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

Order officially announced - May 23, 1958

First flown - November 19, 1959

Powered by Allison 501-D13 turboprop engines

Accepted by Qantas at Lockheed's Burbank facility - November 23, 1959

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ECC - November 24, 1959

Registered to Qantas Airways Ltd

Departed Burbank on delivery flight - November 25, 1959

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - November 28, 1959

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

Flight crew: Capts C. Fox, K. Nicholson

Aircraft named 'Pacific Endeavour'

Departed Sydney for Burbank for wing and engine mount modification - January 25, 1961

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

Entered the Lockheed (LEAP) Program as LEAP #73 QEA-3 - January 31, 1961

LEAP modification completed - February 27, 1961

Operated inaugural Sydney-Wellington service (Capt J.S. Ross) - October 3, 1961

Operated inaugural Sydney-Auckland service (Capt J.S. Ross) - October 4, 1961

Operated inaugural Auckland-Melbourne service (Capt F.S. Furniss) - October 7, 1961

Operated its final Qantas service - April 17, 1965

Sold to TEAL Air New Zealand to replace ZK-TEC - April 1965

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - April 18, 1965

Entered onto New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-CLX - April 18, 1965

Continued to operate Trans-Tasman services in full Qantas livery during April 1965

Aircraft was named 'Akaroa'

Sold to California Airmotive Corp - February 16, 1968

Departed Auckland on delivery to California Airmotive - February 16, 1968

Cancelled from New Zealand Aircraft Register - February 19, 1968

Sold to Reeve Aleutian Airways - February 22, 1968

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N1968R - February 1968

Leased to Northwest Territorial Airways, Canada - November 1968

Returned at end of lease

Involved in a controlled crash landing at Anchorage, Alaska - June 8, 1983

This was caused by the #4 propellor separating from the aircraft and striking the fuselage

as the aircraft climbed through 10,000 feet

The decompression resulted in partial collapse of cabin floor jamming some control cables

Deprived of hydrauling braking & nosewheel steering aircraft departed runway on landing

Aircraft remained on its undercarriage, damage to main gear brakes by fire extinguished quickly

Flight crew: Capt J. Gibson; F/O G. Lintner; S/O G. Laurin

Crew of 5 and 10 passengers escaped unharmed

Flight crew awarded ALPA (American Airline Pilots Association) Superior Airmanship Award

Repaired and returned to service

Reeve Aleutian Airlines ceased operations - December 6, 2000

Sold to Air Spray, Canada following bankruptcy of Reeve - January 2001

Entered onto Canadian Aircraft Register as C-GHZI

Reregistered to Air Spray 1967 Ltd, Edmonton, Alberta

Aircraft stored at Red Deer, Alberta pending conversion to a water bomber - June 2001 to 2003

Converted to water bomber configuration at Chico, California

Ferried Chico-Calgary-Red Deer after conversion in basic Reeve livery - May 12 - 13, 2004

Current

VH-ECC. Qantas - the inaugural Sydney to Wellington service at Sydney Airport, October 3, 1961.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-860.)

VH-ECC. Qantas - the inaugural Sydney to Wellington service at Sydney Airport, October 3, 1961.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 1808-861.)

VH-ECC. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airline - in the full livery with 40th Anniversay logo at Sydney.

(E. D. Daw Collection. 1808-343.)

ZK-CLX. Qantas Australia's Overseas Airlines - in the original livery at Essendon Airport, April 1965.

(E. D. Daw Collection. 1808-656.)

ZK-CLX. Air New Zealand - in basic Qantas livery at Sydney Airport, April 1965.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 1808-033.)

ZK-CLX. Air New Zealand - in basic Qantas livery at Sydney Airport, April 1965.

(E. D. Daw Collection. 1808-326.)

ZK-CLX. TEAL Air New Zealand - in full livery with dual titles at Essendon Airport, July 1965.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 1808-548.)

N1968R. Reeve Aleutian - in the full livery at Anchorage Airport, October 1974.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-037.)

N1968R. Reeve Aleutian - in the full livery at Anchorage Airport, July 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-036.)

N1968R. Reeve Aleutian - in their full colors & titles at Anchorage.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-606.)

C-GHZI. Reeve Aleutian - in the full livery with waterbomber belly tank.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1808-512.)

C-GHZI. Air Spray - in basic Reeve livery with waterbomber belly tank at Red Deer, date unknown.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1808-515.)