Powerback on the DC-9

To reduce our reliance on ground support the powerback maneuver was developed for the DC-9.

It works well-enough on a lightly-loaded DC-9, where the tail-mounted engines are less likely to ingest ramp debris and turbulent exhaust air.

The drawbacks include jet-blast hazards and an increased chance for mishaps such as dumping the aircraft on its tailskid if the pilot hits the brakes while rolling backwards. And of course it's noisy.