McDonnell Douglas MD-80: last American plane with an analog cockpit

Pilots often prefer flying with analog cockpits like that of the MD-80 for a more tactile experience despite the increased workload it demands compared to modern digital cockpits.

Conceived in 1977 as a stretched version of the DC-9-80, the MD-80 was certified in August 1980. Throughout its history, it has been involved in 90 major incidents resulting in over 1,400 fatalities. Notable incidents include Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in Detroit (1987), One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269 in Phuket (2007), and Spanair Flight 5022 in Madrid (2008).

American Airlines was historically the largest operator with a fleet of 391 MD-80s. Other significant operators included Delta Air Lines and Trans World Airlines. Today, more than 100 MD-80s are still active globally with Venezuela's LASER Airlines being the largest passenger operator.

Modern aircraft have evolved significantly from their analog predecessors with all-digital flight instruments and fly-by-wire controls now standard on models like Boeing's 787 or Airbus' A350.