Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton as a 707-138 - April 1, 1959

First flown as N31219 - May 20, 1959

Accepted by Qantas at Renton - June 26, 1959

Purchase price paid by Qantas was 2,185,000 pounds

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBB - June 26, 1959

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Departed Seattle at 0500 on delivery flight to Australia - June 30, 1959

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight at 1348 - July 2, 1959

It was the first Boeing 707 to be delivered to Qantas

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

Flight crew: Capts A.A.E. Yates, E. Robinson

Delivery flight time - 18 hours 49 minutes

Aircraft set a number of civil speed records on its delivery flight

San Francisco-Honolulu sector (first Boeing 707 to land at Honolulu) - 4 hours 49 minutes

Honolulu-Nadi sector - 5 hours 34 minutes

Nadi-Sydney sector - 4 hours 47 minutes

Aircraft was originally named 'City of Sydney' but was named 'City of Canberra' for delivery flight

Flew training flight Sydney-Melbourne in 56 minutes - July 6, 1959

Departed Sydney on a proving flight San Francisco-Vancouver - July 21, 1959

Whilst enroute San Francisco-Sydney it diverted to Brisbane due engine failure - August 16, 1959

Was first Boeing 707 to land at Brisbane

Departed Sydney on its first service to London via San Francisco-New York - September 9, 1959

Carried 'Round the World' commemorative airmail - London-Sydney via Kangaroo Route - November 19, 1960

This air mail originated in Winton, Queensland and marked the 40th anniversary of Qantas

The air mail had been carried Sydney-London via the Southern Cross Route by VH-EBD - November 16, 1960

Departed Sydney on returned to Boeing for conversion to 707-138B standard - September 11, 1961

Arrived Seattle at conclusion of ferry flight - September 12, 1961

Aircraft had flown a total of 6,350 hours 32 minutes

Returned to Qantas at completion of conversion - October 19, 1961

Departed Seattle on ferry flight to Sydney - October 23, 1961

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of ferry flight - October 24, 1961

Operated its final commercial service Sydney-London-Sydney via Kangaroo Route - March 27, 1967

Withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney Airport

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - April 27, 1967

Had flown 24,167 hours with 11,867 cycles

Sold to Seymour R. Gross, Chicago, USA - May 4, 1967

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N790SA - May 1967

Leased to Standard Airways, USA - May 6, 1967

Used in movie 'Lost Flight' in Standard livery with 'Transpacific Airlines' titles - August 1968

Sub-leased to El Al - August 1968

Impounded at Las Vegas, USA when Standard ceased operations - August 1969

Sold to Air Commerz, Hamburg, Germany - January 31, 1971

Arrived Hamburg at conclusion of delivery flight - May 9, 1971

Entered onto German Aircraft Register as D-ADAP

Impounded at Dublin, Ireland by Aer Lingus before Air Commerz declared bankrupt - September 1, 1972

Sold to Frederick B. Ayer & Associates, Geneva, Switzerland - August 8, 1973

Flown to Marana, Arizona and stored - August 1973

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N790SA

Registered to F. B. Ayer - October 31, 1975

Flown to Stansted for overhaul - March 28, 1976

Leased to Turk Hava Yollari - June 5, 1976

Entered onto Turkish Aircraft Register as TC-JBN - June 18, 1976

Returned to lessor - December 18, 1977

Cancelled from Turkish Aircraft Register - December 18, 1977

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N790FA

Registered to FBA Corporation - December 18, 1977

Delivered to Israel Aircraft Industries, Tel Aviv - February 18, 1978

Delivered to Jet Aviation, Basel, Switzerland for executive conversion - September 28, 1978

Sold to Lowa Ltd and operated by Private Jet Services - June 1979

Withdrawn from use and stored at Basle, Switzerland, March 1985

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

Registered to Exec Aire Inc, San Antonio, Texas - June 1988

Registered to Jetran Inc, San Antonio, Texas - December 1988

Transferred to Comtran International Inc - when Jetran was renamed - October 1989

Reregistered N138SR - November 1990

Operated for Republique du Congo - May 1994

Appeared with 'AK' tail titles at Bangkok - February 11, 1995

Appeared with 'Kingdom Entertainment' titles & logo and used by Michael Jackson - September 25, 1996

Aircraft was damaged beyond repair at Port Harcourt, Nigeria - August 28, 1998

An arson attack had been carried out on the cockpit whilst parked at Port Harcourt

Damage discovered when Comtran crew arrived to ferry the aircraft back to the U.S.A. - September 5, 1998

Noted at Port Harcourt, Nigeria as withdrawn from use - April 16, 2005

VH-EBB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on delivery flight at Seattle Airport, June 30, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-766.)

VH-EBB. Qantas - the official guests pose in front of the aircraft at Seattle Airport, June 30, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-767.)

VH-EBB. Qantas - the official guests board the aircraft at Seattle Airport, June 30, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-768.)

VH-EBB. Qantas - Captain A.A.E. Yates prepares for engine start at Seattle Airport, June 30, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-765.)

VH-EBB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on delivery flight at Honolulu Airport, June 30, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-660.)

VH-EBB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on delivery flight at Honolulu Airport, June 30, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-631.)

VH-EBB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on delivery flight at Honolulu Airport, June 30, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-632.)

VH-EBB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on delivery flight at Honolulu Airport, June 30, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-661.)

VH-EBB. Qantas - the official welcoming ceremony at Nadi Airport, July 1, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-769.)

VH-EBB. Qantas - the official arrival of the first 707 at Sydney Airport, July 2, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-770.)

VH-EBB. Qantas - the official 'Guard of Honour' at Sydney Airport, July 2, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-771.)

VH-EBB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - original 'V-Jet' tail titles at Sydney Airport, May 1962.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 4604-158.)

VH-EBB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - 'V-Jet' titles at Heathrow Airport, August 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-157.)

VH-EBB & VH-ECD. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-864.)

VH-EBB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - with modified 'V-Jet' titles at Sydney Airport, March 1967.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4604-001.)

N790SA. Standard - in the full livery with original titles at Sydney Airport, May 1967.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4604-315.)

N790SA. Standard - in the full livery with modified titles at San Francisco, June 1968.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-159.)

N790SA. Standard - in the full livery with modified titles at San Francisco, August 1968.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-102.)

D-ADAP. Air Commerz - in the full livery at Dublin Airport, September 1972.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-439.)

TC-JBN. Thy Turkish Airlines - in the full livery at Paris Airport, October 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-160.)

TC-JBN. Thy Turkish Airlines - in the full livery at Paris Airport, November 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-320.)

N790FA. Private Jet Services - in the original livery at unknown location, February 1980.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-161.)

N790FA. Private Jet Services - with a modified livery at Munich Airport, March 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-162.)

N138SR. Republique Du Congo - in full Comtran International livery, May 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-164.)

N138SR. Comtran International - in their full livery, August 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-165.)

N138SR. Comtran International - in the full livery at Zurich Airport, May 1995.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-391.)

N138SR. Kingdom Entertainment - in basic Comtran livery, October 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-166.)