VH-VQB. Boeing 717-2BD/26R. c/n 55002-5003.

Was also registered as: VH-NXB; N489HA.

 

The original registration of N359MD was not taken up

Registration marks N717XC were reserved - June 25, 1998

Construction completed at Boeing Long Beach plant - December 1998

First flown at Long Beach as 'N717XC' - December 16, 1998

Powered by BMW RB715A-130 turbofan engines

It was observed at Long Beach and Yuma as N717XC in primer - February 1999

It was observed at Boeing Field as N717XC in unpainted condition - April 09, 1999

This aircraft was intended for Wuhan Airlines (China) but it was not taken up

Used for test purposes before being placed in storage - June 1999

It was observed on the Long Beach flight line in the standard Impulse Airlines 'Cockatoo' livery - December 05, 2000

The aircraft was now designated as a Boeing 717-26R

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-VQB - December 19, 2000

Registered to Impulse Airlines

Accepted by Impulse Airlines at Long Beach - December 29, 2000

Departed Long Beach on the delivery flight to Australia - December 30, 2000

It arrived Newcastle on completion of the delivery flight - January 03, 2001

Delivery route: Long Beach - Kansas City - Goose Bay - Keflavik - Basle - Cairo - Muscat - Colombo -

Singapore - Broome - Ayers Rock - Newcastle

Officially handed over to Impulse Airlines at Newcastle - January 04, 2001

Operated its first revenue service - February 12, 2001

Operated the inaugural Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Hobart service as VQ7304 - April 02, 2001

Impulse Airlines ceased scheduled trunk services - May 22, 2001

Impulse entered into an agreement to operate services for Qantas via QantasLink

Transferred to Qantaslink but operated by Impulse - May 23, 2001

Operated its first QantasLink service as QF973 - May 25, 2001

Operated inaugural QantasLink Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Coolangatta - Sydney service as QF942/901 - June 01, 2001

Operated its final QantasLink service in the 'Cockatoo' livery Newcastle - Sydney as QF863 - August 09, 2001

Ferried Sydney (Kingsford Smith - Sydney (Richmond) as QF6800 for repainting - August 09, 2001

Aircraft was repainted into the QantasLink livery at Sydney (Richmond)

Impulse Airlines was acquired by Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney - November 2001

It was observed at Sydney (Richmond) in an all-white livery - April 03, 2004

Operated QantasLink services in all-white livery without titles

Transferred to Jetstar - May 25, 2004

Operated its first Jetstar service Sydney - Coolangatta in all-white livery without titles as JQ502 - May 25, 2004

It was observed at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in all-white livery with 'Jetstar.com' titles on upper fuselage and

'All Day & Every Day Low Fares' on lower forward fuselage - May 27, 2004

Remained in this livery during its service with Jetstar

Operated its final Jetstar revenue service Brisbane - Newcastle as JQ389 - July 12, 2005

Reregistered as VH-NXB - September 02, 2005

Registered to MDFC Spring Company, Renton

Leased to National Jet Systems as the registered operator

National Jet Systems operated services for QantasLink

It was observed at Newcastle in the standard QantasLink livery - September 25, 2005

Ferried Newcastle - Adelaide - Perth as JQ7981 - September 28, 2005

Entered service with QantasLink Perth - Karratha as QF914 - October 03, 2005

Operated its final revenue service Broome - Perth as QF1929 - April 23, 2007

Ferried Perth - Adelaide (West Beach) for storage pending return to Bavarian Leasing as QF6200 - April 24, 2007

Ferried Adelaide (West Beach) - Perth and returned to service - April 2007

Ferried Perth - Adelaide (West Beach) for storage as QF6200 - June 05, 2007

It was observed stored at Adelaide (West Beach) minus one engine - May 06, 2008

Ferried Adelaide (West Beach) - Sydney (Richmond) for repainting into Hawaiian Airlines livery - August 28, 2008

Ferried Sydney (Richmond) - Adelaide (West Beach) in the Hawaiian Airlines livery - September 12, 2008

Departed Adelaide (West Beach) on the ferry flight to Honolulu - October 13, 2008

It arrived Honolulu on completion of the ferry flight - October 14, 2008

Ferry route: Adelaide - Cairns - Noumea - Apia - Christmas Island - Honolulu

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 15, 2008

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N489HA - October 16, 2008

Registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest, Salt Lake City

Leased to Hawaiian Airlines as the registered operator

The aircraft was named 'Po'ouli'

Registered to Hawaiian Airlines - June 26, 2011

Current with Hawaiian Airlines

 

 

VH-VQB. Impulse - in the 'cockatoo' livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4660-005.)

VH-VQB. Impulse - in the 'cockatoo' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, February 2001.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4660-071.)

VH-VQB. Impulse - in the 'cockatoo' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, February 2001.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4660-128.)

VH-VQB. Impulse - in the 'cockatoo' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, February 2001.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4660-129.)

VH-VQB. Impulse - in the 'cockatoo' livery at Brisbane Airport, March 2001.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4660-070.)

VH-VQB. Impulse - in the 'cockatoo' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 2001.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4660-130.)

VH-VQB. Impulse - in the 'cockatoo' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 2001.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4660-065.)

VH-VQB. Impulse - in the 'cockatoo' livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4660-664.)

VH-VQB. QantasLink - in the original livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 2001.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4660-142.)

VH-VQB. QantasLink - in the original livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 2002.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4660-143.)

VH-VQB. QantasLink - in the original livery at Brisbane Airport, October 2003.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4660-115.)

VH-VQB. Jetstar - in the 'all-white' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 2004.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4660-195.)

VH-NXB. QantasLink - in the revised livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, September 22, 2007.

(N. K. Daw Copyright Image 4660-208.)

VH-NXB. QantasLink - in the revised livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, October 09, 2007.

(N. K. Daw Copyright Image 4660-209.)

VH-NXB. QantasLink - in the revised livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, May 24, 2008.

(N. K. Daw Copyright Image 4660-210.)

VH-NXB. Hawaiian - in the standard livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, September 12, 2008.

(R. Brown Copyright Image 4660-211.)

VH-NXB. Hawaiian - in the standard livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, September 12, 2008.

(R. Brown Copyright Image 4660-212.)