This was the first of seven Boeing 707-138s ordered new by Qantas Empire Airways Lyd - 1958
Rolled off the Boeing production line as Renton, Washington - March 04, 1959
First flown as 'N31239' - March 20, 1959
Powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3C-6 engines producing 13,500 pounds of thrust
Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBA - June 07, 1959
Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, Sydney
Accepted by L. Leishman for Qantas Empire Airways at Seattle - July 16, 1959
This was the 1st Boeing airliner ordered by Qantas Airways
It was the 3rd Boeing 707 delivered to Qantas
Departed Seattle (Renton) on the delivery flight to Australia - July 17, 1959
It arrived at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on completion of the delivery flight - July 20, 1959
Ferry route: Seattle - San Francisco - Honolulu - Nadi - Sydney
Flight crew: Capts K. G. Jackson, A .E. Yates, I. Ralfe, F. Fox
The elapsed flight time was 18 hours 34 minutes
Was planned to name this aircraft 'City of Canberra' but the name was changed to 'City of Melbourne' before delivery
Departed Sydney on a proving flight to San Francisco - New York as EM774P/775P-005 - August 19, 1959
Operated its first revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - San Francisco as EM774-008 - August 29, 1959
Operated the inaugural Sydney - Nadi - Honolulu - San Francisco - New York - London service - September 05, 1959
Operated the inaugural Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Vancouver jet service - September 11, 1959
The aircraft was returned to Boeing for conversion to 707-138B standard - August 01, 1961
Fitted with new Pratt & Whitney JT3D-1 engines with 17,500 pounds thrust
Returned to Qantas on completion of the conversion - September 12, 1961
Repainted in Sydney (Kingsford Smith) with new 'V-Jet' livery - September 16, 1961
Operated the inaugural 707-138B Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Vancouver service - September 29, 1961
Operated the inaugural 707-138B Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Tokyo service - December 05, 1961
Operated the inaugural 707-138B Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Hong Kong service - February 24, 1963
Operated the inaugural 707-138B Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Singapore service - November 22, 1963
Flew Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Melbourne (Essendon) in 38 minutes 25 seconds to commemorate the
50th Anniversary of the first Australian Air Mail flight - July 18, 1964
Operated the inaugural Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Christchurch Boeing 707 service - April 16, 1965
Operated the inaugural Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Auckland Boeing 707 service - November 24, 1965
Operated its final revenue service Sydney - Auckland - Sydney - August 25, 1967
Test flown Sydney - Sydney after Block A overhaul in preparation for sale - September 27, 1967
Sold to Pacific Western Airlines - October 1967
Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 31, 1967
The aircraft had flown 25,373 hours to date
Entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as CF-PWV - November 01, 1967
Departed Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on the ferry flight to Canada - November 03, 1967
The aircraft was registered as C-FPWV - January 01, 1974
Withdrawn from use and stored at Vancouver - September 1978
Sold to Tiger Air - October 19, 1978
Cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register - ?
Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N138TA - October 25, 1978
The aircraft was converted to an executive configuration
Sold to Airmark Corporation - October 16, 1983
It was reregistered as N220AM - September 1984
Registered to Community Transport Inc, San Antonio, Texas - January 1986
Registered as N138MJ - October 1986
Sold to Royal Saudi Air Force - September 17, 1987
Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - ?
Entered onto the Saudi Arabian Aircraft Register as HZ-123 - September 1987
It was used by the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar
It was observed at London (Heathrow) with '17696' on the tail in place of Saudi registration marks - October 27, 1990
It was observed at London (Heathrow) with the standard Saudi registration on the tail - October 31, 1990
The aircraft was transferred to the Saudi Ministry of Defence and Aviation - July 06, 1993
It was placed in open storage at Southend, England - September 30, 1999
Rolled out at Southend in an all-white livery with the Saudi flag on the tail - October 29, 2000
Purchased by the Qantas Founderation Memorial Ltd - June 28, 2006
Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-XBA - July 7, 2006
Registered to Qantas Foundation Memorial, Longreach, Queensland
It carried out a 3 hour test flight from Southend following restoration by volunteer group - December 02, 2006
Departed Southend on the ferry flight to Australia - December 08, 2006
It arrived at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on completion of the ferry flight - December 16, 2006
Ferry route: Southend - Dublin - Tennerife - Bermuda - Orlando - Los Angeles - Honolulu - Nadi - Sydney
Flight crew: Captains M. Warfield, R. Walter, B. Phoebe: Flight Engineers H. Hermans, J. Plemenuk
Cabin Supervisor: K. Glass
Departed Sydney on the ferry flight to the Qantas Founders Outback Museum, Longreach - June 10, 2007
This was its final flight and on landing it had flown 61,909 hours 04 minutes and completed 23,618 cycles
Deccommissioned at Longreach - June 18, 2007
This aircraft is now on public display at the Qantas Founders Outback Museum
Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 22, 2019
