hockeypilot44

Flying a DC-9 for Delta/NWA is no different than flying a DC-9 at any other carrier. I don't know any other carriers still flying DC-9's other than maybe USA Jet. The aircraft is very primitive compared to a regional jet. We hold the old fashioned way and navigate strictly with VOR's. A DC-9 pilot's situational awareness has to be on a whole different level than a glass regional jet pilot's situational awareness. We only use the flight directors for ILS's. We manually have to level the airplane even with the autopilot on. We also have to track our VOR's using the heading bug for captains or the roll knob for first officers. I don't feel that DC-9 pilots are a cut above the rest, but flying a DC-9 definitely requires more work and more basic flying skills than flying a regional jet. If a DC-9 pilot loses situational awareness, there is no moving map or "direct to" feature to help him/her regain sitautional awareness. If a pilot does not have basic IFR flying skills, a DC-9 exposes the fact while a regional jet hides the fact.