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

Order officially announced - May 23, 1958

First flown - October 3, 1959

Powered by Allison 501-D13 turboprop engines

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

Registered to Qantas Airways Ltd

Departed Burbank on delivery flight - November 4, 1959

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - November 7, 1959

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

Flight crew: Capts J.A. Bird, C.G. Fox (Qantas); Capt J. Davis (Lockheed)

This was the first Qantas Electra to be delivered

Aircraft was named 'Pacific Explorer'

Flew inaugural Sydney-Hong Kong Electra service via Port Moresby-Biak-Manila - December 19, 1959

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

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

Entered the Lockheed (LEAP) Program as LEAP #46 QEA-2 - December 12, 1960

LEAP modification completed - January 19, 1961

Operated inaugural Sydney-Christchurch service (Capt A.L. Gay) - October 4, 1961

Operated inaugural Melbourne-Auckland service - October 8, 1961

Operated inaugural Melbourne-Wellington service (Capt P.L. Oakley) - October 4, 1963

Withdrawn from service at Sydney and offered for sale - June 1967

Sold to California Airmotive / Air California and painted in full Air California livery at Sydney

Departed Sydney on delivery flight to Air California (Capt A.L. Gay) - August 14, 1967

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

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - August 17, 1967

Aircraft had flown 16,455:57 hours

Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N385AC - August 18, 1967

Registered to GATX Booth and leased to Air California

Sold to Aircraft Holdings - March 19, 1969

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

Sold to Universal Trading Corporation, Panama - December 17, 1969

Withdrawn from use and stored at Fort Worth, Texas - 1970

Ferried to Tucson, Arizona for storage - 1971

Sold to F B Ayer & Associates - January 12, 1972

Leased to Intermountain Aviation - January 1972

Recertified in Experimental category to test Sperry radiometric systems for Lockheed - April 23, 1973

Sold to WHARFCA Inc - November 12, 1973

Leased to Ecuatoriana - November 1973 to July 1974

Sold to F B Ayer & Associates - July 14, 1974

Sold to TAME becoming HC-AZJ / FAE2004 - August 6, 1974

Aircraft was named 'Pichincha'

Damaged beyond repair following belly landing at Taura, Ecuador - September 4, 1989

Scrapped

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in original livery prior to delivery, October 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-850.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in original livery prior to delivery, October 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-851.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on arrival at Sydney Airport, November 7, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-848.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - on arrival at Sydney Airport, November 7, 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-849.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - the interior configuration and seating color scheme.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-852.)

Capt Jack Bird with the Japanese & Chinese cabin crew who will operate the Far East Route.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-853.)

Capt Jack Bird with the Japanese & Chinese cabin crew at Sydney Airport, November 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-866.)

Capt Jack Bird with the Chinese cabin crew at Sydney Airport, November 1959.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-867.)

VH-ECB. Capt Jack Bird with Japanese & Chinese cabin crew who will operate the Far East Route.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-854.)

VH-ECB. The Japanese & Chinese cabin crew who will operate the Electras on the Far East Route.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-865.)

VH-ECB. Connoisseur meals and 'Blue-ribbon' cabin service provided for De Luxe Class passengers.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-855.)

VH-ECB. Connoisseur meals and 'Blue-ribbon' cabin service provided for De Luxe Class passengers.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-856.)

VH-ECB. Connoisseur meals and 'Blue-ribbon' cabin service provided for De Luxe Class passengers.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-857.)

VH-ECB. Connoisseur meals and 'Blue-ribbon' cabin service provided for De Luxe Class passengers.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-858.)

VH-ECB. Connoisseur meals and 'Blue-ribbon' cabin service provided for De Luxe Class passengers.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-859.)

VH-ECB. High quality cabin service provided to the 'Tourist' Class passengers.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-863.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - original livery at Sydney Airport, December 1965.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 1808-342.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Richmond, May 1967.

(B. Dannecker Collection. 1808-369.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Richmond, May 1967.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 1808-370.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Richmond, May 1967.

(B. Dannecker Collection. 1808-042.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Richmond, May 1967.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 1808-020.)

VH-ECB. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, May 1967.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 1808-549.)

VH-ECB. Air California - in original livery at Sydney Airport, August 1967.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-025.)

VH-ECB. Air California - in original livery at unknown airport, August 1967.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-027.)

N385AC. Air California - in original livery with new tail logo, October 1968.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-028.)

N385AC. Air California - in original livery with new tail logo, November 1968.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1808-029.)

N385AC. Ecuatoriana - in basic Intermountain livery at unknown location, April 1974.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1808-030.)

N385AC. Ecuatoriana - in basic Intermountain livery at unknown location, April 1974.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-299.)

HC-AZJ. TAME - in the original blue livery at Sucre Quito Airport, date unknown.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1808-031.)

HC-AZJ. TAME - in the original blue livery at Miami Airport, September 1974.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-470.)

HC-AZJ. TAME - in the original blue livery at unknown airport, June 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-430.)

HC-AZJ. TAME - in the final livery at unknown location, May 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-032.)