American MD-80 To Land At Jones Riverside Airport En Route To TTC

By Emory Bryan, News on 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- American Airlines has parked an MD-80, N451AA, on the ramp at their Tulsa Maintenance Base. The engines are plugged and the American logo has been stripped from the aircraft.

According to the tail number, the plane is actually an MD-82, another model of the MD-80 series.

The plane will land at Tulsa's Jones Riverside Airport (RVS) next month, en route to a permanent stop at Tulsa Technology Center. Tulsa Tech says American Airlines is donating the aircraft for use by students in their aircraft maintenance training programs.

Tulsa Tech's Riverside Campus is on the southeast corner of the airport, and currently has a 727-200 purchased from Air France. The obsolete 727 will be sold and likely scrapped, according to Tony Heaberlin, spokesman for Tulsa Tech.

TTC has programs for airframe and power plant maintenance at the Riverside campus.

Heaberlin said details of the delivery were still being worked out, but that it would arrive within a month. Heaberlin said the aircraft will be flown from American's Maintenance Base at Tulsa International Airport (TIA).

American Airlines has not responded to a request for comment on the transfer.

Learn more about the TTC Aviation Program.