(Photos by Michael Carter)
NASA McDonnell Douglas DC-8-72 (46082/458) N817NA is captured performing a low pass down Rwy 30 at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) this afternoon at 14:44 pst.
This lovely aircraft departed Palmdale Airport (PMD/KPMD) flying down to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) making a low pass there then proceeded down to Long Beach Airport.
Following her flyby at Long Beach she made her way to March Air Force Base in Riverside performing a flyby there then on to Ontario International Airport (ONT/KONT) for a flyby there then returned to Palmdale.
Originally delivered to Alitalia as I-DIWK "Giacomo Puccini" on May 14, 1969 as a DC-8-62H she served with Italian national carrier until January 1979 when she was sold to Braniff Airways as N801BN.
NASA bought the DC-8 in February 1986 registering her as N717NA and converting her to a DC-8-72 by upgrading to the CFM56 engine. In June 1998 NASA re-registered the DC-8 to its current registration N817NA.
What a treat it was to spot and photograph this gorgeous DAC aircraft especially here in Long Beach where she began life 46 years ago.
(Michael Carter - Editor / Aero Pacific Flightlines)
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