The last flying U.S.-registered Douglas DC-8, retired in 2025, will soon take on a new mission—engaging and inspiring students and members of the public at Lynchburg Regional Airport (KLYH) in Virginia.
The venerable DC-8 was donated to Liberty University by North Carolina-based humanitarian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse. The Christian university plans to turn it into a “permanent, mission-focused landmark” at Lynchburg’s Preston Glenn Field and said Monday that the project is backed by a grant from Boeing.
The aircraft will honor humanitarian air missions and be the “centerpiece” of what Liberty described as an “aviation STEM and workforce-development destination,” the DC-8 Overlook. Its next mission will be to inspire a new generation of pilots, technicians, air traffic controllers, military aviators, and uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) operators.
An artist’s rendering of Liberty University’s planned DC-8 Overlook project at Lynchburg Regional Airport [Credit: Liberty University]
Liberty chancellor Jonathan Falwell said in December that people will be able to tour the aircraft and that it will be accompanied by a museum. Also planned is an airplane-themed playground.
Boeing’s grant will support construction of a public pavilion to serve as the location’s “educational center.” It will offer events, programming, museum-style exhibits, and “learning modules tied to aviation careers.” The center will also host guided tours, field trips, and camps for schools and local youth-serving organizations, as well as presentations, mentoring sessions, and technical demonstrations from university faculty, Boeing employees, and veterans.
“By helping preserve this historic aircraft and creating hands-on learning opportunities, this initiative will inspire future aerospace professionals and honor the important role aviation plays in serving communities around the world,” said Lacey Pittman, vice president of global aerospace safety for Boeing, in Liberty’s announcement.
The Venerable DC-8
Samaritan’s Purse donated the four-engine jetliner to Liberty in December following its retirement and final relief mission to Jamaica, which delivered toys, school supplies, and other items to children from areas affected by Hurricane Melissa. It touched down for the final time at Lynchburg Regional on December 7. The university is a longtime partner of Samaritan’s Purse.
The DC-8-72CF—a rare convertible passenger and cargo, or “combi,” variant of the iconic airplane—was built in 1968 and flew for more than six decades. It logged more than 55 million miles and 100,000 flight hours and could fly with up to 74,000 pounds of cargo and 32 passengers.
The DC-8 became Samaritan’s Purse’s primary heavy-lift aircraft following its delivery in 2015. It went on to transport over 9.2 million pounds of cargo across 219 missions spanning six continents.
The type may be the rarest still in operation.
Douglas Aircraft and McDonnell Douglas built 556 DC-8s before production ceased in 1972. Both Planespotters and ATDB.aero identify just one active DC-8 globally—a 56-year-old DC-8-73F operating cargo missions for Peru’s SkyBus Jet Cargo under Peruvian registration OB-2231-P. It was first delivered to Air Canada in 1970.
OB-2231-P is primarily based at Miami International Airport (KMIA). Per FlightAware, its most recent missions in September comprise flights between Miami and Haiti. SkyBus previously operated a larger DC-8 fleet but began winding down operations in 2023. Per Planespotters, four other DC-8s registered to SkyBus are parked.
Earlier in September, a DC-8-73CF registered 9S-AJO and operated by Trans Air Cargo Service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo overran a runway and suffered serious damage. According to Planespotters, it was the only aircraft in Trans Air Cargo’s fleet and is now in storage. It is unlikely to fly again, leaving the SkyBus DC-8 as possibly the final remnant of the type’s decorated service history.
NASA retired its DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratory, a highly modified version of the jetliner acquired in 1985, in 2024. The aircraft was donated to Idaho State University, where it is being used as a training platform for the university’s aircraft maintenance program.
Pilots and planespotters can still occasionally catch the DC-8 at Miami International. But though the type’s service life is coming to an end, universities like Liberty and Idaho State hope to preserve its legacy and embolden future generations to pursue careers in aviation.
