This aircraft was ordered new by Qantas Airways - ?
The purchase price paid by Qantas was 2,185,000 pounds
Rolled off the Boeing production line at Seattle (Renton) as a Boeing 707-138 - April 01, 1959
First flown as 'N31219' - May 20, 1959
Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBB - June 26, 1959
Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, Sydney
Accepted by John Mills for Qantas Airways at Seattle (Boeing Field) - June 26, 1959
It was the first Boeing 707 to be delivered to Qantas
Departed Seattle (Boeing Field - 05:00 local) on the delivery flight to Australia - June 30, 1959
It arrived at Sydney (Kingsford Smith - 13:48 local) on completion of the delivery flight at - July 02, 1959
Delivery route: Seattle - San Francisco - Honolulu - Nadi - Sydney
Flight crew: Captains A. A. E. Yates, E. Robinson; F/E A. Rowe
Delivery flight time - 18 hours 49 minutes
The aircraft set a number of civil speed records on this delivery flight
San Francisco - Honolulu sector (it was the first Boeing 707 to land at Honolulu) - 4 hours 49 minutes
This flight broke the existing record held by a Pan American Douglas DC-7C of 6 hours 48 minutes
Honolulu - Nadi sector - 5 hours 34 minutes
Nadi - Sydney sector - 4 hours 47 minutes
It was planned to be named 'City of Sydney' but this was changed to 'City of Canberra' for delivery flight
Aircraft did not carry 'City of Canberra' name externally on the delivery flight
The aircraft was renamed 'City of Sydney' after its arrival as 'City of Canberra' was now carried by 'VH-EBC'
Flew training flight Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Melbourne (Essendon) in 56 minutes - July 06, 1959
Departed Sydney (Kingsford Snith) on a proving flight San Francisco - Vancouver - July 21, 1959
Whilst enroute San Francisco - Sydney it diverted to Brisbane due to an engine failure - August 16, 1959
This diversion meant that it was the first Boeing 707 to land at Brisbane
Departed Sydney on first revenue service to London via San Francisco - New York - September 09, 1959
Carried 'Round the World' commemorative airmail from London - Sydney via Kangaroo Route - November 19, 1960
This air mail originated in Winton, Queensland and marked the 40th anniversary of Qantas
The air mail had been carried Sydney - London via the Southern Cross Route by VH-EBD - November 16, 1960
Departed Sydney on returned to Boeing for conversion to 707-138B standard - September 11, 1961
It arrived at Seattle on completion of the ferry flight - September 12, 1961
Aircraft had flown a total of 6,350 hours 32 minutes to date
It was accepted by Qantas on the completion of this conversion - October 19, 1961
Departed Seattle (Boeing Field) on the ferry flight to Australia - October 23, 1961
It arrived at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on completion of the ferry flight - October 24, 1961
Operated its final revenue service Sydney - London - Sydney via the Kangaroo Route - March 27, 1967
Withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney (Kingsford Smith)
Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - April 27, 1967
The aircraft had flown 24,167 hours with 11,867 cycles
Sold to Seymour R. Gross, Chicago, U. S. A. - May 04, 1967
Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N790SA - May 06, 1967
Registered to Seymour R. Gross, Chicago
Leased to Standard Airways, United States - May 06, 1967
Used in movie 'Lost Flight' in Standard livery with 'Transpacific Airlines' titles - August 1968
Sub-leased to El Al - August 1968
Impounded at Las Vegas when Standard ceased operations - August 1969
Sold to Air Commerz, Hamburg, Germany - January 31, 1971
Entered onto the German Aircraft Register as D-ADAP - January 31, 1971
It arrived at Hamburg on completion of the ferry flight - May 09, 1971
Wet leased to Merpati Nusantara Airlines - June - July 1971
Impounded at Dublin, Ireland by Aer Lingus before Air Commerz declared bankrupt - September 01, 1972
Sold to Frederick B. Ayer & Associates, Geneva, Switzerland - August 08, 1973
Flown to Marana, Arizona and stored - August 1973
Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N790SA - August 08, 1973
Registered to F. B. Ayer & Associates, Switzerland
Registered to F. B. Ayer U.S.A. - October 31, 1975
Flown to Stansted for overhaul - March 28, 1976
Leased to Turk Hava Yollari - June 05, 1976
Entered onto the Turkish Aircraft Register as TC-JBN - June 18, 1976
Returned to lessor on termination of lease - December 18, 1977
Cancelled from the Turkish Aircraft Register - December 18, 1977
Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N790FA - February 13, 1978
Registered to Pan Ayer
Sold to Israel Aircraft Industries / Bedek, Tel Aviv - February 15, 1978
Delivered to Israel Aircraft Industries at Tel Aviv - February 18, 1978
Delivered to Jet Aviation, Basel, Switzerland for conversion to executive configuration - September 28, 1978
Sold to Lowa Ltd and operated by Private Jet Services - June 1979
Withdrawn from use and stored at Basle, Switzerland, March 1985
Registered to Community Transport Inc, San Antonio, Texas - December 1986
Modified with hushkitted engines by Comtran - 1987
Registered to Exec Aire Inc, San Antonio, Texas - June 1988
Registered to Jetran Inc, San Antonio, Texas - December 1988
Transferred to Comtran International Inc - when Jetran was renamed - October 1989
Reregistered N138SR - November 1990
It was operated for the Republique du Congo - May 1994
It appeared with 'AK' tail titles at Bangkok - February 11, 1995
The aircraft had flown 40,881 hours - June 1996
It appeared with 'Kingdom Entertainment' titles and logo and used by Michael Jackson - September 25, 1996
It was damaged beyond repair at Port Harcourt, Nigeria - August 28, 1998
An arson attack had been carried out on the co*ckpit whilst aircraft was parked at Port Harcourt
The damage was discovered when the Comtran crew arrived to ferry the aircraft back to the U.S.A. - September 05, 1998
Noted at Port Harcourt, Nigeria as withdrawn from use - April 16, 2005
Current status - ?
