McDonnell Douglas DC-10 (N306FE)

I think the tail number should be end with FE.

Hi, Chris. Yes, you are 100% correct. (Grin ... I kept trying to correct it and kept getting it wrong. First I tried FD and then I tried FX.) Thank you VM for helping me get it right. I've made the correction. (Wave)

LOL No problem.....Good picture.

Great photo! What record does this certain DC-10 hold?

This was the aircraft involved in the hijacking. Federal Express Flight 705 WIKI link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Express_Flight_705

Nice shot Gary, great scenery and snap as usual! 5*

Hi Gary!!

perfect pic!!

Outstanding shot, Gary!

Great picture. Interesting history with this one too.

Isaac, Dave S., Uwe, Dwight, David H., and Adambear8 ... Thanks to each of you for your comments and complis. (Wave) Isaac, go to my previous posted pic of this same a/c (just click on the reg number below this snap; all the posts of it will pop up, mine is the third or fourth; shows it landing a few months ago). All the records it holds are listed in the comments section under that photo. If you click on Adambear8's link, the whole horrific tale is described. This a/c, and the three FDX pilots, endured h-ll in the air and brought a criminal to justice, too. Another FA member (member Chris Collinsworth) suggested that this one belonged in a museum, and FA member James Simms followed up by actually sending a request to have it preserved (it is scheduled to be wfu and sent to a graveyard soon, but it definitely deserves to be saved and in the past FDX has been very generous in donating retired 727s to airports for crash training aids so perhaps they will donate this one to a museum).

It appears that this record-holding DC-10 has indeed finally been wfu. Its last recorded flight was back on 20 April (27 days ago) when it flew from KMEM to KLAX. I've not been able to find any info about it since that date. I kept hoping that FDX wouldn't send this one to the sawmill but I suspect that "John" is already at a boneyard. Too bad; this one really deserved to be preserved.

Apparently sad news, indeed. Thanks for sharing this with us, Gary.

It was absent from the skies for over a month (from 20 April til 22 May), but it is back "in service" now. If Fed Ex invested over a month of MX into it, perhaps they intend to keep it on their "active" rolls for a few more years. (Fingers crossed ...)

Reports are that N306FE is still flying. The famous FedEx 705 birds rises from the ashes like an aluminum phoenix!

@justin Smith She hasn't flown in a few months but looks like it was due to maintenance. As of typing this comment she seems like she is about to take off for her first test flight in May, meaning she will likely be returning to service this week. 2021 and she's still going strong!