VH-RMC Boeing 767-219ER

This aircraft was ordered new by Air New Zealand - ?

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Everett (Paine Field) - July 25, 1985

First flown as 'N6018N' - August 14, 1985

Accepted by Air New Zealand at Everett (Paine Field) - September 03, 1985

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NBA - September 04, 1985

Registered to Air New Zealand Ltd, Auckland

The aircraft was named 'Aotearoa V'

Departed Everett (Paine Field) on the delivery flight to New Zealand as TE76 - September 08, 1985

It arrived at Wellington on completion of the delivery flight - September 10, 1985

Delivery route: Seattle - Nadi - Wellington

Operated its first revenue service Wellington - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as TE149 - September 30, 1985

Operated the first Boeing 767 service Wellington - Melbourne (Tullamarine) - October 02, 1985

Operated the first Boeing 767 service Wellington - Brisbane - October 06, 1985

Operated the first Boeing 767 service Christchurch - Melbourne (Tullamarine) - October 29, 1985

Operated the first Boeing 767 service Christchurch - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - November 02, 1985

Leased to TACA of El Salvador - November 30, 1996

Returned to Air New Zealand at the end of the lease - April 28, 1997

Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - June 27, 1997

Leased to Ansett International, Melbourne

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-RMC - June 27, 1997

Registered to Ansett International Ltd, Melbourne

Ferried Auckland - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN4294 - June 28, 1997

Operated its first revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Jakarta - Kuala Lumpur as AN869 - June 29, 1997

During the Ansett lease it was plagued with high levels of operational unreliability

It was nicknamed 'Romeo Mike Cactus' and 'Romeo Mike Crap' by engineering / operations staff

Operated its final overseas service Sydney - Jakarta - Kuala Lumpur - Sydney as AN869/868 - May 31 - June 01, 1998

Operated its final revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN898 - June 01, 1998

Withdrawn from use and stored at Melbourne (Tullamarine)

Sub-leased to Swiss World Airways SA for 23 months - June 29, 1998

Departed Melboure (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to Switzerland as AN4450 - June 29, 1998

Ferry route: Melbourne - Kona - Minneapolis - Shannon

Flight crew: Captains B. Weller, J. Mee; F/O G. Neate; LAMEs A. Gadsen, M. Brown, C. Mollet, P. Smith

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - July 10, 1998

Entered onto the Swiss Aircraft Register as HB-IIX - July 1998

Rolled out at Shannon in the standard Swiss World livery as HB-IIX - July 11, 1998

Ferried Shannon - Geneva on delivery to Swiss World as SWO001P - July 17, 1998

Operated its first Swiss World revenue service Geneva - New York (Newark) - September 10, 1998

Utilised on Geneva - New York (Newark) route

Operated its final revenue service New York - Geneva - December 02, 1998

Swiss World ceased all operations and entered receivership - December 02, 1998

Departed Geneva using callsign 'New Zealand IIX' on the ferry flight to Australia - December 08, 1998

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the ferry flight - December 11, 1998

Ferry route: Geneva - Winnipeg - Rarotonga - Auckland - Melbourne

The lease to Swuss World was terminated on the aircraft's arrival at Melbourne - December 11, 1998

It was placed in open storage at Melbourne (Tullamarine)

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-RMC - January 29, 1999

Registered to Ansett International, Tullamarine, Victoria

Ferried Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney (Richmond) for repainting into the Air New Zealand livery - March 08, 1999

Rolled out at Richmond in the Air New Zealand 'Pacific Wave' livery and ferried to Melbourne - March 17, 1999

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - April 09, 1999

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NBA - April 09, 1999

Registered to Air New Zealand Ltd, Auckland

Ferried Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Auckland on return to Air New Zealand as NZ6126 - April 09, 1999

Returned to service with Air New Zealand flying Auckland - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as NZ121 - April 12, 1999

Operated its final revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Auckland as NZ106 - March 06, 2005

This flight marked the last Boeing 767-200 service operated by Air New Zealand

It was observed at Auckland in the basic Air New Zealand livery as 'N326MR' - March 14, 2005

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N326MR - March 14, 2005

Registered to General Electric Corporation Aviation Services (GECAS), Stamford, Connecticut

It was intended to have the aircraft converted to standard freighter configuration in Tel Aviv

The aircraft remained stored at Auckland

Test flown Auckland - Auckland as NZ6314 - June 12, 2005

Departed Auckland on the ferry flight to Brazil (Porto Alegre) as NZ6390 - June 13, 2005

Ferry route: Auckland - Papeete - Port Alegre

Seen at Port Alegre in all-white livery with blue tail as N326MR - June 15, 2005

Converted to standard freighter configuration by VEM, Salgado Filo Airport, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Rolled out at Port Alegre in the standard Star Air, Denmark livery as 'OY-SRN' - October 29, 2005