VH-ANB. Boeing 727-277LR. c/n 22642-1759.

Was also registered as: N86330; OO-DLB; VH-VLH; N727HL.

 

 

This was the second of four Boeing 727-200LRs ordered new by Ansett Transport Industries - ?

First flown as 'N57002' - June 04, 1981

This aircraft was the 4,000th jet built by Boeing

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ANB - June 12, 1981

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd, Melbourne

Departed Seattle on the delivery flight to Australia - July 31, 1981

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - August 02, 1981

Delivery route: Seattle - San Francisco - Hilo - Pago Pago - Nadi - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains D. Donnelley, B. Hanrahan; F/E G. E. Lynch; LAME C. Mowbray

It operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Brisbane as AN1152 - August 14, 1981

Flight crew: Captain R. Oehms; F/O Stephens

It operated its final revenue service Hobart - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN36 - April 23, 1997

The aircraft had been previously painted with the old airline logos and carried the special inscription:

'Ansett Australia Farewell the Boeing 727 Series of Jets, 33 Years of Service 1964-1997'

Flight crew: Captain L. Griffiths, P. Terrill; F/Es M. Baker, L. Forster

Withdrawn from use at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport after a special staff farewell flight AN4726 - April 26, 1997

It was officially purchased by Intrepid Aviation - May 14, 1997

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to the United States as AN4289 - May 14, 1997

Ferry route: Melbourne - Pago Pago - Hilo - San Diego - Miami

Flight crew: Captains L. Griffiths. P. Terrill; F/E L. Forster; Engineers G. Girvan, K. Weymouth

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 19, 1997

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N86330 - May 20, 1997

Registered to First Security Bank

Leased to DHL Worldwide Express as the registered operator - May 20, 1997

Converted to freighter configuration by COPESA, San Jose, Costa Rica and painted in the DHL livery

Delivered to Brussels in DHL livery - October 1997

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - ?

Entered onto the Belgian Aircraft Register as OO-DLB - October 1997

Operated by European Air Transport for DHL

Leased by DHL to TransAustralian Air Express Pty Ltd

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-VLH - November 11, 2002

Registered to Transaustralian Air Express Pty Ltd

The aircraft was named 'Joanne'

Departed Lasham, England on the ferry flight to Australia as XME7023 - November 16, 2002

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the ferry flight - November 19, 2002

Ferry route: Lasham - Larnaca - Dubai - Bangalore - Singapore - Darwin - Melbourne

Painted into Australian air Express livery - November 23, 2002

Operated its first Australian air Express service Melbourne - Launceston as XM7092 - November 29, 2002

TransAustralian air Express Pty Ltd changed its name to TransAustralian Air (T.A.A.) - March 20, 2003

Transferred to National Jet Systems when TransAustralian was placed under administration - October 17, 2003

Registered to National Jet Express Pty Ltd (t/a JETEX) - November 26, 2003

It operated its final Australian air Express service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Perth - March 19, 2008

Ferried Perth - Melbourne (Tullamarine) for storage - March 19, 2008

Sold to HeavyLift Cargo Airlines without engines and requiring a 'C-check' - August 15, 2008

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the 'ferry' flight to the United States for maintenance - January 20, 2009

It arrived at Brisbane and was subsequently parked - January 20, 2009

Departed Brisbane on the resumed ferry flight to the United States as HVY721 - March 25, 2009

Ferry route: Melbourne - Brisbane - Majuro - Honolulu - Santa Barbara

It was offered for immediate sale by Flightstar Trading LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida - May 2009

The aircraft had flown 57,650 hours with 35,867 cycles

Registration 'N727HL' allocated to Flightstar Trading LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida - June 02, 2009

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 17, 2009

It was observed at San Bernardino, California with the Australian registration 'VH-VLH' - August 11, 2009

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N727HL - January 22, 2010

Registered to Bank of Utah Trustee, Salt Lake City, Utah

Intended to be leased to Heavylift Cargo Airlines

It was observed stored at San Bernardino, California in all-white livery as 'VH-VLH' - July 19, 2011

The aircraft was still on the United States Aircraft Register with certificate expiry date of September 30, 2013

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - August 23, 2023

The aircraft remains intact and is with the Fire Training Center at San Bernardino - April 23, 2024

Was sold via auction by 'HiBid' for $US 5,400.00 - July 18, 2024

Current status - ?

 

 

VH-ANB. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1983.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-765.)

VH-ANB. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-766.)

VH-ANB. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with the additional '50 Years Birthday' decal at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1987.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-767.)

VH-ANB. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with the additional 'Australian Bi-Centennial' decal at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-768.)

VH-ANB. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, December 23, 1987.

(R. Zweck Copyright Image 4610-963.)

VH-ANB. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, October 1989.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-940.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-044.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Brisbane Airport, January 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-048.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Brisbane Airport, January 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-769.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-047.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-046.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-770.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery with additional 'Farewell 727' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-338.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery with additional 'Farewell 727' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-399.)

VH-ANB. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery with additional 'Farewell 727' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-531.)

OO-DLB. DHL Worldwide Express - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, November 05, 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-962.)

VH-VLH. Australian air Express - 'Tania' in the standard livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, date unknown.

(R. Brown Copyright Image 4610-922.)

VH-VLH. Australian air Express - 'Tania' in the all-white livery without titles at Brisbane Airport, January 2009.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-283.)

VH-VLH. Australian air Express - 'Tania' in the all-white livery without titles at Brisbane Airport, January 2009.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-284.)

VH-VLH. Australian air Express - 'Tania' in the all-white livery without titles at Brisbane Airport, January 2009.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-285.)