How the Douglas DC-8 Survived Decades Longer Than the Boeing 707

Long Haul by Simple Flying

When Samaritan’s Purse retired its McDonnell Douglas DC-8 freighter N782SP after a final humanitarian mission to Jamaica in late 2025, aviation lost more than just another aging cargo aircraft. The retirement marked the near-complete end of the first-generation jetliner era, a period when four-engin