands will create a website with this info, but it would take frequent updating and contributors helping to keep it current. Once it is seen as not current, no one will visit it.

You are right, I emailed the guy who is in charge of communication at MZJ and he did not reply.

jeffh747 wrote:

friendlyskies22 wrote:

Alphazone: I would think calling an airport to get that info may be sketchy...they may not want to attract lookers...the other resource is Google Maps satellite view, which can be 3-4 years old, but go to street view and the actual photo date is shown on the lower right toolbar, sometimes much more recent than the satellite view. Some Google map pages now have 3D view, which can be helpful. The other resource is the use of a drone at abandoned airfields, but forget it at active airfields, as it is obvious they will take action against you. I wonder if the great Delta Museum in ATL has any aircraft in NW colors? Maybe someone with a lot of time on their hands will create a website with this info, but it would take frequent updating and contributors helping to keep it current. Once it is seen as not current, no one will visit it.

Regarding the DL museum: no aircraft in NW colors. Lots of other artifacts that convey the history of NWA and former NWA aircraft now repainted into DL colors, like the DC-9 and 747 (which you can go into), but no NWA painted aircraft.

The Smithsonian in Washington DC has the nose of a 747-100 in the NWA bowling shoe colors it's ship 6601 which I actually flew in the old colors from HNL to MSP in the early 1990's

It's terrible that in this day and age you can't innocently contact and airport to arrange for pictures/tours because terrorists and trespassers in the video a few posts up ruin it. Now you got to stand a distance away and play the "I'm on public property, first amendment protected" card.

clickhappy wrote:

This one is still here...

Excellent work...

crownvic wrote:

I wouldn't be so inclined to believe them at Maxton. They just may not want aviation enthusiasts snooping around there. I just checked google maps and there are still several "red roof" planes there. Now obviously, I have no idea how current the image is, but I would call back and maybe you will get somebody that will give you a different answer.

They referred me to call Charlotte Aircraft, a representative of which told me there are no more NW aircraft there, maybe some local forums reader can verify.

PSU.DTW.SCE wrote:

The MSP airport fire trainer is a former DC-9-50. Its painted in non-descript tan colors.
This was an aircraft involved in a ground collision when it lost hydraulic power and ran into another NW aircraft when approaching the gate about 15 years ago.

That plane was scrapped. The DC9 there now is one retired when the last ones were retired in 2014. I forgot the reg.

friendlyskies22 wrote:

Alphazone: I would think calling an airport to get that info may be sketchy...they may not want to attract lookers...the other resource is Google Maps satellite view, which can be 3-4 years old, but go to street view and the actual photo date is shown on the lower right toolbar, sometimes much more recent than the satellite view. Some Google map pages now have 3D view, which can be helpful. The other resource is the use of a drone at abandoned airfields, but forget it at active airfields, as it is obvious they will take action against you. I wonder if the great Delta Museum in ATL has any aircraft in NW colors? Maybe someone with a lot of time on their hands will create a website with this info, but it would take frequent updating and contributors helping to keep it current. Once it is seen as not current, no one will visit it.

If you go to Google Earth for your satellite images, they have the image date, and you can look at prior images using a slider bar. I have looked at areas with satellite images going back 20 years.