Last flying US-registered DC-8 finds permanent home at Liberty University

The last US-registered DC-8 in flying service has been retired and donated to Liberty University. The university plans to place the aircraft at the center of a public exhibit at Lynchburg Regional Airport in Virginia. Boeing will support construction of a pavilion around the jet, the university said.

The aircraft was built in 1968 and completed its final flight in December 2025. It was donated by the relief organisation Samaritan's Purse. Over its service life it accumulated close to 100,000 flight hours and covered more than 55 million miles.

Samaritan's Purse acquired the DC-8 in 2015 and flew it as a heavy-lift relief aircraft on more than 200 missions. Its last assignment carried 9,200 Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa, before the aircraft flew to Lynchburg on 7 December 2025.

The university's DC-8 Overlook at Preston Glenn Field is to include aircraft tours, aviation exhibits and educational programmes, with hands-on activities covering careers in piloting, aircraft maintenance, air traffic control and unmanned aircraft systems. An aeroplane-themed playground and other public facilities are also planned.

Lacey Pittman, Boeing's vice president of global aerospace safety, said in a release that the company was supporting the project, which she described as combining STEM education, workforce development and community engagement. She said preserving the aircraft and creating learning opportunities would help inspire future aerospace professionals.

During its years with Samaritan's Purse, the DC-8 carried more than 9.2 million pounds of relief supplies, according to the announcement. The organisation has since replaced the aircraft in its heavy-lift fleet.