VH-EBI Boeing 747-238B

VH-EBI. Boeing 747-238B. c/n 20921-241.

Was also registered as: G-VLAX; 5N-PPP.

This aircraft was ordered new by Qantas Airways Ltd - April 1974

It was allocated the Boeing Block Number 'RB009'

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Everett (Paine Field) - June 10, 1974

First flown as VH-EBI - July 28, 1974

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBI - October 10, 1974

Registered to Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney

Accepted by R. Barkla for Qantas Airways at Everett (Paine Field) - October 10, 1974

This was the 43rd Boeing airliner delivered new to Qantas Airways

It was the 9th Boeing 747 delivered to Qantas Airways

Ferried Everett (Paine Field) - San Francisco (Captain L. W. Clark) as QF053D - October 11, 1974

Operated its first revenue service San Francisco - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as QF4 - October 12, 1974

It arrived at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on completion of the delivery flight - October 14, 1974

Delivery route: Seattle - San Francisco - Honolulu - Nadi - Sydney

It was named 'City of Darwin' at Sydney - October 17, 1974

Operated the first Qantas 'Round-The-World-Air-Cruise' as QF134 - November 19 - December 04, 1983

Route: Sydney - Honolulu - Santiago - Rio De Janeiro - Nairobi - Colombo - Sydney

The aircraft was renamed 'City of Dubbo' at Sydney - August 29, 1985

Sold to Thomas Aircraft Corporation (U.K.) and leased back to Qantas Airways - March 31, 1989

Operated its final revenue service Hong Kong - Sydney (Captain R. Walter) as QF28 - January 05, 1991

Departed Sydney on the ferry flight to the United States (Captain C. S. Viertel) as QF501D - January 13, 1991

Ferry route: Sydney - Honolulu - Santa Barbara

The aircraft was overhaulled and repainted into Virgin Atlantic livery by Tracor Aviation

Ferried Santa Barbara - Los Angeles (Captain C. S. Viertel) as QF501D - April 26, 1991

Ferried Los Angeles - Dublin (Captain C. S. Viertel) as QF501D - April 27, 1991

Accepted by Virgin Atlantic at Dublin - April 30, 1991

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 01, 1991

The aircraft had flown 61,567 hours with 18,073 cycles

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-VLAX (CofR G-VLAX/R1) - May 01, 1991

Registered to Virgin Atlantic Airways, London

The aircraft was named 'California Girl'

Sold to Concorde Management Leasing - May 01, 1991

Leased to Virgin Atlantic Airways as the registered operator

Operated its first Virgin Atlantic revenue service - May 1991

Operated its final Virgin revenue service Orlando - London (Gatwick) - June 2001

Ferried London (Gatwick) to London (Heathrow) for repainting - July 01, 2001

Sold to Kabo Air, Nigeria

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - July 06, 2001

Entered onto Nigerian Aircraft Register as 5N-PPP - July 06, 2001

Departed London (Heathrow) on the delivery flight to Kano, Nigeria - July 14, 2001

The aircraft was used for seasonal Hadj flight to Saudia Arabia

It was observed at Kano, Nigeria in a derelict state - 2002

Scrapped at Kano - 2005

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-037.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, June 16, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4631-799.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-418.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-419.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 06, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4631-364.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 06, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4631-609.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 06, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4631-797.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 10, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4631-798.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 15, 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4631-800.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Darwin' in the 'ochre' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4630-420.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - 'City of Dubbo' in the 'ochre' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1985.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-421.)

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, date unknown.

(G. Reid Collection Copyright Image 4631-375.)

VH-EBI. Virgin - in the original livery at Los Angeles Airport, April 1991.

(M. Rathke Copyright Image 4630-422.)

G-VLAX. Virgin - 'California Girl' in the original livery at Miami Airport, December 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4631-376.)

G-VLAX. Virgin - 'California Girl' in the original livery at Miami Airport, June 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-450.)

G-VLAX. Virgin Atlantic - 'California Girl' in the revised livery at Miami Airport, July 1995.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4631-377.)

G-VLAX. Virgin Atlantic - 'California Girl' in the revised livery with additional 'No Way Ba/AA' titles at London Gatwick Airport, September 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4631-595.)

G-VLAX. Virgin Atlantic - 'California Girl' in the revised livery with additional 'No Way Ba/AA' titles at Miami Airport, November 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4630-043.)

5N-PPP. Kabo - in the standard livery at London Heathrow Airport, July 2001.