VH-TJQ Douglas DC-9-31

This was the second of 6 additional aircraft ordered by the Australian National Airlines Commission for T.A.A.

Construction was complete at the Douglas Long Beach plant - July 1970

First flown as VH-TJQ at Long Beach - August 07, 1970

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TJQ - August 17, 1970

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne

Accepted by T.A.A. at Long Beach - August 17, 1970

Departed Long Beach on the delivery flight to Australia - August 18, 1970

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) Airport on completion of the delivery flight - August 20, 1970

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

The aircraft was named 'John Flynn' during the pre-service lay-up

Operated its first revenue service - August 26, 1970

Operated its last revenue service in the old livery - February 03, 1982

Rolled out at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in new Trans Australia 'camel-hump' livery - March 10, 1982

Returned to service - March 13, 1982

Trans-Australia Airlines was renamed Australian Airlines - August 04, 1986

Operated first Australian Airlines service Brisbane - Coolangatta - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as TN405 - August 04, 1986

Registered to Australian Airlines Ltd, Melbourne - July 11, 1988

Operated its final revenue service ? - Melbourne (Tullamarine) - April 24, 1989

The aircraft had flown 47,532 hours with 51,457 cycles

Sold to Australian Aircraft Sales (A.A.S.) - July 08, 1989

Titles and logo were removed from the aircraft and the A.A.S. logo was applied - July 08, 1989

Sold to Airborne Express Inc - July 23, 1989

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) in the basic TAA livery on the ferry flight to the United States - July 24, 1989

It arrived at Long Beach on completion of the ferry flight - July 26, 1989

Ferry route: Melbourne - Brisbane - Pago Pago - Hilo - Long Beach

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - July 26, 1989

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N941AX - July 1989

Registered to ABX Air Inc

Converted to freighter configuration to carry small parcels only

Certificate of Airworthiness issued by the F.A.A. - November 06, 1989

Entered service with ABX Air - November 20, 1989

The aircraft was hushkitted with Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B engines

Registered to Wilmington Trust Company, Wilmington, Delaware - January 1990

Leased to ABX Air Inc as the registered operator

Sold to ABX Air Inc - June 29, 1999

It was observed stored on the D.H.L. ramp at Cincinnati Airport - November 17, 2005

Withdrawn from service - November 2007

Sold to D.H.L. Network Operations (USA) Inc - November 14, 2007

It was observed stored at Marana in basic ABX Air livery - March 06, 2008

Sold to Logistic Air (USA) - September 04, 2008

Registered to Logistic Air - December 10, 2008

It was observed stored at Marana intact - March 2014

Current status - ?

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-420.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1979.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-497.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-320.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1980.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-498.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-321.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-362.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-279.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1980.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-499.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, June 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-421.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'John Flynn' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-378.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Flynn' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1988.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-615.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Flynn' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-379.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Flynn' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-411.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Flynn' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, October 1985.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-380.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Flynn' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1989.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-616.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Flynn' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1989.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1135-322.)

VH-TJQ. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Flynn' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1989.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-381.)

VH-TJQ. AAS Australian Aircraft Sales - in the basic TAA 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1989.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-323.)

VH-TJQ. AAS Australian Aircraft Sales - in the basic TAA 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1989.