As you saw at 2:27, your first plane was named ʻŌmaʻo. ʻŌmaʻo or the Hawaiian thrush is a bird endemic to Hawai'i, specifically the Big Island/Hawaiʻi. ʻŌmaʻo are closely related to the other endemic thrushes of the Hawaiian Islands, the kāmaʻo (extinct), the olomaʻo, and the puaioh. The ‘ōma’o once lived on most of the island, but today it is restricted to its southern and eastern slopes, mostly above 1,000 meters above sea level, 25 to 30 percent of its ancestral habitat. Many endemic Hawaiian bird species have gone extinct or are on the verge of extinction because of introduced predators like cats, rats, and mongooses (who were introduced in Hawai'i by the sugar industry to get rid of the rats). Koa'e Kea on the other hand isn't actually endemic. Besides Hawai'i and the tropical Pacific, the white-tailed tropicbird can also be found in Bermuda, the Caribbean Sea, Ascension Island, St. Helena, and the Indian Ocean. The white-tailed tropicbird feeds mainly on flying fish, squid and crabs. It catches its prey by diving from height of up to 20 meters. Flying fish are caught in flight. Prey is often detected by hovering above the surface as the bird swallows it before taking off. With long, narrow wings and an aerodynamic shape, this bird can remain in flight for long periods of time; like other pelagic birds such as Laysan Albatross and Great Frigatebird, it comes to land only when nesting.
Notice how Ni'ihau isn't a part of the inter-island flights at 7:29? That is on purpose! Elizabeth Sinclair purchased Niʻihau in 1864 for $10,000 USD from the Kingdom of Hawaii. This ownership passed on to her descendants, the Robinsons. The island is off-limits to all outsiders except the Robinson family and their relatives, US Navy personnel, government officials, and invited guests. It is the only island where Hawaiian is spoken as a primary language, in part encouraged by terms in the original purchase contract which obligated the new owners to help preserve Hawaiian culture and tradition, and they speak the Ni'ihau dialect. It was actually once considered a location for the UN headquarters in 1944 by FDR! All residents live there rent-free, there are no paved roads, and meat is also free! Horses are used as transportation as well as bicycles. There are no power lines as solar power provides all electricity. And there is no plumbing or running water on the island as water comes from rainwater catchment! These were most of the conditions established by the Robinsons. When droughts occur, they temporarily relocate to Kaua'i. They also go there for work, school, and medical care. To avoid a long boat ride to Kaua'i, the island's owners maintain an Agusta A109 helicopter for emergencies and for transporting Navy contractors and residents. The costs for such operation are offset by helicopter and safari tours.
I’ve been on many Hawaiian 717s for inter island flights. The funniest was when we were waiting to board at one of the outstations, the captain opened up his side-window, leaned out as far as he could…….and cleaned the windshield with a bottle of Windex. Unforgettable!
After flying a lot of different inter island flights on HA’s 717, once you do it you understand why they have so many of them and don’t want to get rid of them. The newish interiors were an excellent improvement too. That being said, they are getting older and certain mechanical factor delays start becoming more frequent. Yet because a lot of inter island flights are so quick, they just deal with it. A flight I was on was a OGG to HNL flight and the gate agent stated, “the toilet isn’t working so if you need to go best go now before we board!” A lot of mainlanders were freaking out 🤪
My first visit to Hawaii was to Kauai in 1986. We landed in Honolulu on an Air Canada 747 direct from YEG and switched to an Aloha Air 737, to land in Lihue in the middle of a sugar cane field. The Lihue airport was like a small bus station. It's very different now. Sugar is gone and the airport is modernized. Now we go to The Big Island every winter. I know that you'll love a visit to Hawaii, Alex. Bon voyage.
@@planesandgeographyaremythingAir China, Asiana, Iran Air, Rossiya, Lufthansa, Korean Air, Mahan Air, and a couple of African airlines still have 747s in servicw.
You got the A gates, nice!! We flew out of B4 I think, that weird little nook. It was so nice with Hawaiian, loved the fruit punch and it was just an enjoyable experience from start to end. We had to fly them HNL-OGG, as our HNL flights to YVR and YYZ were both full. So we took Hawaiian over to OGG and grabbed an AC flight there!
Very nice. I worked on all series DC9s from -10, thru the MD-80 and everything in between, and eventually flew a 30 series. Nice to see the 717 is still around. Years ago, several airlines asked Boeing to restart production, but of course Boeing refuse. They would rather you buy a 737, but that's the wrong airplane for HA market. The only almost direct replacements are the A319, and the A220. Another with less capacity replacement would be a CRJ-900, which could be operated near the operating cost of the 717, and could be operated without a jetway, though it was hard to tell if the 717 had the stairway under the main door. Great video.
@@Ryanhothersall That's because technically the A220 aren't direct 717 replacements. Yes they are taking over the 717 routes but will also have new routes open up specifically for them
I think you are the only person in the world to WANT to sit at the back of a DC-9 style cabin. My ears have many not-so-fond memories of YEG-YVR and back again sitting beside those buzzsaws.
I was lucky enough to fly on a few back in June 2023 and was lucky enough to sit right next to the engines, I think row 23. Are they old? Yes. Do they sound absolutely amazing? Yes. And yes I got to sit in the cockpit. Such a neat and unique plane. 7/10.
Haven’t flowing in a 717 for a long time. It was a Qantaslink 717, Melbourne to Hobart and it was so long ago that the aircraft still had that new plane smell!
Lovely video! Went great with my morning coffee. The juice on the outbound flight brought back memories. I made 14 business trips to Oahu over a 2 year period in the late '90s. I still fondly remember the juice served with breakfast...fresh POG juice. Papaya-Orange-Guava. I've never had a better just since then. I also really liked the MD Super-80 aircraft. I switched from United to American in the late '80s after a series of pilot and flight attendant job actions at United left me high and dry a few times. United was flying a lot of 737-100 and 737-200 planes with only 8 First Class seats. I almost never got an upgrade. American's Super-80s had 12 First Class seats. I was almost always able to upgrade. I overheard one American pilot refer to the plane as a Stupid-80, but never understood that. I doubt that he'd ever flown an old 737, or he'd have felt different, IMO. I'm retired and no longer flying 'round-the-worlds once or twice a month like I was, so I enjoy these flying trip reports. There's nothing like rising out of the clouds into blue sky!
I work for a cruise ship company with a 7day itinerary around the islands. The company requires a minimum of 5 months contract working 7days a week. Nearing the end of my contract and just a first class seat from OGG (Maui) to HNL (Honolulu). That sound and feeling when those beautiful BMW engines lit up..priceless ❤thank you for posting!!
I Flew on one of these some years ago with Delta from NYC to Atlanta, quite a nice ride. Avianca operates a lot of short flights with A320's and A319 but from more challenging airports, and the issue seems to be brake cooling in the limited time that the planes are on the ground, so they tend to cycle them between short and longer flights. Options to replace the 717 see to be the CRJ 900 or 1000 ( are they still made) the A220 or the E190-E2.
I had the pleasure of flying on Hawaiian’s 717 between Honolulu and Kona (Big Island) both ways in 2012. I found the plane to be roomy and comfortable and a joy to fly. Likely my most pleasant flights ever!
That same Ameristar DC-9 was spotted in Dallas a few days ago! Also of note in this video is the KC-10 Extender at 4:43. The USAF is going to be retiring them in a few months, so great catch! Another amazing video, Alex!
I flew on one of these as a kid when they were new. They served that exact same juice canister (which of course got spilled on my pants when we hit turbulence on the way into LIH). It’s crazy how much cycle time they’ve been able to wring out of the 717 over the last 20 years!
I love the vortex as the engine spooled up to takeoff power! Old fashioned logo lights out on wingtip. Surprised to see SWA at your destination airport. They've got A321 & 330 so will they go for A220 to replace 717? And how hard is it to spray pax windows clean?? Interesting to see the two wing lights lit up too. Neat watch!
Southwest has seriously moved in during the past year or so. Southwest is trying to do what Hawaiian's been doing, excluding the international flights. So now, because they're a much larger company, they've been offering routes inter-island and to and from the islands that are cheaper and have more volume than Hawaiian. It's gotten so bad that Hawaiian has accepted Alaska's offer to buy them out completely. They probably won't stick with Airbus aircraft, considering their woes with the A321neos they've received (about 5 of them are grounded at any time due to engine troubles). I really wish they would pick the A220 because I would love to fly one (as somebody who lives on the Big Island) but we'll see what Alaska approves. It could go either way to A220 or E190 depending on how they feel, though both types would be capable of flying to and from the mainland as well, which opens some interesting possibilities. They're going to be phasing out the 330s in favor of the 789s they're going to be receiving slowly from Boeing. PS. It rains a *lot* in Hawaii. If they wiped the windows every time a plane landed, they would be another million more in debt than they already are XD
@@KuostA Yeah, but Southwest is cheaper. Not to mention Hawaiian’s customer service (if you could call it that) sucks. They canceled a flight to Japan on us and then didn’t notify us. No refund either, we had to spend weeks trying to get our money back.
The return flight was one of those not so rear cases where the thrust reduction (when you transition from take-off thrust to climb thrust) was actually a thrust increase. Climb thrust is pretty much fixed, but take-off thrust is flexible depending on take off weight runway length, atmospheric and weather conditions, and surrounding obstacles and terrain. So while max take off thrust is quite more than climb thrust, if you take off with a combination of not too heavy, long runway, not too high, and no obstacles or terrain to clear vertically in the initial climb-out phase, you can get away with it with a quite lower thrust, even lower than climb thrust.
What makes the glass panels on the 717 flight deck even better is that right next to them they still use the same window latch, which I've heard was just recycled from the DC-3s cockpit when the DC-9 was first designed
As someone.whonhad spent a lot of time in Kauai over the last 10 years you do have to spend more time. I've done some spotting at Lihue and caught 484 landing back in 2022. Think I have captured 494. Haven't flown the 717 for a while either (used Southwest last interisland flights) but I do love photographing them!
Amazing Video, Alex! I flew on Hawaiians 717 over the summer (probably for the last time in my life) when visiting Hawaii. I thoroughly enjoyed that flight because Hawaiian's service is superb!
Great video! I am hoping I’ll make it to Hawaii before these jets are sadly retired! 😢 Cheers 🥂 my friend thanks for a great video! I’ll be trying Delta’s 717 this week!
Back in 2014, I was glad to fly on one. Since then, it has appeared they put that new blue padding in. I’ll miss the 717s when they’re gone. There was actually a 717-200ER designed by Boeing with BR715-C1 engines, but nobody ever ordered it (wishing somebody had). I heard Hawaiian is looking at the E-195 E2, A220-100, and A319NEO as replacements eventually- I think the E2 is the best replacement.
I remember Delta’s DC-9 fleet for connections out of Detroit. Apparently the airframe was so durable the constant short-hop flights didn’t matter. Great design!
Awesome video Alex! As somebody who lives on the Big Island, locals really don't see anything too special about the 717s, though they are an interesting solution to a problem that few ever think about. For us who live here, we see it more as a shuttle bus that takes you from one island to the next. Some people use it for work, where they fly home on the weekends or in my case, occassionally flying from the Big Island to Oahu to go shopping at the mall or just taking in the sights.
amazing that u get to enjoy a 717 so easily to just use as a 'bus' and even use it to go shop at a mall or just to fly. wow. how much are tickets on average? wish I could do that!
Back when I went to Hawaii, we did our island hopping with Aloha on their 737-200Adv jets, which were incredibly rare in the USA at the time. Hawaiian certainly has their work cut out for them: no one designs aircraft for that capacity for short sectors anymore. It's possible they would be a good candidate for a small to midsize electric aircraft, but those are still a ways off.
I always love when people say 717’s are “rare planes” yet I see them dozens of times a day at my local airport here in Australia… not for long though, Qantas is finally upgrading their domestic jet fleet.
Thank you very much for taking us with you to the Aloha State⛱ with this beautiful rare Aircrafts!🙂👍 BUT: Sitting in one of the back rows in a DC-9/MD-80/MD-90/B717 is by far the worst place in which you can get in an Aircraft.🤧
Nice video Alex! I've had some poor luck trying to get a DL 717 flight, but I am hoping later this month to get some better results out of QantasLink... wish me luck!
I love Kauai! Great island! You should definitely do a vacation there. As for the 717, it's cool to see them in action but they may not be there for many more years. 😜
My first flight on Hawaiian Airlines was from Honolulu to Maui after a Delta flight from LAX. Was similarly surprised with the drink service and how fast it was to island hop on the 717.
QantasLink still flies the 717 too it’s being replaced by the A220-300. which QantasLink already has two A220-300s in service VH-X4A and VH-X4B are the first two QantasLink A220s to be in service and the QantasLink 717s are slowly being replaced by them they still have 8-9 B717 still flying they’ve retired a few 717s now but still have 8-9 left.
I think there are 3 types that would be a good fit to replace them,, the A220-300, A319, or the 737-700 (NG or Max Though that maybe overkill for these short flights).. The A320 or 737--800 if they want to increase capacity!
I recently flew on this airline and airplane from KHNL to KLIH and back and that was when I had to fly to Seattle on Delta’s A321neo and I flew on the 717 in First class
You didn’t visit my store when you landed in Kauai. You need to visit next time you here lol. Also you should try to book the maiden flight of their new B787 when you can. It’s supposed to start in 2024. Sometimes they use their A321neo for inter island and before they did use 767’s once in a while for inter island. Usually because of peak travel period.
I did this flight back in June on N477HA, I regret not asking the flight deck to go into the cockpit, as I am living in Australia I probably won't be on another 717 in my life unless I book a Qantas flight.
I flew in many many DC 9's (smaller just adequate low by-pass engines) and later the MD 80's (much larger & powerful high by-pass engines) both I grew quite fond of. I've never been aboard a 717 though. They seem to be scaled back to the original DC 9's aesthetic, although the engines are quite large and powerful, like the MD 80 variant (obviously high by-pass engines, with a more sculpted look like the DC 9 cowlings). It's a shame Boeing doesn't continue building these older designs that have some seemingly innate capacity to stay intact while at altitude. I notice the cruise altitude was only 13,000 feet, which is virtually the same aviation-wise as no altitude at all. That fact insures these birds don't deconstruct due to Hawaiian's proclivity toward high cycling system operations. Id be curious to know if these airframes can be reconstructed and refurbished, since they suit this particular market so perfectly.
I have flown Delta's 717's many times and I absolutely love it. They are small planes, but with a big plane feel. They are quick and easy to board and deplane. They also have plenty of thrust for very steep takeoffs. But the best part...the beautiful music those old school engines play. Sweet, sweet sound.
those seats are the same ones that jet2 uses in thw uk in their entire fleet. so you would have had that seat flying to new york on a 757, its bad enough for a 5 hour flight to cyprus
When AAL acquired TWA in 2001, we got 50 of there 717’s. First thing they grd’d fleet wise was the 717’s. AAL was the largest operator of MD82’s/83’s 300+ of them and was surprised we were never the launch customer for them😢😢😢
Sweet flight deck update. With the other airlines retiring their 717s - maybe Hawaiin can just buy them for spare parts and keep the 717s going another decade ... or two? ;-)
Hard to believe anyone would put themselves through a DC9 flight anywhere on the planet. I sat in your seat on old Air CAnada flight from YYC to YVR and was almost deaf by the time I landed. The re-engined 715 sounds a lot quieter. It was the AC workhorse of old routes on prairies and to USA , and I hated every minute of it...They even had a non-stop for awhile from YYC to Laguardia before USA said it was a few kilometers out of their range for airport. Love to fly again on the L1011 Tristar or 727 or 747-800 or A310 or A340 or A380 ...those were great planes
I would hope they would adopt the Airbus A220 (my fave), but they're in the process of getting 787s for long haul to replace their A330s with the intent to standardize on one long haul aircraft. Unless they also keep their A320 neos for the smaller long haul market, I'm supposing they'll go another way...and I'm not a fan of the 737s.
What a coincidence! This past September I flew in that very 717 aircraft (Oma'o) from Kauai to Honolulu and sat in that very seat 24F! Yes, just inches from the engine and its sound at full power on takeoff was amazing! I recall on approach to Honolulu the pilot was adjusting engine speed up and down about a dozen times and the sound was quite unique. Probably wouldn't have noticed if seated towards the front of the plane. Like you, I was excited to fly in one and glad I came across your video Alex! Good stuff!
the logical choice to replace them would be emb-190 gen2 not many airlines are ordering them so they would get them quicker and cheaper then a220 are simlar size and use the modern version of the engine so wouldnt take much time for maintaince to be trained
Aloha Alex! Awesome that you got to fly HA B717's and even better you made it to "my" island home of Kauai! Yes, you really do need to vacation in Kauai and I believe one of the Canada carriers do have direct flights to LIH? At least once a week, I try to get to LIH, unfortunately early in the morning, so it's mostly the inter-island flights. UPS does fly a B767 Cargo every weekday morning, so that may be the largest plane to land at LIH? Love how it takes off like a rocket since it's not carrying much cargo. You covered a lot of details in your video, so great job. Hopefully HA will decide on the A220 as a replacement for the B717"s? But before that decision, looking forward to seeing the first Dreamliner sometime in 2024. Mahalo from the Garden Island, Thomas
I'm currently on vacation in Japan and arrived here via Hawaii - watching your videos from the past month is like a mirror image of my own travels. Fun to watch!
Alex! Great video, it brought back so many memories from my recent Hawaii trip. Being from Montreal, we only see a handful of those beauties during the year. Being able to fly on one, in Hawaii, was an amazing experience! I highly recommend checking out Kona the next time you're in Hawaii. The approach is stunning, it feels like you are landing on the moon. Thanks for the great content and safe travels, Felix
We just brought back about 15-18 717’s from long term storage this year. The rumor is that they will be staying longer into the 2030’s due to issues with the A220 and the slow deliveries of new aircraft and the increase in travel demand.
These videos are fantastic! I remember when you had less than 2k subscribers, making videos on regional canadian flights, and now your travelling the globe vlogging all kinds of aircraft! Awesome content, keep it up! Also have you thought of doing a special video for 100k (like something in business or first)?
Yeah agreed, keep it up , love the channel, super professional and shows planes or airports etc that are unique. I also like the fact that you are Canadian and still appreciate the Can Con, thanks Alex
I remember my first time to Hawaii I had spent five days in Honolulu and then seven days in Kahului it was such an adventure and I too flew on a Boeing 717. The flight between the islands was only 40 minutes long.
Btw, all of the islands are unique, but I had the most fun in Kauai. My son and I took a helicopter tour, spent a day on a catamaran, followed a narrow trail where we swam in a freshwater lake, and visited a dude ranch for horseback riding. That was funny, although the joke was on me: I’m tall and big-boned, so they brought out a horse named Hekili, which means thunder in Hawaiian. He was a huge beast. I asked, “do you have another horse instead named Pineapple or something?”
As you saw at 2:27, your first plane was named ʻŌmaʻo. ʻŌmaʻo or the Hawaiian thrush is a bird endemic to Hawai'i, specifically the Big Island/Hawaiʻi. ʻŌmaʻo are closely related to the other endemic thrushes of the Hawaiian Islands, the kāmaʻo (extinct), the olomaʻo, and the puaioh. The ‘ōma’o once lived on most of the island, but today it is restricted to its southern and eastern slopes, mostly above 1,000 meters above sea level, 25 to 30 percent of its ancestral habitat. Many endemic Hawaiian bird species have gone extinct or are on the verge of extinction because of introduced predators like cats, rats, and mongooses (who were introduced in Hawai'i by the sugar industry to get rid of the rats).
Koa'e Kea on the other hand isn't actually endemic. Besides Hawai'i and the tropical Pacific, the white-tailed tropicbird can also be found in Bermuda, the Caribbean Sea, Ascension Island, St. Helena, and the Indian Ocean. The white-tailed tropicbird feeds mainly on flying fish, squid and crabs. It catches its prey by diving from height of up to 20 meters. Flying fish are caught in flight. Prey is often detected by hovering above the surface as the bird swallows it before taking off. With long, narrow wings and an aerodynamic shape, this bird can remain in flight for long periods of time; like other pelagic birds such as Laysan Albatross and Great Frigatebird, it comes to land only when nesting.
KIM
Thank you for the fun fact glorious leader
Notice how Ni'ihau isn't a part of the inter-island flights at 7:29? That is on purpose! Elizabeth Sinclair purchased Niʻihau in 1864 for $10,000 USD from the Kingdom of Hawaii. This ownership passed on to her descendants, the Robinsons. The island is off-limits to all outsiders except the Robinson family and their relatives, US Navy personnel, government officials, and invited guests. It is the only island where Hawaiian is spoken as a primary language, in part encouraged by terms in the original purchase contract which obligated the new owners to help preserve Hawaiian culture and tradition, and they speak the Ni'ihau dialect. It was actually once considered a location for the UN headquarters in 1944 by FDR!
All residents live there rent-free, there are no paved roads, and meat is also free! Horses are used as transportation as well as bicycles. There are no power lines as solar power provides all electricity. And there is no plumbing or running water on the island as water comes from rainwater catchment! These were most of the conditions established by the Robinsons. When droughts occur, they temporarily relocate to Kaua'i. They also go there for work, school, and medical care. To avoid a long boat ride to Kaua'i, the island's owners maintain an Agusta A109 helicopter for emergencies and for transporting Navy contractors and residents. The costs for such operation are offset by helicopter and safari tours.
The 717’s takeoff sound is just absolutely beautiful 😍 I can’t get enough of it! Thanks Alex for making this video!!
Fr brings me back to the AirTran Days😢
@@BillsFan2015 same I miss those days 😭
Has to be one of the best around!
@@CptCanada definitely!
I’ve been on many Hawaiian 717s for inter island flights. The funniest was when we were waiting to board at one of the outstations, the captain opened up his side-window, leaned out as far as he could…….and cleaned the windshield with a bottle of Windex. Unforgettable!
Is there a special FAA approved bottle of windex? $599 per gallon
After flying a lot of different inter island flights on HA’s 717, once you do it you understand why they have so many of them and don’t want to get rid of them. The newish interiors were an excellent improvement too. That being said, they are getting older and certain mechanical factor delays start becoming more frequent. Yet because a lot of inter island flights are so quick, they just deal with it. A flight I was on was a OGG to HNL flight and the gate agent stated, “the toilet isn’t working so if you need to go best go now before we board!” A lot of mainlanders were freaking out 🤪
My first visit to Hawaii was to Kauai in 1986. We landed in Honolulu on an Air Canada 747 direct from YEG and switched to an Aloha Air 737, to land in Lihue in the middle of a sugar cane field. The Lihue airport was like a small bus station. It's very different now. Sugar is gone and the airport is modernized. Now we go to The Big Island every winter. I know that you'll love a visit to Hawaii, Alex. Bon voyage.
How do you remember that so well? 😮
You had the chance to fly Air Canada 747?? Man i wish i could at least see it rn 😢
AHOLA 737 HOPE ITS NOT MAX BECAUSE IT HAD CRASH
aww man, I wish I could fly a 747
@@planesandgeographyaremythingAir China, Asiana, Iran Air, Rossiya, Lufthansa, Korean Air, Mahan Air, and a couple of African airlines still have 747s in servicw.
4:28 I've always absolutely LOVED the sound of the BR715 spooling up
The Fokker 100's Tay 650s sound very similar, almost identical.
You got the A gates, nice!! We flew out of B4 I think, that weird little nook. It was so nice with Hawaiian, loved the fruit punch and it was just an enjoyable experience from start to end.
We had to fly them HNL-OGG, as our HNL flights to YVR and YYZ were both full. So we took Hawaiian over to OGG and grabbed an AC flight there!
LIH is a nice place to visit. The bus stops at the airport or you could walk about a mile into town for lunch and sightseeing. Great place.
Very nice. I worked on all series DC9s from -10, thru the MD-80 and everything in between, and eventually flew a 30 series. Nice to see the 717 is still around. Years ago, several airlines asked Boeing to restart production, but of course Boeing refuse. They would rather you buy a 737, but that's the wrong airplane for HA market. The only almost direct replacements are the A319, and the A220. Another with less capacity replacement would be a CRJ-900, which could be operated near the operating cost of the 717, and could be operated without a jetway, though it was hard to tell if the 717 had the stairway under the main door. Great video.
Don’t mind me asking, what airline did you wrk for….TWA???
Here in Australia, Qantaslink are replacing their 717s with the A220.
@@Ryanhothersall That's because technically the A220 aren't direct 717 replacements. Yes they are taking over the 717 routes but will also have new routes open up specifically for them
thats crazy that they refused the buyers request. i wonder whats the reason they did not want to make anymore of the 717
@@chipwilliams6236 Because production shut down and it’s very expensive to start them up again
I think you are the only person in the world to WANT to sit at the back of a DC-9 style cabin. My ears have many not-so-fond memories of YEG-YVR and back again sitting beside those buzzsaws.
The 717"s Rolls-Royce engines are much quieter than the Pratt & Whitney JT8Ds of the DC-9
.
I flew in MD-80s and their relatives many times. They were nice up front. In the back, not so much.
I like that sound! Helps me sleep
Wrong 😂
Flew to Lihue from Yyc on WestJet 2 years ago! Awesome to see you visit for a few hours
I was lucky enough to fly on a few back in June 2023 and was lucky enough to sit right next to the engines, I think row 23. Are they old? Yes. Do they sound absolutely amazing? Yes. And yes I got to sit in the cockpit. Such a neat and unique plane. 7/10.
Haven’t flowing in a 717 for a long time. It was a Qantaslink 717, Melbourne to Hobart and it was so long ago that the aircraft still had that new plane smell!
Essentially a modernized DC-9!!! NICE!! 👍😎👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Actually the certificate type for the 717 still says DC-9.
@@HAGCopperhead It is legally the DC-9-95
Lovely video! Went great with my morning coffee. The juice on the outbound flight brought back memories. I made 14 business trips to Oahu over a 2 year period in the late '90s. I still fondly remember the juice served with breakfast...fresh POG juice. Papaya-Orange-Guava. I've never had a better just since then. I also really liked the MD Super-80 aircraft. I switched from United to American in the late '80s after a series of pilot and flight attendant job actions at United left me high and dry a few times. United was flying a lot of 737-100 and 737-200 planes with only 8 First Class seats. I almost never got an upgrade. American's Super-80s had 12 First Class seats. I was almost always able to upgrade. I overheard one American pilot refer to the plane as a Stupid-80, but never understood that. I doubt that he'd ever flown an old 737, or he'd have felt different, IMO. I'm retired and no longer flying 'round-the-worlds once or twice a month like I was, so I enjoy these flying trip reports. There's nothing like rising out of the clouds into blue sky!
All RR engines sound just the best but sometimes sitting up front, when the takeoff is like glider quiet, has it's gentle appeal.
I work for a cruise ship company with a 7day itinerary around the islands. The company requires a minimum of 5 months contract working 7days a week. Nearing the end of my contract and just a first class seat from OGG (Maui) to HNL (Honolulu). That sound and feeling when those beautiful BMW engines lit up..priceless ❤thank you for posting!!
Great way to end the trip!
I was just in delta’s 717 this weekend. Cheers Alex from CYXU.
Thank you
The 717's engines sound amazing. The perfect combination of high pitched screaming and buzz
I just love those green seats.
I Flew on one of these some years ago with Delta from NYC to Atlanta, quite a nice ride. Avianca operates a lot of short flights with A320's and A319 but from more challenging airports, and the issue seems to be brake cooling in the limited time that the planes are on the ground, so they tend to cycle them between short and longer flights. Options to replace the 717 see to be the CRJ 900 or 1000 ( are they still made) the A220 or the E190-E2.
Wow flying Hawaiian Boeing 717 is fantastic. This is something I must do when I get to Hawaii.
Definitely do it soon before they go away in a few years!
I had the pleasure of flying on Hawaiian’s 717 between Honolulu and Kona (Big Island) both ways in 2012. I found the plane to be roomy and comfortable and a joy to fly. Likely my most pleasant flights ever!
My mom and I did the same trip years ago. Same 717 and juice to Lihue. Very memorable trip, especially the chickens everywhere 😂
That same Ameristar DC-9 was spotted in Dallas a few days ago! Also of note in this video is the KC-10 Extender at 4:43. The USAF is going to be retiring them in a few months, so great catch! Another amazing video, Alex!
1:08 Why did you blur out the date on the departure board but not the time, and then in the very next scene you show both clear as day??
I flew one of the AirTran 717s in 05. It’s Probably still flying through Atlanta as we speak.
I flew on one of these as a kid when they were new. They served that exact same juice canister (which of course got spilled on my pants when we hit turbulence on the way into LIH). It’s crazy how much cycle time they’ve been able to wring out of the 717 over the last 20 years!
I love the vortex as the engine spooled up to takeoff power!
Old fashioned logo lights out on wingtip.
Surprised to see SWA at your destination airport.
They've got A321 & 330 so will they go for A220 to replace 717?
And how hard is it to spray pax windows clean??
Interesting to see the two wing lights lit up too.
Neat watch!
Southwest has seriously moved in during the past year or so. Southwest is trying to do what Hawaiian's been doing, excluding the international flights. So now, because they're a much larger company, they've been offering routes inter-island and to and from the islands that are cheaper and have more volume than Hawaiian. It's gotten so bad that Hawaiian has accepted Alaska's offer to buy them out completely. They probably won't stick with Airbus aircraft, considering their woes with the A321neos they've received (about 5 of them are grounded at any time due to engine troubles). I really wish they would pick the A220 because I would love to fly one (as somebody who lives on the Big Island) but we'll see what Alaska approves. It could go either way to A220 or E190 depending on how they feel, though both types would be capable of flying to and from the mainland as well, which opens some interesting possibilities. They're going to be phasing out the 330s in favor of the 789s they're going to be receiving slowly from Boeing.
PS. It rains a *lot* in Hawaii. If they wiped the windows every time a plane landed, they would be another million more in debt than they already are XD
@@risingsun9595 which of the 2 do u prefer flying intraisland?
@@KuostA 737 has more room inside but Southwest packs them like sardines because it’s southwest
@@risingsun9595 right, so would u say the HA 717s are more comfortable than SW 737s?
@@KuostA Yeah, but Southwest is cheaper. Not to mention Hawaiian’s customer service (if you could call it that) sucks. They canceled a flight to Japan on us and then didn’t notify us. No refund either, we had to spend weeks trying to get our money back.
I love those Hawaiian airlines B17s my dad has been on one of them from Maui to hanalulu but sometime I want to fly in one
The return flight was one of those not so rear cases where the thrust reduction (when you transition from take-off thrust to climb thrust) was actually a thrust increase. Climb thrust is pretty much fixed, but take-off thrust is flexible depending on take off weight runway length, atmospheric and weather conditions, and surrounding obstacles and terrain. So while max take off thrust is quite more than climb thrust, if you take off with a combination of not too heavy, long runway, not too high, and no obstacles or terrain to clear vertically in the initial climb-out phase, you can get away with it with a quite lower thrust, even lower than climb thrust.
very cool to point this out! went back to listen, you're right!
I love the 717. Hate to see them go.
When I was a kid I recall the dc9 baking up from the gate with reverse thrusters. Ah the good ol days. 😂
What makes the glass panels on the 717 flight deck even better is that right next to them they still use the same window latch, which I've heard was just recycled from the DC-3s cockpit when the DC-9 was first designed
4:53 Music to my ears for the BR715 engines
One more thing about Hawaiian 717’s is about short flights on hoping island to island and amazing view of the Ocean.
As someone.whonhad spent a lot of time in Kauai over the last 10 years you do have to spend more time. I've done some spotting at Lihue and caught 484 landing back in 2022. Think I have captured 494. Haven't flown the 717 for a while either (used Southwest last interisland flights) but I do love photographing them!
Amazing Video, Alex! I flew on Hawaiians 717 over the summer (probably for the last time in my life) when visiting Hawaii. I thoroughly enjoyed that flight because Hawaiian's service is superb!
Great video! I am hoping I’ll make it to Hawaii before these jets are sadly retired! 😢
Cheers 🥂 my friend thanks for a great video! I’ll be trying Delta’s 717 this week!
Back in 2014, I was glad to fly on one. Since then, it has appeared they put that new blue padding in. I’ll miss the 717s when they’re gone.
There was actually a 717-200ER designed by Boeing with BR715-C1 engines, but nobody ever ordered it (wishing somebody had). I heard Hawaiian is looking at the E-195 E2, A220-100, and A319NEO as replacements eventually- I think the E2 is the best replacement.
What a sound ❤
Love Hawaiian Airlines. If you’re not flying Hawaiian to Hawaii, you’re doing it wrong!
I LOVE the 717 Reverse thrust
I remember Delta’s DC-9 fleet for connections out of Detroit. Apparently the airframe was so durable the constant short-hop flights didn’t matter. Great design!
Awesome video Alex!
As somebody who lives on the Big Island, locals really don't see anything too special about the 717s, though they are an interesting solution to a problem that few ever think about. For us who live here, we see it more as a shuttle bus that takes you from one island to the next. Some people use it for work, where they fly home on the weekends or in my case, occassionally flying from the Big Island to Oahu to go shopping at the mall or just taking in the sights.
amazing that u get to enjoy a 717 so easily to just use as a 'bus' and even use it to go shop at a mall or just to fly. wow. how much are tickets on average? wish I could do that!
@@KuostA ~72$ I think last time I checked
@@risingsun9595 wow that's amazing. I just bought a powered wrench for the same cost lol would love to fly it for that same money.
Back when I went to Hawaii, we did our island hopping with Aloha on their 737-200Adv jets, which were incredibly rare in the USA at the time. Hawaiian certainly has their work cut out for them: no one designs aircraft for that capacity for short sectors anymore. It's possible they would be a good candidate for a small to midsize electric aircraft, but those are still a ways off.
The A220-100 and the ERJ-195 match the 717's capacity and field performance very closely, it's just Boeing that decided to abandon the segment
Just wondering, did the westjet 737-800 with the new livery do it's first commercial flight?
I always love when people say 717’s are “rare planes” yet I see them dozens of times a day at my local airport here in Australia… not for long though, Qantas is finally upgrading their domestic jet fleet.
Thank you very much for taking us with you to the Aloha State⛱ with this beautiful rare Aircrafts!🙂👍 BUT: Sitting in one of the back rows in a DC-9/MD-80/MD-90/B717 is by far the worst place in which you can get in an Aircraft.🤧
The first landing was so smooth
Nice video Alex! I've had some poor luck trying to get a DL 717 flight, but I am hoping later this month to get some better results out of QantasLink... wish me luck!
Lovely video, glad you could fly and even see the cockpit of the legendary 717 :)
Skibidi boeing gyatt
I love Kauai! Great island! You should definitely do a vacation there. As for the 717, it's cool to see them in action but they may not be there for many more years. 😜
My first flight on Hawaiian Airlines was from Honolulu to Maui after a Delta flight from LAX. Was similarly surprised with the drink service and how fast it was to island hop on the 717.
QantasLink still flies the 717 too it’s being replaced by the A220-300. which QantasLink already has two A220-300s in service VH-X4A and VH-X4B are the first two QantasLink A220s to be in service and the QantasLink 717s are slowly being replaced by them they still have 8-9 B717 still flying they’ve retired a few 717s now but still have 8-9 left.
So did I, though 13 years ago. Loved it.
I think there are 3 types that would be a good fit to replace them,, the A220-300, A319, or the 737-700 (NG or Max Though that maybe overkill for these short flights).. The A320 or 737--800 if they want to increase capacity!
I recently flew on this airline and airplane from KHNL to KLIH and back and that was when I had to fly to Seattle on Delta’s A321neo and I flew on the 717 in First class
You didn’t visit my store when you landed in Kauai. You need to visit next time you here lol. Also you should try to book the maiden flight of their new B787 when you can. It’s supposed to start in 2024. Sometimes they use their A321neo for inter island and before they did use 767’s once in a while for inter island. Usually because of peak travel period.
Have you considered flying bearskin airlines to fly on the Fairchild Metroliner ?
I did this flight back in June on N477HA, I regret not asking the flight deck to go into the cockpit, as I am living in Australia I probably won't be on another 717 in my life unless I book a Qantas flight.
I flew in many many DC 9's (smaller just adequate low by-pass engines) and later the MD 80's (much larger & powerful high by-pass engines) both I grew quite fond of. I've never been aboard a 717 though. They seem to be scaled back to the original DC 9's aesthetic, although the engines are quite large and powerful, like the MD 80 variant (obviously high by-pass engines, with a more sculpted look like the DC 9 cowlings).
It's a shame Boeing doesn't continue building these older designs that have some seemingly innate capacity to stay intact while at altitude. I notice the cruise altitude was only 13,000 feet, which is virtually the same aviation-wise as no altitude at all. That fact insures these birds don't deconstruct due to Hawaiian's proclivity toward high cycling system operations.
Id be curious to know if these airframes can be reconstructed and refurbished, since they suit this particular market so perfectly.
I'd love to try this aircraft out 🤞. I would guess an Airbus a220 would be a good replacement. Same layout and similar size.
Yes, you must return to Kauai--and spend at least a week, if not more if you can.
I have a soft spot for MD95/717, great aircraft that have an amazing safety record.
I have flown Delta's 717's many times and I absolutely love it. They are small planes, but with a big plane feel. They are quick and easy to board and deplane. They also have plenty of thrust for very steep takeoffs. But the best part...the beautiful music those old school engines play. Sweet, sweet sound.
those seats are the same ones that jet2 uses in thw uk in their entire fleet. so you would have had that seat flying to new york on a 757, its bad enough for a 5 hour flight to cyprus
I used to fly AirTran all the time and just loved the 717
Wow, usually they pronounce our island name and town incorrectly. However, you came prepared and ready. Excellent job 🤙🏻
Boeing could do with an airliner below the 737Max. Would a newbuild, upgraded 717 with RR Pearl engines be competitive ?now
When AAL acquired TWA in 2001, we got 50 of there 717’s. First thing they grd’d fleet wise was the 717’s. AAL was the largest operator of MD82’s/83’s 300+ of them and was surprised we were never the launch customer for them😢😢😢
Sweet flight deck update. With the other airlines retiring their 717s - maybe Hawaiin can just buy them for spare parts and keep the 717s going another decade ... or two? ;-)
Keep up the good work Alex! looking forward to your 100k special thats coming very very soon! Sad to see the Japan trip end though
Never flown on 717 yet but I got a chance to fly on American Airlines MD-80 back in 2012.
Hard to believe anyone would put themselves through a DC9 flight anywhere on the planet. I sat in your seat on old Air CAnada flight from YYC to YVR and was almost deaf by the time I landed. The re-engined 715 sounds a lot quieter. It was the AC workhorse of old routes on prairies and to USA , and I hated every minute of it...They even had a non-stop for awhile from YYC to Laguardia before USA said it was a few kilometers out of their range for airport. Love to fly again on the L1011 Tristar or 727 or 747-800 or A310 or A340 or A380 ...those were great planes
I would hope they would adopt the Airbus A220 (my fave), but they're in the process of getting 787s for long haul to replace their A330s with the intent to standardize on one long haul aircraft. Unless they also keep their A320 neos for the smaller long haul market, I'm supposing they'll go another way...and I'm not a fan of the 737s.
What a coincidence! This past September I flew in that very 717 aircraft (Oma'o) from Kauai to Honolulu and sat in that very seat 24F! Yes, just inches from the engine and its sound at full power on takeoff was amazing! I recall on approach to Honolulu the pilot was adjusting engine speed up and down about a dozen times and the sound was quite unique. Probably wouldn't have noticed if seated towards the front of the plane. Like you, I was excited to fly in one and glad I came across your video Alex! Good stuff!
the logical choice to replace them would be emb-190 gen2 not many airlines are ordering them so they would get them quicker and cheaper then a220 are simlar size and use the modern version of the engine so wouldnt take much time for maintaince to be trained
Such a beautiful plane ❤
Japan is also an archipelago in the middle of the Pacific and inter island ferries services are exceptional. Not sure why Hawaii won’t do the same
Aloha Alex! Awesome that you got to fly HA B717's and even better you made it to "my" island home of Kauai! Yes, you really do need to vacation in Kauai and I believe one of the Canada carriers do have direct flights to LIH? At least once a week, I try to get to LIH, unfortunately early in the morning, so it's mostly the inter-island flights. UPS does fly a B767 Cargo every weekday morning, so that may be the largest plane to land at LIH? Love how it takes off like a rocket since it's not carrying much cargo. You covered a lot of details in your video, so great job. Hopefully HA will decide on the A220 as a replacement for the B717"s? But before that decision, looking forward to seeing the first Dreamliner sometime in 2024. Mahalo from the Garden Island, Thomas
I'm currently on vacation in Japan and arrived here via Hawaii - watching your videos from the past month is like a mirror image of my own travels. Fun to watch!
Great engines!
Alex! Great video, it brought back so many memories from my recent Hawaii trip. Being from Montreal, we only see a handful of those beauties during the year. Being able to fly on one, in Hawaii, was an amazing experience!
I highly recommend checking out Kona the next time you're in Hawaii. The approach is stunning, it feels like you are landing on the moon.
Thanks for the great content and safe travels,
Felix
Another great trip report Alex!! I’m loving the all the new content!
We just brought back about 15-18 717’s from long term storage this year. The rumor is that they will be staying longer into the 2030’s due to issues with the A220 and the slow deliveries of new aircraft and the increase in travel demand.
I'm pretty sure, they'd sell if Boeing brings them back. Low maintenance and quick turn-around aircraft.
I think these aircraft were fitted with temporary extra fuel tanks to ferry them over from the mainland. Great video!
@davidgarrett9711 they had fuel tanks fitted inside the cargo hold
Workhorses of the sky, a wonderful aircraft and great footage!
Different crews handle the 16 daily flights?
717 Boeing’s Engine is King!!! 👑 🔥
Used to fly on these all the time from Akron Ohio to Florida on AirTran before they were bought by SWA.
These videos are fantastic! I remember when you had less than 2k subscribers, making videos on regional canadian flights, and now your travelling the globe vlogging all kinds of aircraft! Awesome content, keep it up! Also have you thought of doing a special video for 100k (like something in business or first)?
Yeah agreed, keep it up , love the channel, super professional and shows planes or airports etc that are unique. I also like the fact that you are Canadian and still appreciate the Can Con, thanks Alex
I remember my first time to Hawaii I had spent five days in Honolulu and then seven days in Kahului it was such an adventure and I too flew on a Boeing 717. The flight between the islands was only 40 minutes long.
You do an awesome job! Some RUclipsr’s don’t know when to shut up, like during takeoff. Or they play music.
The 717 is quite a cool plane
But it’s a old one
I flew on those aircraft in 2015-2017 covering most of the islands
Great video, as usual! Hoping we can expect a HNL spotting video!
Btw, all of the islands are unique, but I had the most fun in Kauai. My son and I took a helicopter tour, spent a day on a catamaran, followed a narrow trail where we swam in a freshwater lake, and visited a dude ranch for horseback riding. That was funny, although the joke was on me: I’m tall and big-boned, so they brought out a horse named Hekili, which means thunder in Hawaiian. He was a huge beast. I asked, “do you have another horse instead named Pineapple or something?”