VH-EAB Boeing 747SP-38

VH-EAB. Boeing 747SP-38. c/n 22672-537.

This aircraft was ordered new by Qantas Airways - June 1980

It was allocated the Boeing Block Number 'RH112'

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Everett - July 1981

First flown as 'N1791B' - August 03, 1981

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAB - August 31, 1981

Registered to Winton Leasing Ltd

Leased to Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney as the registered operator

Accepted by B. Bourke for Qantas Airways at Everett - August 31, 1981

This was the 57th Boeing airliner delivered new to Qantas Airways

It was the 23rd Boeing 747 delivered to Qantas

Ferried Everett - Vancouver - Everett (Captains L. W. Clark, A .E. Bones) for lease purposes as QF521/522

The aircraft was named 'Winton' at Everett - September 01, 1981

Departed Seattle (Everett) on the delivery flight to Australia as QF501D - September 01, 1981

It arrived at Sydney on completion of delivery the flight (Captains L. W. Clark, A. E. Bones) - September 02, 1981

Delivery route: Seattle - Honolulu - Sydney

Operated its first revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Wellington as QF55 - September 11, 1981

Carried 'Official Carrier Brisbane 1982' Commonwealth Games titles - September 1981

Refitted with Rolls Royce RB211-524-D2 engines - 1982

Repainted into the 'Spirit of Australia' livery - November 1986

Operated its first service in new livery Sydney - Perth - Sydney as QF7/15 - November 03, 1986

Ferried Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Perth for a special charter as QF161 - November 30, 1986

Flew Vatican Papal charter for Pope John II with the official 'Papal Coat of Arms' as QF161 - December 01, 1986

Route: Perth - Seychelles - Rome (Ciampino)

Flight crew: Captains J. K. Davenport, R. J. Carmichael

Ferried Rome (Ciampino) - London (Heathrow) as QF161 - December 02, 1986

Returned to service on London - Bombay - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - December 03 - 05, 1986

Listed by Qantas Airways as being for sale but continued normal operations - March 01, 1990

It was renamed 'City of Traralgon' at Sydney - January 22, 1991

Carried 'Sydney 2000' Olympic logo and 'Gold Sponsor' titles - November 1993

Leased to Australia Asia Airlines - April 18, 1994 to June 30, 1996

Operated its last Australia Asia revenue service Sydney - Taipei - Sydney as QF135/136 - June 30, 1996

Listed by Qantas as being for sale but continued normal operations - January 01, 1997

Ferried Sydney - Amarillo, Texas non-stop for maintenance - June 20, 1997

The new 'The Australian Airline' subtitle applied - January 01, 2000

Operated its final Qantas passenger service Honolulu - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as QF004/23 - November 24, 2001

Withdrawn from use at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - November 24, 2001

It operated a supplementary freighter service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Honolulu as QF7571 - November 29, 2001

Ferried Honolulu - Marana for storage (Captain B. Simpson) as QF6019 - November 29, 2001

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - December 20, 2001

The engines were removed and returned to Qantas

The aircraft was broken up at Marana - April 15, 2002

It had flown 69,469 hours with 15,098 cycles

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - on the production line at Everett, circa 1981.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4630-324.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - on the production line at Everett, circa 1981.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4630-325.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery at Everett, September 01, 1981.

This was the official naming ceremony.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4630-796.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Brisbane 1982' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 27, 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-124.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Brisbane 1982' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4630-889.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Brisbane 1982' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 11, 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-125.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery at Brisbane Airport, December 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-584.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 17, 1984.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4631-516.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 15, 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4631-520.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 15, 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-890.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1985.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4630-891.)

VH-EAB. Qantas Australia - 'Winton' in the 'ochre' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1986.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4630-892.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'Winton' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1986.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4630-893.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'Winton' in the standard livery at Los Angeles Airport, December 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-896.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'Winton' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-139.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'Winton' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, June 26, 1988.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-138.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'Winton' in the standard livery at Los Angeles Airport, February 1989.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4631-623.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'City of Traralgon' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, February 1991.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4630-894.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'City of Traralgon' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, October 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-051.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'City of Traralgon' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, March 1993.

(N. Louis Collection Copyright Image 4631-519.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'City of Traralgon' in the standard livery with additional 'Sydney 2000 - Gold Sponsor' titles and logo at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1993.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4630-895.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'City of Traralgon' in the standard livery with additional 'Sydney 2000 - Gold Sponsor' titles and logo at Brisbane Airport, November 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-143.)

VH-EAB. Australia Asia - 'City of Traralgon' in the basic Qantas livery at an unknown airport, July 1994.

(N. Louis Collection Copyright Image 4631-518.)

VH-EAB. Australia Asia - 'City of Traralgon' in the basic Qantas livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, October 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-142.)

VH-EAB. Australia Asia - 'City of Traralgon' in the basic Qantas livery at Brisbane Airport, October 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-052.)

VH-EAB. Australia Asia - 'City of Traralgon' in the basic Qantas livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 16, 1994.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-107.)

VH-EAB. Australia Asia - 'City of Traralgon' in the basic Qantas livery at an unknown airport, December 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4631-517.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'City of Traralgon' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 2000.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4630-897.)

VH-EAB. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'City of Traralgon' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, October 2000.