In May 2024, Idaho State University’s Class of 2025 received a new learning tool from NASA. The DC-8 aircraft served the global scientific community as a platform for NASA’s Airborne Science Program for decades before moving to Idaho State University (ISU) to provide a hands-on learning experience for students in the university’s aircraft maintenance technology program.
“The DC-8 has quickly become a cornerstone of our aircraft maintenance technology program at ISU,” said Jake Dixon, director of marketing and recruitment for the ISU College of Technology. “It has already enriched our summer courses before being fully integrated at the start of the new school year in the fall.”
The DC-8 made its final flight in May 2024 from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, to Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. This flight marked the aircraft’s retirement after 37 years as a NASA aircraft supporting airborne scientific missions.
“The opportunity for students to interact firsthand with the aircraft’s systems and functions expands their learning process well beyond what theory or textbooks can provide,” said Dixon.
The DC-8 served as an educational platform for many years. Beginning in 2009, the DC-8 served as a flying science laboratory for NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program (SARP), where prospective students were selected to participate in a real science campaign and gain hands-on research experience. The educational impact of the DC-8 is evident in the professional development of the scientists who have used it.
“Almost everything I’ve learned about using an aircraft to collect scientific data stems from my time flying projects on the DC-8,” says Jonathan Zawislak, flight director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Aircraft Operations Center. “It left an indelible mark on the geoscience community and undoubtedly paved the way for a new generation of scientists, just as it did for me and my career as a science pilot.”
Real-world platforms like the DC-8 are exciting and meaningful learning tools that allow college students to go beyond the textbook and leave a lasting impression on the communities adjacent to their activities.
“We have seen so much excitement about the arrival of the DC-8 that we will be organising an open day in the future to give the public and aviation enthusiasts the opportunity to explore this historic aircraft,” said Dixon. “This way we can preserve the DC-8’s remarkable heritage and ensure it continues to inspire and educate for years to come.”
Whether as a scientific platform or as a unique aircraft, the DC-8 has a legacy that continues to inspire and educate generations of scientists, engineers and pilots.
Learn more about NASA’s SARP program
Learn more about the retired DC-8 aircraft Learn more about NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center
