Historic plane donated to liberty will stand as a tribute to mission aviation
On Dec. 7, the largest plane to ever land in Lynchburg completed its final flight, touching down at Lynchburg Regional Airport and marking a historic moment for its former owner, Samaritan’s Purse, and for Liberty University and the local community.
The “Mighty DC-8,” as Samaritan’s Purse staff dubbed it, was the last U.S.-registered DC-8. Now retired from service due to age and gifted to Liberty, the plane represents the end of a tremendous chapter of ministry — and the beginning of something special for the university.
Gifts of Love in Jamaica
The colossal aircraft, outfitted primarily for cargo with seats for 32 passengers, has brought hope to millions over the past 10 years in service to Samaritan’s Purse, delivering more than 9.2 million pounds of lifesaving supplies on 219 missions around the globe.
“For a decade, the DC-8 has helped us reach more people around the world for the Gospel — getting the right supplies and people to places devastated by disasters and crises,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham on Dec. 4, just before the plane departed Greensboro, N.C., en route to hurricane-ravaged Jamaica with Liberty students and staff on board, including President Dondi E. Costin and Chancellor Jonathan Falwell. “As the DC-8 prepares to complete its final mission, we praise God for how He has used this plane to change lives.”
The Liberty University team joins Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham (center) in Greensboro, N.C., before boarding the flight to Jamaica, the DC-8’s final mission. (Photo by Brooke Myers)
Also on board were 9,200 Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts with toys, school supplies, and personal care items packed by Liberty students, faculty, and staff as well as members of Thomas Road Baptist Church. After landing in Kingston, the group participated in an outreach event at Bible Truth Ministry International, where they distributed the boxes to children in areas devastated by Hurricane Melissa in late October 2025. The next day, the group handed out more boxes at Black River Independent Church.
Liberty senior and Student Body President Isaac Kantola was one of nine students on the trip. He said giving the shoeboxes to the children was “a full-circle moment.”
“I’ve packed shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse ever since I was a kid, so I think it’s just a reminder of how important this work is and how important and impactful the shoeboxes are.”
“It’s been really awesome,” added Liberty senior Lindsay Henderson, who served with OCC last summer. “Getting to do it with other students, meeting other people, and just all of us serving together and being a part of this mission together has been really cool. A lot of people pack shoeboxes … but getting to be on the other side where kids are actually receiving their boxes and getting to hear the Gospel maybe for the first time has been amazing.”
Senior Cassie Straub, president of Liberty’s Operation Christmas Child Club, was also on the trip. The club has been active on campus for many years, promoting and coordinating the collection of shoebox gifts on campus and hosting packing parties. She said witnessing the end result was heartwarming.
“Seeing the joy on the kids’ faces and knowing how much this gift means to them — it was a cool experience to see and interact with the kids. It was really cool to see how Samaritan’s Purse ties in the Gospel to the box and talks about how Jesus is the greatest gift. He is a free gift we receive, just like these shoeboxes.”
Education & Inspiration
Liberty values its longstanding partnership with Samaritan’s Purse. The organization has provided multiple service opportunities for students over the years; since 2015, students have joined Samaritan’s Purse volunteers on over 50 trips, most recently through the LU Serve Now disaster relief initiative. As the hands and feet of Christ, students have responded to the physical and spiritual needs of families recovering from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires.
Samaritan’s Purse staff unload supplies in the Bahamas in 2019 following Hurricane Dorian, the most intense hurricane on record to strike the country.
Representatives from Samaritan’s Purse regularly visit campus for career fairs and Global Focus Week. Six years ago, Samaritan’s Purse set up its Emergency Field Hospital on the Academic Lawn for students to tour; it was the first time the hospital was featured on a college campus. Franklin Graham delivered the Commencement keynote address in 2001 and 2023.
When Samaritan’s Purse knew the Mighty DC-8 was nearing the end of its life in the skies, leaders agreed that donating it to a like-minded organization that has been a partner in missions would be a fitting way to preserve its legacy.
In a news release, Samaritan’s Purse said the decision to donate the plane to Liberty “was heavily impacted by Liberty’s state-of-the-art aviation program, the largest faith-based collegiate program of its kind in North America.”
The plane will remain on display at Lynchburg Regional Airport, to be used as an educational resource and inspiration to students in Liberty’s School of Aeronautics next door. Plans are also underway to create a missions aviation museum that will be open to the community.
Samaritan’s Purse pilots and staff pray before the DC-8 departs for Grenada in 2024 to support Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts. The plane delivered shelter tarps, solar lights, water filtration units, and medical supplies.
“This plane will now serve as a training platform and an inspiration for generations to come,” Falwell said. “People will see the iconic aircraft, the last DC-8 in the U.S., but will also have the opportunity to recognize and understand that God wants to use us to do whatever we’re doing for His purposes.”
“This generous legacy gift will stand as a permanent reminder to our students of what faithful ministry looks like at scale,” Costin added. “For decades, this magnificent aircraft carried hope into disaster zones and war-torn regions in some of the hardest places during the darkest moments around the world. Bold faith requires both vision and sacrifice. This reminder will inspire the next generation of Champions for Christ to ask, ‘How can I serve Jesus with that same vision and urgency?’”
Falwell said he is grateful to the entire Graham family and Samaritan’s Purse for the gift, for their friendship in the faith, and for their partnership in the Great Commission.
“For generations, they have reached countless lives worldwide sharing the love of Jesus, serving those in crisis, and ministering to children in need. This DC-8 is the first major gift of its kind to Liberty. It’s a historic testament to our shared commitment to reach the world through the life-changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ while meeting people’s urgent needs through humanitarian relief. As Liberty continues the mission of Training Champions for Christ who will serve through mission aviation, this aircraft will be an encouraging reminder of our past while pointing boldly to the future, inspiring our students to reach the nations for Christ.”
Logan Smith, Christian Shields, and Samaritan’s Purse contributed to this article.
HELP PRESERVE THE LEGACY
The DC-8 will showcase mission aviation heritage in a museum-quality exhibit with guided tours, immersive experiences, and hands-on learning. Find out how to join in transforming history into inspiration and education by supporting the DC-8 Living Hope Initiative and Liberty’s future aviators. Visit Liberty.edu/DC8.
The Samaritan’s Purse pilots for the DC-8’s final mission were (from left) Pilot in Command Greg Slover, Second in Command and Mission Aviation Services Greensboro Deputy Director Mark “Bubba” Ransom, and Flight Engineer Mark Crane. (Photo by Brooke Myers)
A Closer Look at the Mighty DC-8
The long-range, narrow-body DC-8 aircraft boasts a wingspan of 148 feet and a height of 43 feet.
After rolling off the assembly line on Christmas Eve in 1968, the DC-8 went on to log nearly 100,000 flight hours, covering more than 55 million miles during its decades of service. That distance is equivalent to flying to the moon 230 times.
Known for its four-engine jet design, the plane was first used by Finnair (Finland) then by the French Air Force. According to Samaritan’s Purse, during the Ebola crisis in 2014, Franklin Graham said God gave him the vision of establishing a heavy airlift arm that could respond immediately to provide critical relief supplies to hurting people anywhere in the world. The organization rescued the plane from desert storage and added it to the fleet in 2015.
Known as a combi aircraft, the plane was specially configured to carry up to 74,000 pounds of cargo and 32 passengers.
A total of 556 versions of the DC-8 were produced until 1972. Samaritan’s Purse operated the last U.S.-registered model, No. 427. Only two DC-8s are in active commission around the world today: for Skybus Jet Cargo in Peru and Trans Air Cargo Service in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With the Mighty DC-8 now decommissioned, Samaritan’s Purse is using both its Boeing 757 and newest Boeing 767 wide-body jet to deliver heavy amounts of emergency supplies into disaster zones.
