VH-CZF Douglas DC-9-31

VH-CZF. Douglas DC-9-31. c/n 47325-515.

Was also registered as: N3281N; 162393; N540MD; N949AX.

This was the last of the original order of six DC-9s purchased new by Ansett - March 24, 1965

First flown at Long Beach, California - June 30, 1969

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-CZF - July 10, 1969

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

Accepted by Ansett at Long Beach - July 11, 1969

Departed Long Beach on the delivery flight to Australia - July 12, 1969

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the delivery flight - July 14, 1969

Delivery route: Long Beach - Honolulu - Pago Pago - Tontouta - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains R. Pyke, H. G. Redwood; F/O D. Lagerway; Navigator B. S. McEwen

It was the last aircraft to be delivered in the Ansett-ANA livery

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Essendon) - Hobart - July 22, 1969

Operated a proving flight Brisbane - Port Vila - Brisbane for Air Vanuatu as NF2/1 - August 12, 1981

Flight crew: Captains F. Boomsma, J. Bertram, P. Lynch, F. Gloster; Navigator B. S. McEwen

Operated its first scheduled Sydney - Noumea - Port Vila service for Air Vanuatu - September 05, 1981

Whilst operating Air Vanuatu services it was flown in the Ansett livery with Air Vanuatu stickers on forward fuselage

It was replaced by Boeing 737-277 aircraft on Air Vanuatu services - May 07, 1982

Operated its final revenue service Launceston - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN56 - June 14, 1982

Placed in open storage at Melbourne (Tullamarine)

The aircraft had flown 33,064 hours

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to the United States - August 05, 1982

Ferry route: Melbourne - Nadi - Pago Pago - Hilo - Phoenix

Flight crew: Captain F. Boomsma; F/O P. Kilvington; F/E R. Wright

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 30, 1982

Sold to Marfreless Inc / Corsair for lease to the United States Navy - September 17, 1982

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N3281N - September 17, 1982

Registered to Corsair Inc

Overhauled to United States Navy requirements by Air International Inc

Test flown to Whidbey Island, WA by Captain F. Boomsma; P. Miles (Republic Airlines) - September 18, 1982

Leased to the United States Navy (U. S. Navy Reserve) as C-9B 'RS2393'

It later became BuAer 162393 'City of Oak Harbor' and operated by VR-61 Squadron

Sold to McDonnell Douglas Corp - August 01, 1990

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N540MD - August 01, 1990

Sold to Aeronautics Leasing Inc - August 01, 1990

Sold to Airborne Express Inc - August 08, 1990

Reregistered N949AX - August 20, 1990

Registered to ABX Air, Wilmington, Ohio

Operated its first revenue service - December 01, 1990

Released from DHL contract and returned to ABX Air - July 19, 2006

Registered to DHL Network Operations (USA) Inc, Plantation, Florida - October 15, 2008

Withdrawn from ABX Air service - December 2008

It was observed stored at Roswell, New Mexico being scrapped - April 23, 2009

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - September 26, 2013

VH-CZF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1969.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-051.)

VH-CZF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, December 1969.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-152.)

VH-CZF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1969.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1135-533.)

VH-CZF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 1970.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1135-070.)

VH-CZF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, April 1970.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1135-128.)

VH-CZF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Canberra Airport, January 1972.

(E. D. Daw Copyright Image 1135-010.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-161.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-104.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-105.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-153.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-154.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-106.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-155.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-156.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, July 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1135-157.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-212.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Air Vanuatu' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1135-158.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Air Vanuatu' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-159.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Air Vanuatu' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, October 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-534.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Air Vanuatu' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-213.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Air Vanuatu' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1982.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-535.)

VH-CZF. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Air Vanuatu' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1982.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-160.)

162393. United States Navy - 'City of Oak Harbor' in the standard livery at an unknown airport, August 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1135-268.)

162393. United States Navy - 'City of Oak Harbor' in the standard livery at an unknown airport, May 1988.

(G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 1135-470.)

162393. United States Navy - 'City of Oak Harbor' in the standard livery at an unknown airport, June 1989.