VH-EBE Boeing 707

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton as a 707-138 - July 2, 1959

First flown - August 13, 1959

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBE - September 4, 1959

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Accepted by Qantas at Seattle - September 17, 1959

Departed Seattle on delivery flight - September 17, 1959

Aircraft was named 'City of Perth'

Operated a proving flight to London via the Middle East - October 9 to 24, 1959

Operated the inuagural Sydney-London service via the Kangaroo Route - October 27, 1959

Route: Sydney-Darwin-Singapore-Bangkok-Calcutta-Karachi-Bahrain-Cairo-Rome-London

Aircraft was under the command of Captain R. Bruce

Established a flight record from San Francisco to New York of 4 hours 33 minutes - June 1, 1960

Flight crew: Capt A.A.E. Yates, M. Bamman, L. Richardson; F/O R.S. Bee, W. Court; F/E G. Bacon

Departed Sydney with Australian Olympic Team for Rome - August 18, 1960

Departed Sydney on returned to Boeing for conversion to 707-138B standard - October 18, 1961

Accepted by Qantas at completion of conversion at Seattle - November 30, 1961

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - December 4, 1961

New 'V-Jet' livery applied to fin & rudder at Sydney - December 5 to 7, 1961

Re-entered service on Sydney-London via Kangaroo Route - December 8, 1961

Operated inaugural Sydney-Perth-London service - February 1, 1962

Operated the first direct Brisbane-Singapore service - April 6, 1962

Positioned Sydney-Christchurch for Royal Tour taking 2 hours 19 minutes - February 17, 1963

This was the first Boeing 707 to visit New Zealand

Departed Christchurch for Sydney with HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip - February 18, 1963

Operated as official aircraft for the Royal Tour

Established a record flight time on Sydney-Brisbane route of 46 minutes - July 19, 1963

Operated its final Qantas service Sydney-San Francisco-Sydney and departed Sydney - February 16, 1968

Withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney Airport

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - May 1, 1968

Aircraft had flown 26,203 hours to date

Sold to International Aerodyne for lease to Standard Airways - May 15, 1968

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N793SA

Departed Sydney on delivery to Standard - May 15, 1968

Leased to Pacific Western Airlines - July 20, 1969 to May 1, 1971

Entered onto Canadian Aircraft Register as CF-PWW

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N793SA - May 1, 1971

Leased to Alaska Airlines - May 1 to September 30, 1971

Leased to Bahamas World Airlines - November 18, 1971 to August 8, 1974

Entered onto Bahamas Aircraft Register as VP-BDE

Sold to National Aircraft Leasing - August 8, 1974

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N793NA

Leased to Aero America - October 1975

Sub-leased to Egyptair - February to April, 1976

Sub-leased to Egyptair - June to October 1977

Withdrawn from use and placed in storage at Boeing Field, Seattle - February 1978

Sold to TAG Air - January 20, 1979

Sold to Boeing for spares to use in KC-135 refurbishment program - April 24, 1983

Registered to Aviation Technical Support Inc, Waco, Texas - June 1983

Cancelled from U.S. Aircraft Register - July 1983

Dismantled by National Aircraft at Tucson, Arizona - 1996

Parts used by company doing structural testing and fuel probe / wiring modifications - circa 2003

Remaining airframe scrapped at Tucson - March 2006

VH-EBE. Qantas - Capt Bruce accepts the mail for the inaugural flight at Sydney Airport, October 27, 1959.

VH-EBE. Qantas - the inaugural Sydney-London flight at Sydney Airport, October 27, 1959.

VH-EBE. Qantas - Capt Bruce being interviewed at Sydney Airport, October 27, 1959.

VH-EBE. Qantas - inaurugal Sydney-London flight departing Sydney Airport, October 27, 1959.

VH-EBE. Qantas - the crew of the record breaking flight at New York Airport, June 1960.

VH-EBE. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in original livery at London Airport, date unknown.

VH-EBE. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in original livery at Sydney Airport, July 1960.

VH-EBE. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Airport, February 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas - being prepared for the Royal Tour at Sydney Airport, February 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas - the Royal Flight arriving at Canberra Airport, February 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas - the Qantas Royal Flight crew at Canberra Airport, February 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas - the Queen takes the Royal Salute at Canberra Airport, February 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas - the Queen inspects the troops at Canberra Airport, February 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - 'V-Jet' livery at San Francisco Airport, March 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - 'V-Jet' livery in flight, circa 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Airport, circa 1963.

VH-EBE. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Airport, circa 1964.

VH-EBE. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the modified 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Airport, circa 1966.

N793SA. Standard - full livery with modified titles at San Francisco Airport, December 1968.

VP-BDE. Bahamas World - in the full livery at unknown airport, April 1972.

VP-BDE. Bahamas World - in the full livery at unknown airport, August 1972.

N793NA. Aeroamerica - in the full livery at Paris Airport, August 1977.