Ordered new by Qantas Airways Ltd - April 1974

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Everett - June 10, 1974

Powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A engines

First flown as VH-EBI - July 28, 1974

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBI - October 10, 1974

Registered to Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney

Accepted by Qantas at Seattle (Everett) - October 11, 1974

Ferried Seattle-San Francisco as QF053D (Capt L.W. Clark) - October 11, 1974

Operated first revenue service San Francisco-Sydney as QF4 - October 12, 1974

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - October 14, 1974

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

Named 'City of Darwin' at Sydney - October 17, 1974

Operated the first Qantas 'Round-The-World-Air-Cruise' as QF134 - November 19 - December 4, 1983

Route: Sydney-Honolulu-Santiago-Rio De Janeiro-Nairobi-Colombo-Sydney

Renamed 'City of Dubbo' at Sydney - August 29, 1985

Sold to Thomas Aircraft Corporation (U.K.) and leased back to Qantas - March 31, 1989

Operated final revenue service Hong Kong-Sydney as QF28 (Capt R. Walter) - January 5, 1991

Departed Sydney as QF501D on delivery to U.S.A. (Capt C.S. Viertel) - January 13, 1991

Ferry route: Sydney-Honolulu-Santa Barbara

Overhaulled and repainted into Virgin Atlantic livery by Tracor Aviation

Ferried Santa Barbara-Los Angeles as QF501D (Capt C.S. Viertel) - April 26, 1991

Ferried Los Angeles-Dublin as QF501D (Capt C.S. Viertel) - April 27, 1991

Accepted by Virgin Atlantic at Dublin - April 30, 1991

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 1, 1991

Aircraft had flown 61,567 hours with 18,073 cycles

Entered onto U.K. Aircraft Register as G-VLAX - May 1, 1991

Registered to Virgin Atlantic Airways

Aircraft was named 'California Girl'

Sold to Concorde Management Leasing - May 1, 1991

Operated first Virgin Atlantic revenue service - May 1991

Operated final Virgin revenue service Orlando-London (Gatwick) - June 2001

Ferried London (Gatwick) to London (Heathrow) for repainting - July 1, 2001

Sold to Kabo Air, Nigeria

Cancelled from U.K. Aircraft Register - July 6, 2001

Entered onto Nigerian Aircraft Register as 5N-PPP - July 6, 2001

Departed London (Heathrow) on delivery flight to Kano, Nigeria - July 14, 2001

Current

VH-EBI. Qantas Australia - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, May 1979.

 

 

G-VLAX. Virgin Atlantic - in the new livery at Miami Airport, November 1997.