TWA, DC-9 flight Chicago (ORD) to St Louis, 1991

Flight on board a Trans World Airlines, Douglas DC-9-30 (former Ozark Air Lines) from Chicago O'Hare Field to St Louis Lambert Field. Video recorded on March 16, 1991. Enjoy the sight of all those TWA red tails upon arrival at St Louis!

[@markymarknj]

Back in 1991, I worked as a fueler at STL; since I worked mostly narrow body flights, I probably fueled that aircraft-wow! I did so many DC-9s and MD-80s that even now, over 30 years later, I could still refuel one.

[@stevenwolff6866]

On July 13 1986 my dad & I flew TWA from Phoenix to JFK & then from there to Paris on flight 800 a 747. He turned 80 on that flight & I had the flight attendants bring him a cake with one candle in it & sing him Happy Birthday. It brought happy tears to his eyes & now it's bringing a tear or 2 to mine. Thanks for letting me share this. God I miss him so much

[@WAL_DC-6B]

That's a wonderful story about a TWA flight with your dad and you as passengers. Thanks for sharing!

[@michaellinnenkugel7203]

It's absolutely crazy but I also landed at STL on March 16, 1991 and spent the day there. We arrived early in the morning on a 727 from DTW and returned the same night! All for $44 round trip! Great memories and thanks for the videos!

[@websurfin9575]

So sad that TWA is long gone! What a great airline it was for decades!!

[@alvexok5523]

Yes. TWA was one of the most popular airlines in America in the 1980s. If I remember accurately, me and my family flew TWA on a 727 from Kansas City (where we lived) to Chicago, and a 747 from Chicago to London. I remember being really impressed with the big aircraft and the second story up front. It was in around 1982 and I was a little kid then

[@websurfin9575]

@@alvexok5523 Wonderful memory!

[@alvexok5523]

@@websurfin9575, yes, I was fascinated with airplanes when I was a little kid, was always excited about flying the next time my family and me flew somewhere on vacation (once to twice a year), and I knew the different kinds of planes, 727s, DC10s, etc. I remember the 707s too, but I didn't know why they discontinued around the mid 1980s

[@TWA-km9wt]

Thank you. We were very proud of our history, and miss TWA terribly.

[@nateweter4012]

Take me back to the 90’s.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I'd like to go back to the late 1950s.

[@nenblom]

TWA DC9! Classic airline and a classic airplane!! I flew with Trans World Airlines Back in 1986 from New York JFK airport round-trip to Copenhagen on board their Boeing 747. Trans World Airlines was one of the best airlines I have ever flown with and I miss them. I would hop on board one of those planes anytime again, and fly away! “LEADING THE WAY, TWA!!”

[@skipcampbell4328]

Everything is quiet inside the plane. But outside the plane the pratts are screaming belching out smoke! Gotta love it!

[@DrSeuss-nv9hw]

Actually, it's weird to hear all of the chatter among passengers. Today, everyone has the earbuds in and window shades down, as they use their IFE and PED's. It's dark and quiet on modern day flights.

[@MrPresident1987]

This is awesome!!!!! Miss you TWA!!!!

[@N145PM]

that was Ozark tho ... not really TW

[@loveicken]

Craig Barrett I miss TWA very much to

[@loveicken]

TWA received all those Dc9’s after the merger from Ozark

[@TWA-km9wt]

Thank you. So do we.

[@SDK-im8sl]

Nice. I love hearing the rumbling sound of the leading edge slats retracting shortly after takeoff... that was a specific characteristic of the classic DC-9s. The takeoff from O'Hare was on Runway 22L and the landing at Lambert was on Runway 12L... those are still used much the same way today.

[@deltaflyer9078]

Great footage, my step grandpa worked for Ozark airlines back in the day, he was an aircraft mechanic and his favorite aircraft was ofcourse the DC 9

[@Howrider65]

TWA was such a good airline flew them many times and always had a great crew..

[@beltrams]

I love the vacuum cleaner sound of the old, low-bypass engines.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Admittedly, they did have a "vacuum cleaner" sound.

[@Kate-gy7lb]

It's funny, I flew this exact flight in the early 90s as a kid from ORD and STL so many times on TWA. I can imagine being on this very flight being showed in this youtube video. I used to love TWA so much, my friends' parents used to work for them. I really miss those days. Now as an adult it's United from ORD to STL now.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

If only I had recorded more of the interior of this DC-9 flight maybe you could have spotted yourself. Thanks for your comments regarding your own experience on this particular TWA DC-9 route between ORD and STL!

[@Kate-gy7lb]

@@WAL_DC-6B No worries thanks for sharing it! It was fun for me to see this video, it was a good view of nostalgia.

[@JamesAMG]

Great video! Flown these flights between STL and ORD more times than I can remember.

[@CodeBlue_EMT-P]

Amazing look back! Thank you!!!

[@nenblom]

TWA COME FLY WITH US!! GREAT AIRLINE AND I DO MISS IT!!

[@Muttleytech]

Better days.

[@psa722]

Flew on two ex-Ozark 9's operated by TWA; N987Z and N989Z, both about a year after I moved to Kansas City.

[@bmused55]

As much as I like today's aircraft with their quieter engines that are far less fatiguing, I do miss the screaming engines from the 60s and 70s.

[@alvexok5523]

Seeing all those TWA DC9s lined up at Lambert in 1991 was actually a change from a few years earlier. There were many more 727s lined up throughout much of the 1980s, and fewer DC9s. And going back to the early 1980s, there were the ol' 707s too. They were discontinued by the mid 1980s but was never sure why. I do remember 707s being even louder than the others. They had a smaller different type of engine, but had 4 of them on their wings

[@TWA-km9wt]

We retired the 707's because they were gas guzzlers, very expensive to maintain, and parts were very hard to aquire.

[@alvexok5523]

@@TWA-km9wt, oh, that's interesting. And it makes sense. Is the reason for many 747s, DC10s, and L1011s being retired a similar reason? I somewhat recall reading somewhere that 777s and A330s took over the above mentioned 3 aircraft due to more modern updated mechanics and are more fuel efficient. And even though the 777 for example has only 2 engines where the 747 had 4, each 777 engine is about twice the strength as each 747 engine so both aircrafts are just as powerful, can fly just as fast, and just as far. Correct me if I'm mistaken

[@kennethalbritton7047]

Nice seeing the old 94th Aerosquadron restaurant on the roll out.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I was wondering when someone would point that out! Went to the St Louis 94th Aerosquadron restaurant once and plenty of times to the one in Wheeling, IL at Palwaukee Airport.

[@joelt4416]

I got to fly those in 1991 from OKC to STL! Miss those noisy little birds!!

[@nenblom]

Those DC9s and Mad Dogs sure had a steep climb out!! AWESOME!! LISTEN TO THOSE ENGINES!!

[@alvexok5523]

I remember how the engines on the 727s and DC9s sounded pretty quiet from inside the plane while taking off, but while waiting in line by the runway and seeing the back of the 727 in front of us sounding so loud while beginning it's speeding away from us for take off, and then hearing a quieter sound from our plane while we began take off, I wondered why. Was the other a louder plane? No, because it was another 727 just like the one we were on. I didn't understand physics so well back then, how more sound waves push behind an aircraft speeding forwards, and the engines on 727s were on the back, so it's going to sound louder behind it while taking off

[@michaelo1929]

727s and L-1011s. Good times!

[@jeffreydeeds9225]

Thanks for the memories! I took this trip many times back in those days.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Glad you liked it! I only made the ORD to STL flight three times. First time was on an Ozark DC-9.

[@jeffreydeeds9225]

Dan Uscian - I flew on Ozark and United a number of times as well on the STL-ORD run. Good times. Thanks again for posting this cool video.

[@eyestoenvy]

The one and only carrier that I miss ....... "TWA"

[@michaeldouthitt5972]

The DC-9s that TWA had belonged to Ozark Airlines, which was purchased by Trans World in 1986.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Thanks for the input, Mike! TWA did indeed obtain a large fleet of Douglas DC-9's with their merger or takeover of Ozark. However, TWA was also one of the early customers of the "9" beginning scheduled service with them on March 17, 1966. Between 1966 and '67 TWA purchased twenty DC-9-14/15's.

[@artheriford]

They also operated some 31's that belonged to PSA and some 51's that flew for Eastern.

[@loveicken]

Dan Uscian yes, but they retired the 9’s and then got a fleet of them after the ozark merge

[@loveicken]

RevWillieG yes they did lease some 51’s that were of Eastern’s

[@zms8092]

Aw - that old DC9 seatbelt sign sound. Brings back memories. Love your videos!

[@jamieburroughs427]

9:08 DC-9 Fasten Seat Belt Sign Dings off

[@jamieburroughs427]

1:41 2:44 Music to the ears of anyone who loves Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines, like I do

[@garyrice5396]

I was a month and 3 days old in STL.

[@sharynoneil5326]

In 1960 my father was terminal and we spent 3 months touring around Europe We flew Pan Am LAX to England and TWA France home. This was a Boeing 707 and an engine caught fire in flight. We dumped fuel over the ocean and landed Shannon, Ireland with fire trucks lining the runway we spent a very long time waiting for another plane from the U.S. to arrive and fly us home

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Wow! Glad things turned out well in the end with that engine fire on your TWA 707 flight in 1960.

[@_Tommmmmm_]

Not much has changed on the 22L departure in the last 30 years.

[@sG-fn9mv]

Miss Thoses days...

[@michaelwyatt1684]

Really miss dc9 took one stl to reno first class

[@DomoniqueMusiclover]

Wow... amazing

[@michaelo1929]

:55 until engine shutdown. Love that sound!

[@DrSeuss-nv9hw]

Notice all of the seat belt clicking sounds before the seat belt sign is turned off (people don't listen).

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Thankfully, airline passengers are much more respectful of the fasten seat belt rules than they were in the past!

[@billr2220]

Cool!

[@MrKjshiz]

All those planes... Lambert is a ghost town now. Smh

[@nenblom]

I miss the DC-9 and TWA. Thanks for the upload!! Is it me or did this classic airliner climb out almost like a rocket ship?

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I miss them too and yes, that DC-9-30 "rocketed" out of O'Hare!

[@TWA-km9wt]

Thank you. We miss TWA too.

[@mehmetokay7073]

"It's going up now.... ." Good times.

[@Oldfarming231]

real airplanes everywhere

[@yahatinda]

I WONDER IF LARRY COSGROVE GOT TO FLY ONE OF THESE.WE STARTED FLYING ON THE SAME DAY AT ZAHNS.

[@11SEXMACHINE]

was the 9 a safe aircraft?

[@WAL_DC-6B]

The Douglas DC-9 did have its' share of serious accidents/crashes. But, I don't recall hearing about those incidents being the result of something wrong with the aircraft itself. So overall, it was a safe aircraft. Let's put it this way, I never heard of anyone being fearful of flying on a DC-9 because of safety issues such as in the past with another Douglas product, the DC-10.

[@larryhawkins5517]

Dan Uscian I was one of the most widely used planes for its time.

[@TWTR4EVER]

I flew for TWA 1976/1991 by the time the dc9 became the md80 with a light load upgrades to first class for weight & balance at take off were essential it had to be filled!

[@tomb4568]

Yes, my favorite!

[@loveicken]

Very it was the most popular single isle jet before the 737 got to be the most popular

[@richardkallio3868]

1:36 Fly Safe…..check. Fly Quiet……not on a DC-9, no sir!!!

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Yeah, I suppose the sign implies safely gain as much altitude as possible upon initial liftoff from the runway in order to limit DC-9 (in this case) jet noise for residents below.

[@aellaeocampo2153]

Is a dc9

[@ChristopherDucra]

TWA was great - DC9 was horrible - could NEVER get the pressure right

[@richardkallio3868]

Do you mean the cabin pressure? Yeah, my ears used to pop like machine guns on ascent, and remain blocked for three hours sometimes after we landed. If I flew with a head cold, it could be downright painful. I don’t get that anymore on modern passenger aircraft.

[@ChristopherDucra]

@@richardkallio3868 Exactly!