Ordered new by Qantas - January 16, 1980

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Everett - January 1981

First flown as VH-EAA - January 11, 1981

Powered by Rolls Royce RB211-524-B2 engines

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAA - January 19, 1981

Registered to Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney

Aircraft was named 'City of Gold Coast Tweed' at Everett - January 21, 1981

Departed Seattle as QF501D on delivery flight - January 21, 1981

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - January 23, 1981

Delivery route: Seattle-Honolulu-Sydney

Flight crew: Capts L.W. Clark, A.E. Bones

Operated the inaugural Qantas SP service as QF55 Sydney-Wellington - February 6, 1981

Due bad weather at Wellington flight was diverted to Auckland (Capt D. McKinley)

Ferried Auckland-Wellington - February 7, 1981

Carried 'Official Carrier Brisbane 1982' Commonwealth Games titles - November 1, 1981

Utilised as supplementary flight QF35 Sydney-Honolulu - Agust 12, 1982

Ferried as QF500D Honolulu-Seattle for Rolls Royce RB211-524-DE engine refit - August 12, 1982

Ferried Everett-Honolulu-Sydney as QF501D following engine refit - August 25 - 27, 1982

Operated first Qantas 747SP non-stop service Sydney-Los Angeles as QF11 - April 7, 1984

Repainted into 'Spirit of Australia' livery - January 1990

Listed by Qantas as being for sale but continued normal operations - March 1, 1990

Leased to Australian Airlines - July 5 - 6, 1992

Operated TN7025/7425 Sydney-Brisbane-Sydney & TN7016/7011 Sydney-Perth-Sydney

Carried 'Sydney 2000' Olympic sticker to promote Sydney's bid for 2000 Olympic Games - December 1993

Operated last Qantas revenue service QF52 Singapore-Brisbane-Sydney - March 20, 1994

Leased to Australia Asia Airlines - March 25, 1994 to June 27, 1996

Operated the inaugural Australia Asia 747SP service QF135 Sydney-Taipei - March 26, 1994

Listed by Qantas as being for sale but continued normal operations - January 1, 1997

New 'The Australian Airline' subtitle applied - March 1, 1998

Operated final Qantas revenue service as QF42/22 Singapore-Jakarta-Sydney - February 23, 2002

Withdrawn from use in Sydney - February 23, 2002

Operated supplementary freighter service QF7571 Sydney-Honolulu - March 4, 2002

Ferried Honolulu-Marana as QF6019 for storage - March 5, 2002

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - March 27, 2002

Engines removed and returned to Qantas

Aircraft was broken up - July 25, 2002

Had flown 75,238 hours and 14,011 cycles

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery over Washington State, January 1981.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4630-205.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery over Washington State, January 1981.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4630-206.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery over Washington State, January 1981.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4630-207.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery over Washington State, January 1981.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4630-208.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery over Washington State, January 1981.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4630-209.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery over Washington State, January 1981.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 4630-210.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, June 1981.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4630-129.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, February 1981.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4630-131.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, September 1981.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4630-130.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - in the original livery at Wellington Airport, date unknown.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 4630-132.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - with 'Brisbane 1982 Games' titles at Sydney Airport, September 1982.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4630-128.)

VH-EAA. Qantas Australia - with 'Sydney 2000 Olympic' logo at Brisbane Airport, August 1993.

(P. J. Gates Photograph. 4630-135.)

VH-EAA. Australia Asia - in basic Qantas livery at Melbourne Airport, March 1995.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 4630-127.)

VH-EAA. Australia Asia - in basic Qantas livery at Brisbane Airport, June 1995.

(P. J. Gates Photograph. 4630-133.)

VH-EAA. Qantas The Australian Airline - with revised titles at Brisbane Airport, October 1996.

(P. J. Gates Photograph. 4630-136.)

VH-EAA. Qantas The Australian Airline - with revised titles at Melbourne Airport, September 1999.

(J. Goldfinch Photograph. 4630-134.)

VH-EAA. Qantas The Australian Airline - with revised titles at Brisbane Airport, May 2001.

(P. J. Gates Photograph. 4630-137.)