Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton as a 707-138 - February 11, 1959

First flown as N31239 - March 20, 1959

Powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3C-6 turbojet engines with 13,500 pounds thrust

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBA - June 7, 1959

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Accepted by Qantas at Seattle - July 16, 1959

Departed Seattle on delivery flight to Australia - July 17, 1959

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight with a flight time of 18 hours 34 minutes - July 20, 1959

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

Flight crew: Capts A.E. Yates, I. Ralfe, F. Fox

Aircraft was originally named 'City of Canberra' but changed to 'City of Melbourne'

Departed Sydney on first service proving flight EM774P/775P-005 San Francisco-New York - August 19, 1959

Operated inaugural revenue service - EM774-008 Sydney-San Francisco - August 29, 1959

Operated inaugural jet service Sydney-London via Nadi-Honolulu-San Francisco-New York - September 5, 1959

Operated inaugural jet service to Vancouver - September 11, 1959

Returned to Boeing for conversion to 707-138B standard - August 1, 1961

Fitted with Pratt & Whitney JT3D-1 turbofan engines with 17,500 pounds thrust

Returned to Qantas at completion of conversion - September 12, 1961

Entered Sydney paint shop for new 'V-Jet' tail colors & titles - September 16, 1961

Operated first 707-138B service Sydney-Vancouver - September 29, 1961

Operated the first 707-138B service Sydney-Tokyo - December 5, 1961

Operated its first Sydney-Hong Kong service - February 24, 1963

Operated its first Sydney-Singapore service - November 22, 1963

Flew Sydney-Melbourne in 38 minutes 25 seconds to commemorate 50th Anniversary of first

Australian Air Mail flight - July 18, 1964

Operated its first Sydney-Christchurch service - April 16, 1965

Operated the inaugural Sydney-Auckland 707 service - November 24, 1965

Operated its final commercial service Sydney-Auckland-Sydney - August 25, 1967

Test flown after Block A overhaul whilst awaiting sales determination - September 27, 1967

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - October 31, 1967

Had flown 25,373 hours

Sold to Pacific Western Airlines - October 1967

Entered onto Canadian Aircraft Register as CF-PWV - November 1967

Departed Sydney on delivery flight to Canada - November 3, 1967

Reregistered C-FPWV - January 1, 1974

Withdrawn from use and stored at Vancouver - September 1978

Sold to Tiger Air - October 19, 1978

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N138TA - October 25, 1978

Converted to executive configuration

Sold to Airmark Corporation - October 16, 1983

Reregistered N220AM to Airmark - September 1984

Registered to Community Transport Inc, San Antonio, Texas - January 1986

Reregistered N138MJ to Community Transport Inc - October 1986

Sold to Royal Saudi Air Force - September 17. 1987

Entered onto Saudi Aircraft Register as HZ-123

Utilised by Prince Bandar, Saudi Ambassador to U.S.A.

Observed at Heathrow with '17696' on tail in place of Saudi registration marks - October 27, 1990

Observed at Heathrow with standard Saudi registration on tail - October 31, 1990

Placed in storage at Southend, England as of September 30, 1999

Rolled out at Southend in new white livery with Saudi flag on tail - October 29, 2000

Purchased by Qantas Foundation Memorial Ltd - June 28, 2006

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-XBA - July 7, 2006

Registered to Qantas Foundation Memorial, Longreach, Queensland

Undertook 3 hour test flight from Southend following restoration - December 2, 2006

Departed Southend on ferry flight to Australia - December 8, 2006

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of ferry flight - December 16, 2006

Delivery route: Southend-Dublin-Tennerife-Bermuda-Orlando-Los Angeles-Honolulu-Nadi-Sydney

Flight crew: Capts M. Warfield, R. Walter, B. Phoebe; Flight Engineers H. Hermans, J. Plemenuk;

Cabin Supervisor K. Glass

Departed Sydney on ferry flight to Qantas Founders Outback Museum, Longreach - June 10, 2007

This was its final flight, having flown 61,909:4 hours with 23,618 cycles

Decommissioned at Longreach - June 18, 2007

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-717.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-640.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-641.)

 

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-642.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-643.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-644.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-658.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-645.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-718.)

 

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on staged rollout at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-646.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - close-up view of the original tail at Seattle, March 4, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-647.)

N31239. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - during test flying over Washington State, March 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-719.)

N31239. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - during test flying over Washington State, March-June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-720.)

N31239. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - during test flying over Washington State, March-June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-721.)

N31239. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - during test flying over Washington State, March-June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-722.)

N31239. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - during test flying over Washington State, March-June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-723.)

N31239. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - during test flying over Washington State, March-June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-724.)

N31239. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - during test flying over Washington State, March-June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-725.)

N31239. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - during test flying over Washington State, March-June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-726.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery, location & date unknown.

(G. Bennett Collection. 4604-532.)

VH-EBA. Qantas - the inaugural Sydney-Vancouver service at Sydney Airport, September 11, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-649.)

VH-EBA. Qantas - the inaugural Sydney-Vancouver service at Sydney Airport, September 11, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-650.)

VH-EBA. Qantas - the inaugural Sydney-Vancouver service leaving Sydney Airport, September 11, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-651.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-648.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Nadi Airport, 1959.

(K. Gould Photograph. 4604-401.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - at San Francisco Airport, February 1960.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-755.)

VH-EBA. Qantas - with the 40th Anniversary tail logo, location & date unknown.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 4604-321.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-653.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-701.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the first 'V-Jet' livery, location & date unknown.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-654.)

VH-EBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the last livery at Sydney Airport, January 1967.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4604-396.)

 

CF-PWV. Pacific Western - in the original livery prior to delivery at Sydney Airport, November 1967.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4604-115.)

CF-PWV. Pacific Western - in the original livery, location unknown, June 1968.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-116.)

CF-PWV. Pacific Western - in the original livery at unknown airport, July 1971.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-504.)

C-FPWV. Pacific Western - in the revised livery at unknown airport, June 1978.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-117.)

N138TA. Tiger Air - in the full livery with no titles or logo at unknown location, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-112.)

N138TA. Tiger Air - in the full livery with no titles or logo at Paris, June 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-118.)

N220MA. Airmark Corporation - in Tiger Air livery with no titles or logo, November 1984.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-433.)

HZ-123. Saudi Government - in the VIP livery with no titles or logo, September 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-381.)

HZ-123. Saudi Government - in the VIP livery with no titles or logo at Geneva, April 1991.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-156.)

HZ-123. Saudi Government - in the revised VIP livery at Southend Airport, June 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-384.)

VH-XBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the white livery at Southend Airport, September 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-571.)

VH-XBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Southend Airport, November 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-629.)

VH-XBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Southend Airport, December 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-578.)

VH-XBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Southend Airport, December 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-579.)

VH-XBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Albion Park Airport, June 7, 2007.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-620.)

VH-XBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Canberra Airport, June 7, 2007.

(G. Snow Photograph. 4604-702.)

VH-XBA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Canberra Airport, June 7, 2007.

(G. Snow Photograph. 4604-703.)