Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton as a 707-138 - April 27, 1959

First flown as VH-EBC - June 8, 1959

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

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBC - July 6, 1959

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Accepted by Qantas at Seattle - July 6, 1959

Aircraft named 'City of Melbourne'

Departed Seattle on delivery flight to Australia - July 7, 1959

Arrived Sydney at 1638 hours at conclusion of delivery flight - July 9, 1959

On arrival at Sydney No 4 engine pod struck the ground during landing

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

Renamed 'City of Canberra' for inaugural passenger flight

Departed Sydney on inaugural Qantas 707 service as EM775 - July 29, 1959

Inaugural service Sydney-Nadi-Honolulu-San Francisco set commercial record of 14 hours 57 minutes

Flight crew: Capt I.D.V. Ralfe; F/O Capt R.F. Uren; S/O Capt C.G. Fox; Navigator R.G. Goodwin;

F/O K.D. Stark; Flight Stewards H. Smith, J.Brown, B. Slater, G. Sweeney, E. Duker; Hostess E. Wright;

Supernumerary crew: F/O J.P. Theobald; N/O R.R. Sherwin; E/O D.S. Moorhouse

Departed Sydney on proviving flight to London via Kangaroo Route - October 19 to October 24, 1959

Departed Sydney on returned to Boeing for conversion to 707-138B standard - September 29, 1961

Powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3D-1 turbofan engines with 17,500 lbs thrust

Returned to Qantas at completion of conversion - November 8, 1961

Departed Seattle on redelivery flight to Sydney - November 9, 1961

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - November 11, 1961

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

Entered Block C overhaul where fin & rudder were repainted in 'V-Jet' livery - November 17, 1961

Rolled out at Sydney in new 'V-Jet' livery - December 17, 1961

Operated inaugural Sydney-London service via Kuala Lumpur - September 4, 1965

Operated its final commercial service Sydney-London-Sydney via Kangaroo Route - January 29, 1967

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - March 21, 1967

Aircraft had flown 23,213 hours with 10,842 cycles

Sold to Seymour R. Gross, Chicago, USA - April 1, 1967

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N791SA - April 1967

Leased to Standard Airways, USA - April 1, 1967

Departed Sydney on delivery flight to Standard Airways - April 4, 1967

Leased to Sudflug, Germany for northern summer - May 1967

Leased to Canadian Pacific Airways in full CPA livery - October 1, 1967

Aircraft named 'Empress of Sydney'

Aircraft destroyed when it over-ran the runway on landing in fog at Vancouver Airport - February 7, 1968

It crashed into an airport building, killing 2 & injuring 18

The remains were sold to a North Carolina aircraft salvage company

Total hours - 26,712:00

VH-EBC. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - official naming ceremony at Sydney Airport, July 29, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4604-662.)

VH-EBC. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at San Francisco, August 1959.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-125.)

N791SA. Standard - in the full livery with original titles at Frankfurt Airport, July 1967.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-167.)

N791SA. Canadian Pacific - in the full livery at unknown airport, December 1967.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 4604-168.)