VH-RMC Boeing 767

Ordered new by Air New Zealand

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Seattle (Everett) - July 25, 1985

First flown as N6018N - August 14, 1985

Powered by General Electric CF6-80A engines

Accepted by Air New Zealand at Seattle - September 3, 1985

Arrived Wellington as TE76 at conclusion of delivery flight - September 10, 1985

Delivery route: Seattle-Nadi-Wellington

Entered onto New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NBA

Aircraft named 'Aotearoa'

Operated its first revenue service as TE149 Wellington-Sydney - September 30, 1985

Leased to TACA of El Salvador - November 30, 1996 to February 1997

Leased to Ansett International

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-RMC - June 27, 1997

Registered to Ansett International Ltd

Ferried Auckland-Melbourne as AN4294 - June 28, 1997

Operated first revenue service as AN869 Sydney-Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur - June 29, 1997

During its Ansett lease was plagued with high levels of operational unreliability

Was nicknamed 'Romeo Mike Cactus' & 'Romeo Mike Crap' by engineering / operations staff

Operated final overseas service as AN869/868 Sydney-Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur-Sydney - May 31 - June 1, 1998

Operated final revenue service as AN898 Sydney-Melbourne - June 1, 1998

Sub-leased to Swiss World Airways SA for 23 months

Departed Melboure as AN4450 on delivery flight to Switzerland

Ferry route: Melbourne-Kona-Minneapolis-Shannon

Flight crew: Capts B. Weller, J. Mee; F/O G. Neate; LAMEs A. Gadsen, M. Brown, C. Mollet, P. Smith

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - July 10, 1998

Entered onto Swiss Aircraft Register as HB-IIX - July 1998

Rolled out at Shannon in full Swiss World livery as HB-IIX - July 11, 1998

Ferried Shannon-Geneva as SWO001P on delivery to Swiss World - July 17, 1998

Operated first Swiss World revenue service Geneva-New York (Newark) - September 10, 1998

Utilised on Geneva-New York (Newark) route

Operated final revenue service New York-Geneva - December 2, 1998

Swiss World ceased all operations and entered receivership - December 2, 1998

Departed Geneva using callsign 'New Zealand IIX' on ferry flight to Australia - December 8, 1998

Arrived Melbourne at conclusion of delivery flight - December 11, 1998

Ferry route: Geneva-Winnipeg-Rarotonga-Auckland-Melbourne

Lease terminated on aircraft upon its arrival in Melbourne - December 11, 1998

Ferried to Richmond for repainting in Air New Zealand livery - March 8, 1999

Rolled out at Richmond in full Air New Zealand livery and ferried to Melbourne - March 17, 1999

Entered onto New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NBA - April 9, 1999

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - April 9, 1999

Departed Melbourne on return to Air New Zealand - April 10, 1999

Returned to service with Air New Zealand as NZ121 Auckland-Melbourne - April 12, 1999

Operated its final revenue service as NZ106 Sydney-Auckland - March 6, 2005

This flight marked the last B-767-200 service operated by the airline

Seen at Auckland in basic Air N.Z. livery as N326MR - March 14, 2005

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N326MR - March 14, 2005

Registered to General Electric Corporation Aviation Services (GECAS), Stamford, Connecticut

Ferried Auckland-Tel Aviv for freighter conversion - April 2005

Ferried Tel Aviv-Port Alegre for freighter conversion to be carried out

Seen at Port Alegre in all-white livery with blue tail as N326MR - June 15, 2005

Rolled out at Port Alegre in full Star Air, Denmarl livery as OY-SRN - October 29, 2005


ZK-NBA. Air New Zealand - in the original livery at Melbourne Airport, November 1985. (R. N. Smith Photograph. 4650-077.)	ZK-NBA. Air New Zealand - in the original livery at Melbourne Airport, November 1985. (R. N. Smith Photograph. 4650-078.)

ZK-NBA. Air New Zealand - in the original livery at Melbourne Airport, December 1985. (R. N. Smith Photograph. 4650-079.)	ZK-NBA. TACA - in the Air New Zealand livery at Auckland Airport, November 1996. (J. Mounce Photograph. 4650-080.)

VH-RMC. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Melbourne Airport, November 1997. (R. N. Smith Photograph. 4650-081.)	VH-RMC. Ansett Australia - in the all-white livery at Melbourne Airport, March 1999. (R. N. Smith Photograph. 4650-082.)

VH-RMC. Air New Zealand - in the new livery at Melbourne Airport, March 1999. (R. N. Smith Photograph. 4650-083.)	ZK-NBA. Air New Zealand - in the new livery at Melbourne Airport, April 1999. (R. N. Smith Photograph. 4650-084.)