RARE DOUGLAS DC-8 STILL FLYING! Samaritan's Purse DC-8 and 757 at Calgary Airport! [4K]

Yesterday, Calgary International Airport got perhaps the rarest visit of the year. Humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse brought in their Boeing 757 and their Douglas DC-8, which is one of the last ones flying in the world!
The 757 is a fairly recent addition to their operation, but the DC-8 has been flying with them since 2016.
This 55-year-old DC-8-72 Combi first entered service with Finnair in 1969, and also flew with the French Air Force and Air Transport International before being purchased by Samaritan's Purse.
Both planes were here bringing in an Emergency Field Hospital to their warehouse here in Calgary. The hospital and its supplies will be based here and ready to be deployed by their Canadian division.
With barely any DC-8s still flying around the world, and NASA retiring theirs in the next few months, the plane itself is an extremely rare sight.
To see one of these in operation in 2024, right at home, was pretty unbelievable, so I hope you enjoy!
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FLIGHT INFORMATION (757)
Airline: Samaritan's Purse (NSP)
Aircraft: Boeing 757-225(PCF) (B752)
Flight Number: NSP7
Livery: Standard
Engines: 2x Rolls Royce RB211-535E4
Registration: N783SP
Route: Greensboro (GSO) - Calgary (YYC) - Greensboro (GSO)
Callsign: SAM PURSE 7 / SAM'S PURSE 7 (?)
Runway used: 35R, 35L
Date filmed: March 2024
FLIGHT INFORMATION (DC-8)
Airline: Samaritan's Purse (NSP)
Aircraft: Douglas DC-8-72CF
Flight Number: NSP8
Livery: Standard
Engines: 4x CFMI CFM56-2C1
Registration: N782SP
Route: Greensboro (GSO) - Calgary (YYC) - Greensboro (GSO)
Callsign: SAM PURSE 8 / SAM'S PURSE 8 (?)
Runway used: 35R, 35L
Date filmed: March 2024
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Outro song - "Take Flight" by Nyhtian: • Nyhtian - Take Flight ...
© Alex Praglowski Aviation 2024
This video is the property of Alex Praglowski Aviation and may not be used for any purpose without prior permission. Contact me at the email in the "About" section of my channel for usage.

[@brittanyproffitt5484]

My dad was on this flight! He's the DC-8 Engineer for Samaritans Purse. :) Very proud of him and the work he is doing!

[@tomrinehart3022]

You,should be proud…great organization!

[@jerrysitumorang5186]

very cool! God Bless!

[@dh-jzrs]

Wow 😮😮😮😮

[@marcusdamberger]

Well that answers my question, was wondering if the re-engined DC-8's still had an engineer position behind the pilot. Must be one of the coolest gigs in aviation taking a classic like that around.

[@petertaviano9593]

@brittney. God bless your father for his work with samaritans purse 1:37

[@britteconner1607]

This plane is such a jewel!! I'm privileged to be a flight attendant with Samaritan's Purse and was actually on this flight to Calgary. We love people such as yourself who recognize and appreciate the beauty of our DC8. She is a BEAST!! Thanks for this amazing footage of our 757 and DC8. You should've come over and let us give you a tour. ❤✈️🙏

[@brittanyproffitt5484]

Do you know Joe Proffitt? :) That's my dad! :D

[@sharonshoop495]

Why does a cargo flight have an attendant!!!!!!!!!

[@brittanyproffitt5484]

It's a combo - combination of cargo space and passenger space as well. @@sharonshoop495

[@fraserhenderson7839]

@@sharonshoop495You may notice a short row of windows near the tail. This is a combi. It also carries passengers.

[@sharonshoop495]

Awesome I love SP@@fraserhenderson7839

[@JyskyH]

Hello All, I was working for Finnair maintenance from 1978 to 2014. When I started my career I had to work also on Douglas DC-8 aircrafts. This Samaritans Purse plane was first delivered to Finnair 1969. Her first registration was OH-LFR. This reg was quickly changed because it confused air traffic controllers and mixed with old Convair 440 registered as OH-LRF. DC-8 got a new reg as OH-LRT. Finnair had two other DC-8-62CF planes OH-LRV and OH-LRY. The plane had PW JT3 engines as new. CF means that all three planes had heavy freight floors. Those planes was used on long haul routes from Helsinki Finland to Canada and USA. Just after delivery those planes were equipped with Delco General Carousel Inertial Navigation Systems. Because of heavy floors those planes were used in three different cabin configurations: passenger, mixed freight and passenger and pure freighter. Configuration changes were quick. If the plane arrived early in the morning (say 3:00 AM) from a freight flight, it was changed to passenger config in two hours. Last check to the cabin was to listen to test music from every 150 seats. It was an unforgettable experience at 5:00 AM to listen childrens play songs cassette that was the only one used for test purposes. Finnair sold the planes to the French government, which retrofitted the planes to CFM56 engined DC8-72 configuration. The planes were used to carry atomic bomb parts from mainland France to mid Pasific Mururoan atoll. All the best to Samaritans Purse and beautiful Douglas DC-8!

[@TheCOZ]

Thank you for all the interesting information!

[@jukkapeltonen213]

Very intriguing 👍

[@stephenholland5930]

Wow, 36 years with Finnair engineering.

[@stephenholland5930]

Always loved the DC-8, and that one looks beautiful. My one and only flight in one was in 1983 on a flight from LHR to AMS. What a treat it was!

[@Geggo1611]

Thw bloody french have A-BOMBS?!

[@jmodsbricks]

That DC-8 is a beauty!

[@GOLTURBO555]

I want one

[@ronduncan9527]

That DC is mint! Looks like it was built yesterday. That thing must be a powerhouse with 4 CFM56’s under its wings. Love how DC8’s look like they have huge nostrils. The guy making radio calls sounds older like he’s been flying 8’s forever.

[@ruthbickerstaffe1915]

I agree. Old style crew😀

[@tgn2502]

Its crazy to think that this plane has 4 CFM56s when the a340-300, a much larger planes also have the exact same number of the exact same engine...

[@iamLODD]

@@tgn2502 that is crazy!

[@simonbone]

@@tgn2502 I was thinking the same thing. The re-engined Super 70s are rockets.

[@tomsamuelson8512]

@@tgn2502A340-200's and 300's had a different version of the CFM-56's that produced more power for the A340's....

[@robmacisaac9011]

That DC-8 is a BEAUTIFUL aircraft!!!

[@risaacpadilla3889]

55 years of uninterrupted service says it all. This magnificent aircraft represents an era of revolutionary innovation that still serves for good.

[@Lincoln19581969]

Nice. I flew the DC-8 for twelve years, nine years as Captain. It's a tank! .... I say that with affection.

[@OHAREAVIATION]

Fantastic catch!! Sam Purse does a lot of good for people and the fact that they fly rare planes makes it even better!

[@AlexPraglowskiAviation]

Thank you sir! Good to hear from you, hope you're doing well!

[@murray871]

The tires are the limiting factor to its operational time. They are no longer in production and NASA had theirs custom made for an apparently insane amount of money. Once the Purse runs out of them it’s probably over.

[@aaronlopez492]

757 and DC-8, that's a pair aces on the deck! 👍

[@dodgyg3697]

Look at that 757. BOEING, what have you done to yourself.

[@dbman992]

that bird is over double my age and looks as modern as anything else, granted thats mostly down to the re-engine but still, what a marvel first generation jetliners are. Can't imagine seeing one for the first time back in the 60s it must've truly felt like the future.

[@britteconner1607]

She came off the line on Dec 24, 1968 👍😉✈️❤️

[@user-yc2oz8kc5k]

Beautiful take off. I hope Purse 8 flies on for at least another decade. The 757 was very nice too, but nothing like a vintage jetliner. Good video Alex, thanx.

[@horseathalt7308]

*DC-8 is so graceful, and very beautiful*

[@lunarlake1]

I love watching your flight review videos and those too. They're so pure, with no bullshit, no drama, just how it is, and with the perfect amount of enthusiasm. I am kind of poor and can't really afford flying or the flights I would like to take (I'm working on it!). But with your videos, it feels like I am there, enjoying a flight by myself, and it really makes me happy. Its so comforting to watch after a stressful or a bad day. Do you already have plans for this year? Can't wait to see another video of you traveling around.

[@martijnm71]

That was one hell of smooth landing by that dc8, so cool to see this old lady still working hard

[@thunderbird1921]

And best of all, it's for a great cause (humanitarian relief). The folks at Samaritan's Purse famously sent a massive field hospital to Italy when the Covid pandemic got completely out of control there, and now they're working in places like Ukraine to bring food and medical supplies (at one point, they were even helping drill some wells for the locals there because attacks on the country's infrastructure cut off the water supply to a number of communities). I'd say that's a noble job for a grand old queen of the skies like the DC-8.

[@stewartsmith1947]

The DC8 engine mod was done by Delta Air Lines in Atlanta . We did 52 of the mods . 13 of our own and the rest were others. Used less fuel than a B727 .

[@iLoveBoysandBerries]

How long ago

[@Shaken_AND_Stirred]

It’s pretty cool seeing an old Douglas Commercial dash 8 re-engined with HBP turbofans. I wonder if Franklin was piloting this time. Maybe he is age restricted now. The Lord has certainly blessed BGEA. I’m glad to be a part of it. Excellent video! Thank you.

[@DavidMScott-cs8pp]

In 70s I was a Canadian Sales Manager and our company allowed us to fly 1st class for flights over 2 hours. When flying from Toronto to Vancouver on Sunday evenings, I always took the direct AC 1011 flight which was fab. One time I arrived to late and was put on a flight 1/2 hour later that made one stop in Winnipeg and the aircraft was a DC 8 -63 ?It turned out that I was the only 1st class passenger. The Steward was a gentleman about 60 years old and just short of retirement so he always booked this schedule. If you recall they only had about 8-10 first class seats on those planes and so the Steward had an easy time. The 1st class cabin had a kidney shaped table that sat about four people. As I was the only passenger I sat there and a bottle of expensive Scotch was placed in front of me along with a Filet Mignon. So, after that every time I went to Vancouver on Sunday evening I took that flight. The Steward and I had some fine one on one conversations. The 8 was a fine bird.

[@rondaniels9974]

The fellow who first manufactured the laser cut version of my RC airplane kits just retired from being the Captain/Trainer on the DC-8 for Samaritan's purse. When I first met him in the 1990's he was flying re-engined stretched 8's for DHL. Two of their fleet were ex-Air Canada DC 8's, so he's flown one of the DC 8's that Air Canada converted to the higher bypass engines. Many, many years ago, I was watching planes take off from Pearson (think it may still have been Toronto International back then!), and 2 Air Canada stretched 8 freighters took off closely after one another. One with the old engines, and one with the new ones. The one with the new engines looked like it took about 1/2 as much runway roll!

[@eduardofukay]

A very elegant aircraft and beautiful with its CF56. And a very worthy cause to fly around the globe, dispensing relief for those in need. God Bless the Samaritans Purse.

[@jtwilliams8895]

That DC-8 looks so nice and clean! As does the 757, almost factory fresh

[@glennhargrove3299]

Really cool seeing this old gal take off. She looks really good to be 55 years old. Thanks for posting this video.

[@carolfrazer8067]

My church has gone on several mission trips with Samaritans Purse. We are planning another one this year. They are a wonderful organization to serve with.

[@filipedrumond]

I had the joy of being one of the photographers/videographers capturing photos as both flew over the SP building in Calgary.

[@assessor1276]

Ahhhhh..the beautiful DC8. Elderly, but still a sweetie!

[@Tglass]

Great catch, both at the same time! I tracked the 757 on the way back into their home base here at PTI in GSO yesterday, didn't realize both were up there. They have a nice, fairly new operation at KGSO, and usually one of the two are sitting outside. Beautiful AC, and nice video.

[@stuntmanstu1]

Wow Alex! Great camera work. You never stuttered on the takeoffs or landings. Kept the entire aircraft’s in the frame without missing a beat. Well done! And the iconic DC-8. What a bird. I used to fly on Air Canada DC-8s in the early to mid 70s from CYYZ to KMIA lots. It was such a comfortable ride and the service back then was amazing. Not like flying today.

[@dannyj2181]

It's been an absolute pleasure to work with this team! Come see us some time!

[@SamuelTaylorAckroyd]

Managed to catch that DC8 myself a few months ago and wow what a sight for sore eyes it is! So happy I managed to catch it! Great video Alex! Always gotta love seeing a DC8 these days cause of how rare it is!

[@dr.victorvs]

Gosh, it looks so classy. That livery; the font, the curve, the colors--everything about it. And then the plane itself is so sleek.

[@Gracie289]

Thanks Alex for capturing this moment in aviation history. My father worked for United Air Lines and I regularly flew DC-8s back and forth to Honolulu. She was "The Queen of the Skies"...

[@lindaross783]

Yes!!!

[@okoboji2001]

I had the privilege to provide engineering services during my return to service of the DC-8 in San Antonio. What a great organization Samaritan's Purse is.

[@amtrakharry]

That was one of your "BEST" catches ever Alex !!! Well done sir...:):):) Other than "The Queen of the Sky" The has to be one of my all time favorites !!! Oops and the "707" Thanks for going out and catching that for us... :):):)

[@gmitchellfamily]

It's an older aircraft sir, but it checks out.

[@mtsky-tc6uw]

the fuel burn is very high on this bird

[@panam747]

Excellent 752 and DC8! Thank you!

[@lgarcia67]

When I was in college, one of my part time jobs was on the cargo ramp of the airport in our city. We used to support a cargo dc-8 of Burlington Cargo. Big airplane for sure. This one in the video looks like it was retrofitted with newer engines. The original engines did not have a large fan

[@KB-xd5wq]

Cool to see the DC-8 with more modern engines and a bump up in thrust

[@nightfall22]

Oh!! How cool the FO on the dc8 was waving! 🥰😍

[@binglamb2176]

Great catch! Two of the most beautiful airliner designs ever.

[@pauldill2243]

This DC-8 came to the island of Bermuda Jan 2019 for a fuel stop. It had to park on a taxiway during refuelling because there was no towbar for it to push it back from the gate.😀

[@ganderson158]

She looks like a very well maintained 55 year old bird. What a beauty.

[@machpodfan]

A timeless design, so glad for this capture!!

[@robdedrick2052]

I flew on a Air Canada DC 8 when I was 8 month old in 1963 . It Was Awesome !

[@tommyhindman7068]

i got up and prsonal with both of these aircraft on a tour of them and their faciity. when i was there they were still setting up the 757. glad to see both their big jets hard at work!

[@CaptCaveman7570]

When I was in the Air Force, I flew a DC-8 from CLE to ORD on United. This was right before the gulf war. I am happy I had the chance to fly in one while they were in service. Thanks for the memories.

[@mickeydoolittle2057]

Two gorgeous airplanes. Doing amazing work!

[@warbirdwf]

It's amazing that folks are still around that know how to do the maintenance on that old beauty! I bet finding parts for it is super fun too. Glad to see it still flying as it's gorgeous!

[@robbrownplanespotting]

Had the opportunity to catch this DC8 at Prestwick, Scotland on a few occasions, its stunningly beautiful and still earning its keep in 2024. Would love the chance to see the lastest 757 addition to the fleet

[@waltersteenvoorden252]

When i was 6 years old, i remember flying on a DC-8 and seeing all the analog dails in the front, when my mom asked the FA if i could see the flight deck, the return flight was on a 'new' Airbus A310 which looked a lot more modern to me.

[@KattasiumAviation]

Nearly 100K!!!!! So excited for you!

[@stevenparker1063]

love the sound of those DC-8 upgraded turbofan engines, UPS used to fly right over my house in Long Beach CA in the 90s, DC-8 was one of the last passenger jets produced with raised rivets on the skin

[@FindlayOsborn]

Wonderful! Just wonderful. Thank you.👍

[@jeffpalmer5502]

Wow, I flew on a DC8,5 times, but it didn’t have those motors , that thing took off like a rocket ship with those new turbo fans! this was a great video.

[@BenErikNess]

What a great catch -Thanks for making this so thoroughly! Much appreciated.... And yes, it's one of my favorite airliners. Flew with the 8 first time in 1978....

[@YuunaAndCuddles]

That DC-8 is pretty! It looks like brand new from the assembly line.

[@ruthbickerstaffe1915]

Thank you Alex. This was such a treat. I loved seeing both planes but by far my favourite was the DC8. Great she is still flying. I loved these aircraft. I flew very often on the CP Air DC8’s. I loved them. Glad you got in a beautiful view of the mountains too.✈️

[@michaelosgood9876]

That Douglas is amazing! I believe NASA still has their 72 series & there's 2 x 73s still flying as far as i know. Getting their checks done & the massive cost involved is all that prevents a lot more DC8s from flying longer before being parked up...

[@Kevin_747]

I love my DC-8's. I flew 747's for 23 years but prior to that I flew the eight for five years. Loved the airplane.

[@65gtotrips]

I’ve always loved the DC-8’s !

[@jonathanmiyasato1583]

Wow! That DC-8 is just beautiful!

[@rrwithsteve895]

That's a really cool looking quad jet! Quad jets in general seem rare to see these days. Though seeing one of the rarest I bet that must have been amazing to experience in person. If I recall correctly aren't 757s also a rare plane too these days? Double rare planes!! :O Thank you again for documenting and sharing this experience!! :D

[@johnready630]

757's mostly used for freight now , quite a few still flying along with the 767 as well.

[@robytar]

Delta Air Lines still has well over 100 757s in passenger service.

[@rrwithsteve895]

@@robytar I had no idea Delta Airlines had so many 757 aircraft in their fleet! That's really impressive! Thank you for the heads up!!

[@rrwithsteve895]

@@johnready630 I had no idea there were still quite a few 757s in service! Thank you for the heads up too!!

[@EdVonPelt]

I live near Frankfurt, which has the Lufthansa A340 and B747-400/-8i fleets stationed there. You don't realise how rare quad-jets have become until you go to other airports.

[@Republic3D]

Very cool to see the DC-8-72 with the CFM-56 conversion engines. And that they have reverse thrust on all 4 engines.

[@syksystransitagency]

Amazing capture! Very nice as always!

[@CharlieMike23]

Nice! Love to see the DC-8 still flying!

[@dotarsojat7725]

Thanks, for the great view of this Classic aircraft!

[@connieembury1]

Thank you for sharing. I was a Air Cadet here in Canada and remember seeing them flying into our northern Manitoba airport on several occasions. We used to fly in DC 4s as well as the 8s when the airforce sent planes to bring us to Winnipeg. Dad always joked that they were the same planes he flew in during WWII. Nice to see there is one still air worthy.

[@onward_adventures]

Great catch Alex, well done!

[@gtr1952]

The DC8 looked so cool coming in with everything out, then 4 reversers opening! I love the 757 too, leaving and climbing like a rocket w/those big engines! I like and trust the 757 more than the 737- 8 and 9. When we went to Superbowl 26 in Minneapolis in 1992 our travel company chartered a 757 from Trump Shuttle. It had just come out of the shop getting a whole new interior, we were the first passengers to use the "white leather" seats!! We (Buffalo) lost the game, but we had a great, and fast plane ride over and back! I remember it was snowing, and there was snow on the wings! I was a bit concerned, but shortly after TO roll it all blew off. Memories... Peace --gary

[@ght33]

Flew on an Air Canada Stretch 8 from London UK to Winnipeg 1977. It was a long flight in a small space. I was 19 and returning from my 4 month trip to Europe!

[@oliviersimonnin6983]

The national air forces are often the last operators to fly with "old" jets. This DC-8 jet reminds me something: it belonged to the French air force! I saw it 20 years ago in Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle airport in the cargo area. As we used to say in French: "le monde est petit" (the world is small)

[@tonyde52]

The DC-8 looks wonderful with the retrofitted engines.

[@kurtboginski507]

Two of my most favorite airplanes. Thanks Alex!

[@sstupich6925]

Even after more then half a century of service this dc8-72 still looks elegant in the air and I hope she will be around for a few more years.

[@patallen5095]

Thanks for this! Love the 757 but that DC-8 is such an icon. Love the look with the updated engines and the gorgeous flat landing profile!

[@chandlerwhite8302]

A DC-8 with re-equipped CFM turbofans?? Wow, I be that baby is an absolute BEAST! In a good way.

[@merlin51h84]

The DC8 looks immaculate. Thanks for sharing.

[@seoceancrosser]

Pretty airplanes being maintained well. Thanks for sharing this!

[@robdedrick2052]

Thankyou . That was Great !

[@barryposner7609]

The idea of a four-engined narrow body seems so alien today.

[@hounddog946]

I love old jets. Thanks Alex!

[@luizdejardin4432]

A must see video for airplane lovers!

[@ZACKMAN2007]

That's probably got to be cleanest looking plane I've ever seen

[@eaglerare1273]

Great catch Alex🤙🏼

[@ianrobertsonpiano]

Gorgeous aircraft, I remember seeing it with ATI. Glad it's still flying, and such friendly pilots waving too!

[@GrooundToAirrr]

you made it to 100k! congrats and nice video as always!!

[@AnthonyTolhurst-dw1nc]

Boing 707 patented the visual layout of commercial jets. Apart from 2 engines, the shape hasn’t changed much.

[@nybotor1]

Super cool to see a DC-8 still flying!

[@jimwells4240]

I worked on all of UPS's DC-8-71s and -73s at one time or another. SOOOOOO many cables and pulleys. Disassembly, reassembly,and rigging of the flight deck was a real challenge.But the airplane was built like a bloody tank.....literally couldnot hurt it. The best mating of the CFM engines to an airframe ever.

[@KattasiumAviation]

You did it Alex! finally 100K subs, big congrats to you!

[@ralphwatt8752]

Thanks for trip down memory lane , I flew on C P Airs DC -8 many years ago Great Airplane

[@Itapirkanmaa2]

The plane was one of the two that began Finnair's North American routes to JFK in 1969. The summers were heavily marketed to ethnic Finns in NA and their relatives still in Finland. The winter saw little passenger traffic so a convertible plane was the logical choice. The flights were through Copenhagen and/or Amsterdam. On the Finnair YT channel there's a video of the staff recalling the inauguration and the first flights. These planes were the first ones certified to fly across the North Atlantic without a navigator, relying on the INS instead.

[@anianprice5642]

Good to see the dc-8 still kickin

[@MegaGeorge1948]

I see that the DC-8 has had engine upgrades to high bypass (i.e. turbofan) engines. The DC-8 that I flew on to Rio, Brazil in 1974 only had the four turbojet engines. They were bad on fuel consumption compared to the turbofans types of today. God bless Franklin Graham and his Samaritan's Purse organization.

[@naturallyherb]

Looks amazing!

[@araynortassadore3056]

I love aviation...absolutely love it......but this is literally my first time finding out a DC-8 exists....what a beautiful jet. Far more handsome than the beloved 747.

[@marktoken6052]

Sweet capture

[@cameronlewis1218]

A DC8 AND a 757. That’s 2 HOT BABES right there!!

[@CharlesLambert137]

Well that was satisfying, wasn't it?! I gotta say though, that capture of the 75 landing, which he greased, was perfect... although I'm soooo biased. I get why Boeing didn't upgrade the 75 but I bet, given the mess they're in rn, they wish they did. I still think a newer, lighter version would be a great preplacement for the MAX. I barely remember flying to the UK in the 70s on a stretch DC-8... my mom, who was 5' 10', cursed that type and it's sardine-like seating on Air Canada, lol. Still, cool to see one still flying. Too bad about the atmospheric distortion but only getting closer fixes that. Great video, as always! This channel is definitely underrated and punches above it's weight.

[@alwaysprepared]

A nice blast from the past today...