ATI DC-8 - Pax?

[PhilDernerJr]

I was in BWI last week saw saw an ATI DC-8 at a gate. I also saw about a dozen or two people waiting in the seats at the gate.

I looked at the plane and saw most windows were plugged, and I assumed like I had for a long time, that ATI planes were all cargo config. Then a people mover came to the gate, all the people got on it, and the pax boarded in the after doors! It looked as though the last 10 windows on the plane were regular, as though there are pax seats back there.

Can anyone confirm this, or how their operation is set up? I never saw this. Is this just for ATI or are/were other DC-8s liek this as well?

[njgtr82]

Phil, this is from their website:

ATI is an experienced charter airline with the ability to reach across the globe ...around the clock, even on short notice. Through two decades and thousands of hours of cargo and "combi" passenger aircraft operations, ATI has the equipment and valuable expertise to respond to emergency one-time charters as well as long-term scheduled programs

So yes they do pax charters too.
Bill

[njgtr82]

Further reading on the site and it says this:

"Combi" Services

With the only DC-8-62/72 "combi" fleet in the world, ATI has the ability to simultaneously transport 32 passengers and 10 pallet positions of freight on the main deck, but in distinctly separate areas of the aircraft. There is also below-deck capacity for baggage or additional cargo. These aircraft are truly exceptional because they are the only DC-8's in the world that are FAA approved to operate in this configuration.

Heres some pics: http://www.airtransport.cc/BlueTails/AC ... ompartment

[PhilDernerJr]

Nice pic. Thanks for finding that for me. I like the AMC headrests.

I wonder how it feels to ride that. I don't think those pax know how lucky they were to fly on a DC-8 in the US.

[LGA777]

My best friend from childhood actually flew on one of these. He works for a NASA contractor at the Cape and occasionally is sent to remote NASA locations. His charter flight was from Patrick AFB at Coco Beach, Florida to the island of Madagascar, with a fuel stop in Antigua. Mainly because of me he is sort of an airliner enthusist and admitted to me just prior to his flight around 2 years ago he was excited about flying on a DC-8 in 2005. His only complaint was hard seats but he otherwise enjoyed it a lot.

Two interesting side notes. My friends and I's first of several flights together as kids was with my Dad on a National DC-8-21 from TPA-MCO, my actual second flight on the type in I believe 1971. Also one of the several combi's ATI operates, N799AL I have actually flown on when she was OY-KTE (Katy) with my then employer Northeastern in a nice hybrid SAS scheme and full 1970's SAS interior, except converted to our cattle car 204 seat configuration.

Here she is then

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0224082/L/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0046016/L/

and now looking pretty darn awesome for an almost 40 year old Eight !

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1173939/L/


Thanks for posting Phil !

LGA777

[Nonstop2AUH]

The hairstyles of the passengers in the ATI website pics makes it pretty obvious who their major client is.

[stuart schechter]

Combi planes are interesting to fly in. I was in a 737-200 combi for AS and loaded two pallets up front and there were 20? rows. There was a door to the pallets and I was in the 3rd row. Those palletes are huge!

[Mateo]

ATI runs a weekly charter BWI-McGuire-Thule. They also do a weekly run ex-Florida to all of the NASA sites in the South Atlantic, ending up at Ascension Island, I believe.

[n717bh]

Besides the Thule run they also do Lajes out of BWI. We have been getting lucky lately with the re-engined one coming in. They run a pretty reliable operation, nice and friendly crews also.

[PhilDernerJr]

Yep, those photos are exactly what I saw.