First of four Electras ordered by Qantas - April 1, 1958

Order officially announced - May 23, 1958

First flown - September 17, 1959

Powered by Allison 501-D13 turboprop engines

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ECA - October 30, 1959

Registered to Qantas Airways Ltd

Departed Burbnk on delivery flight - November 5, 1959

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - November 8, 1959

Delivery route: Burbank-San Francisco-Honolulu-Canton Island-Sydney

Flight crew: Capts K. Nicholson, Emmerick (Qantas); Capt C. Nicholson (Lockheed)

Aircraft was named 'Pacific Electra'

Operated inaugural service Sydney-Tokyo - December 21, 1959

Departed Sydney for Burbank for wing and engine mount modification - December 13, 1960

Ferry route: Sydney-Nadi-Canton Island-Honolulu-Burbank

Entered the Lockheed (LEAP) Program as LEAP #45 QEA-1 - December 19, 1960

LEAP modification completed - January 18, 1961

Withdrawn from service early 1967, stored at Sydney, and up for sale.

Sold to California Airmotive / Air California - May 29, 1967

Departed Sydney on delivery flight (Capt A.M. Bonney) - June 5, 1967

Ferry route: Sydney-Nadi-Canton Island-Honolulu-San Francisco-Santa Ana

Arrived Santa Ana at conclusion of ferry flight - June 8, 1967

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - June 9, 1967

Aircraft had flown 16,313:14 hours

Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N359AC - June 1967

Sold to GATX-Booth Aircraft Corp and leased to Air California - November 1, 1968

Sold to Aircraft Holdings - March 19, 1969

Sold to F.B. Ayer & Associates - November 7, 1969

Withdrawn from use by Air California and stored at Fort Worth, Texas - 1970

Leased to Ecuatoriana, Ecuador as HC-AVX - September 7, 1971 to March 6, 1972

Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N359AC - March 24, 1972

Stored at Miami Florida - March 1972 to December 1975

Registered to Miguel C. Acosta, Miami - 1975

Registered to MCA Leasing Inc - 1976

Leased / sold to LACSA as TI-LRM and converted to freighter configuration - April 1976

Aircraft was named 'Camaquire'

Withdrawn from service and stored at Miami, Florida - August 30, 1981

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N359AC - September 1981

Registered to FBA Corp, Miami, Florida

Registered to Turbo Power Inc, Miami, Florida - October 1982

Registered to Qualley International Corp, Miami, Florida - December 1983

Registered to James B. Qualley, Miami - May 1984

Observed with TPI International Airways titles at Montreal - September 13, 1984

Registered to JBQ Aviation Corporation, Miami - March 1985

Reregistered N359Q and operated by TPI International Airways - May 1985

Observed at Miami with STAF titles - November 1986

Observed at Ezeiza-Buenos Aires with Servicios de Transportes Aereos Fueginos SA - December 26, 1986

Registered F-OGST to STAF Ste Services et Transportes, Buenos Aires - February 11, 1987

Arrived at East Midlands Airport on lease to Air Bridge Carriers - October 5, 1990

Commenced operations in full STAF livery with Air Bridge stickers - October 9, 1990

Departed Castle Donington on return to U.S.A. via Keflavik - September 25, 1992

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N359Q - October 1992

Registered to JBQ Aviation Corp, Miami, Florida

Observed at Miami, Florida in service with ALM stickers - February 19, 1993

Arrived Coventry Airport on delivery to Air Atlantique - November 8, 1993

Cancelled from U.S. Aircraft Register - February 1994

Entered onto U.K. Aircraft Register as G-LOFA - February 10, 1994

Registered to Atlantic Air transport Ltd

Entered service with TNT on Stansted-Cologne route - February 15, 1994

Aircraft experienced an explosive decompression on climb out from Berlin - July 30, 1996

Rear cargo door opened damaging door opening mechanism and surrounding structure extensively

Repaired and returned to service

Ferried to Coventry Airport for major overhaul - May 16, 1998

Extensive corrosion was found, and as it was beyond economical repair it was retired

Stripped for parts and scrapped with fuselage completely broken - October 2002

VH-ECA. Qantas - the keel of the first Electra on the production line at Burbank, April 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-834.)

VH-ECA. Qantas - the keel of the first Electra on the production line at Burbank, April 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-835.)

VH-ECA. Qantas - the first Electra takes shape on the production line at Burbank, April 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-836.)

VH-ECA. Qantas - the first Electra takes shape on the production line at Burbank, April 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-837.)

VH-ECA. Qantas - the first Electra takes shape on the production line at Burbank, June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-838.)

VH-ECA. Qantas - the first Electra takes shape on the production line at Burbank, June 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-839.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - rollout of the first Electra at Burbank, October 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-840.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - official handover at Burbank, November 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-841.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the full livery at unknown airport, June 1964.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-842.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the full livery at unknown airport, June 1964.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-843.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the full livery at unknown airport, June 1964.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-004.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the full livery at unknown airport - June 1964.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-368.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery, location & date unknown.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1808-001.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - a view of the cockpit at Sydney Airport, June 1966.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-844.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - a view of the cockpit at Sydney Airport, June 1966.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-845.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - a view of tourist class seating at Sydney Airport, June 1966.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-846.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - a view of the rest room at Sydney Airport, June 1966.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-847.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in original livery at Sydney Airport, January 1967.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-002.)

VH-ECA. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in original livery at Sydney Airport, January 1967.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-003.)

N359AC. Air California - in the full livery at Dallas Fort Worth Airport, June 1968.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-692.)

TI-LRM. Lacsa Carguero - in the full livery at Miami Airport, July 1977.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-005.)

TI-LRM. Lacsa Carguero - in the full livery at Miami Airport, August 1980.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-006.)

N359AC. TPI - in a non-standard livery with titles at Miami Airport, December 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-007.)

N359AC. International Airways - in TPI blue colors & small titles - March 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-008.)

F-OGST. STAF - in the full livery at an unknown location, March 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-009.)

F-OGST. STAF - in the full livery & titles at an unknown location, December 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-010.)

F-OGST. STAF - in the full livery with additional Air Bridge titles, April 1991.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1808-013.)

F-OGST. STAF - in the full livery with additional Air Bridge titles, July 1992.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1808-661.)

N359Q. ALM - in all white livery with small titles at Miami's Opa Locka Airport, February 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-298.)

G-LOFA. Atlantic Cargo - in the full livery at unknown airport, August 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-018.)

G-LOFA. Atlantic Cargo - in the full livery at unknown airport, August 1994.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1808-015.)

G-LOFA. Atlantic Cargo - in the full livery at unknown airport, September 1995.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-016.)

G-LOFA. Atlantic Cargo - slowly being scrapped at Coventry, June 1999.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-019.)