Last of six DC-9s ordered new by Ansett - March 24, 1965

First flown - June 30, 1969

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-CZF - July 10, 1969

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd

Accepted by Ansett at Long Beach - July 11, 1969

Departed Long Beach on delivery flight to Australia - July 12, 1969

Arrived Melbourne's Essendon Airport at conclusion of delivery flight - July 14, 1969

Delivery route: Long Beach-Honolulu-Pago Pago-Tontouta-Melbourne

Flight crew: Capts R. Pyke, H.G. Redwood; F/O D. Lagerway; Navigator B.S. McEwen

Was the last aircraft to be delivered in the full Ansett-ANA livery

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne-Hobart - July 22, 1969

Operated proving flight NF2/1 Brisbane-Port Vila-Brisbane for Air Vanuatu - August 12, 1981

Flight crew: Capts F. Boomsma, J. Bertram, P. Lynch, F. Gloster; Navigator B.S. McEwen

Operated first scheduled Sydney-Noumea-Port Vila service for Air Vanuatu - September 5, 1981

Whilst operating Air Vanuatu services it was flown in full Ansett livery with forward Air Vanuatu stickers

Replaced by Boeing 737-277 aircraft on Air Vanuatu services - May 7, 1982

Operated its final revenue service as AN56 Launceston-Melbourne - June 14, 1982

Placed in open storage at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport

Had flown 33,064 hours

Departed Melbourne on delivery flight to U.S.A. - August 5, 1982

Ferry route: Melbourne-Nadi-Pago Pago-Hilo-Phoenix

Flight crew: Capt F. Boomsma; F/O P. Kilvington; F/E R. Wright

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - August 30, 1982

Sold to Marfreless Inc / Corsair for lease to U.S. Navy - September 17, 1982

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N3281N - September 17, 1982

Registered to Corsair Inc

Overhauled to U.S. Navy requirements by Air International Inc

Test flown to Whidbey Island, WA by Capt F. Boomsma; P. Miles (Republic Airlines) - September 18, 1982

Leased to U.S. Navy (U.S. Navy Reserve) as C-9B 'RS2393'

Later became BuAer 162393 'City of Oak Harbor' and operated by VR-61 Squadron

Sold to McDonnell Douglas Corp - becoming N540MD - August 1, 1990

Sold to Aeronautics Leasing Inc - August 1, 1990

Sold to Airborne Express Inc - August 8, 1990

Reregistered N949AX to ABX Air Inc - August 20, 1990

Current

VH-CZF. Ansett-ANA - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, November 1969.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 1135-051.)

VH-CZF. Ansett-ANA - in the full livery at Canberra Airport, January 1972.

(E. D. Daw Photograph. 1135-010.)