Flight Report: Delta MD90 Economy (RIC to ATL) - Whose Plane Are You Really Flying On? - The History Behind the Plane You're On.

This was my first of two flights during my trip down to Orlando, Florida, for a visit to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. I left for this flight at around 10am on a Wednesday, so was fortunate to miss some school!

Delta Flight 1931 Information:

• Flight: Richmond International Airport (RIC) to Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport (ATL)
• Flight Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
• Aircraft: Delta Air Lines MD90 (N925DN - ex China Eastern B2265)
• Seat: 30A (economy, window) 

Most people don't realize some of the interesting history behind the airframe onboard which they are flying. To find out some of this history, it's as easy as typing in the aircraft's tail registration into Google, and seeing where and when the plane previously flew. Before being purchased by Delta, this specific MD90 was formerly China Eastern MD90 B2265. The MD90 is typically thought of as a short(ish) range plane, used in nation-wide flights. The fact that this plane flew into such destinations such as Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, etc., would surprise the average traveller. 

Transition details from China Eastern to Delta can be found in the table below. This photo can be enlarged by clicking on it. (Note how the MD90 was ferried from China to the United States):

We had a nice takeoff out of Richmond International Airport, quickly ascending into a broken layer of clouds at about 17,000 feet. As always, GoGo in-flight wifi came on after 10,000 feet, something I quickly took advantage of! 

In the video below, watch our takeoff from Richmond Airport (KRIC). This video comes from my Youtube channel MartinsAviation1:

One interesting part about this flight was that on my trip down to Orlando, portable devices were not allowed during taxi, takeoff, or landing according to the FAA (and Delta Air Lines). Flight attendants, as was normal until very recently, walked through the cabin to make sure that everyone's devices were off and stowed. Notice on my Flight Reports during our return, just a few days later, that this rule was eliminated by the FAA and quickly adopted by Delta, shifting some of the Flight Attendant's responsibilities. 


To read more of this Flight Report, click below. (If you're already on the full article, ignore this message)



Here is a photo of my row on the MD90 (row 30, economy). This adjacent row had the same window position as my own row, but with one extra seat as per the 2-3 configuration: 

Below are in-flight photos during our short trip to Atlanta. (cabin view is included below as well): 

In the photos below, you can see our route of flight from Richmond to Atlanta, in addition to altitudes and airspeeds: 

Coming into Atlanta, we lined up with Runway 27L. You can watch our full landing video below: 

After our landing, we taxied to Terminal B, passing our 757 (next flight to Orlando). 

Thanks for reading and watching,

Swayne Martin

Martins Aviation / From Private to Professional Pilot

Twitter: @MartinsAviation

Youtube: MartinsAviation1