American Airlines MD-82 on final approach.

Like the Boeing 727, the MD-80 series aircraft (and the DC-9 before it) have rear-mounted engines. The aircraft also has a stairway that lowers from the back of the plane; nowadays however, we just load-up from the terminal.

The massive stabilizer that sits atop the vertical fin is controlled by a component known as the jackscrew. It's the only thing that controls the pitch of the stabilizer. There is no backup to the jackscrew, but with proper maintenance and lubrication, it will never fail in flight.

Out of curiosity, how many of you have been in a DC-9/MD-80 were the pilot uses the thrust reversers to back away from the gate?