Order was placed with Lockheed - December 9, 1958

First flown - February 13, 1959

Handed over to Ansett-A.N.A. at Burbank, California - February 27, 1959

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-RMA - March 5, 1959

Registered to Ansett-A.N.A.

Departed Burbank on delivery flight - March 7, 1959

Delivery route was Burbank-Las Vegas-San Francisco-Honolulu-Canton Island-Nadi-Melbourne

Flight crew: Capts A. Lane, A. Lovell, A.C. Thomson; Navigator W.C. Kennedy; F/Es M. Perry, C. Ford

Arrived at Melbourne's Essendon Airport with R. M. Ansett as passenger - March 10, 1959

Aircraft was originally configured with 60 First Class & 14 Economy seats

Operated its first Ansett-A.N.A. service - Melbourne (Essendon)-Sydney - March 18, 1959

Flight crew: Capts A. Lovell & A. Lane

This was the first L-188 service operated outside the United States

Established new record on Sydney-Brisbane sector (Capts A. Lovell & K. Nicholls) - April 6, 1959

Withdrawn from service for six days for Electra Refinement Program - June 21, 1959

During program engine mounts were modified under guidance of Lockheed Engineers

Tail titles were modified to read 'Electra Mk II Turbo Prop' in single tail band - early 1960

Tail titles again modified to final twin-bands - May 1960

Withdrawn from service and ferried to U.S. for LEAP modifications arriving Burbank - April 25, 1961

Ferry route was via Nadi-Canton Island-Honolulu

Ferry crew were: Capt N. Murdoch, A. Thompson, D. Moodie; Navigator W.C. Kennedy; Engineer C. Ford

Entered LEAP as LEAP # 134 - April 26, 1961

Departed Burbank on redelivery to Australia - May 20, 1961

Ferry route was via Honolulu-Canton Island-Nadi-Melbourne

Ferry crew: Capts N. Murdoch, W. Ross, P. Longbottom, A. Lane; Navigator W.C. Kennedy

Aircraft was grounded by Department of Civil Aviation order - July 24, 1964

Was result of corrosion specks being found in wing of TAA Electra VH-TLB - misidentified as being wing cracks

Grounding order lifted on Electra fleet - July 27, 1964

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd - December 18, 1969

Operated final Ansett passenger service - April 28, 1971

Withdrawn from service - and stored at Melbourne

Leased to Air Bridge - as N356Q - February 2, 1988

Leased to Hunting Cargo Airlines - as N356Q - May 6, 1993

Returned to Renown Aviation as N356Q - July 1, 1994

Leased to Amerer Air as N356Q - November 1996

Sold to Amerer Air - becoming OE-ILB - August 1998

Had flown 64,341 hours & 49,819 cycles as of July 24, 2001

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with single tail bar during test flight, February 1959.

(Image 1808-057. R. N. Smith Collection via Ansett)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with single tail bar, at Oakland, February 1959.

(Image 1808-627. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with single tail bar, February 1959.

(Image 1808-471. R. N. Smith Collection via Ansett)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with single tail bar at Melbourne Airport, April 1959.

(Image 1808-630. A. Fraser Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with single tail bar at Sydney Airport, October 1959.

(Image 1808-611. K. Gould Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with single tail bar at Melbourne Airport, October 1959.

(Image 1808-631. M. Austin Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in original livery with modified tail bar titles at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

(Image 1808-612. K. Gould Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in original livery with final twin tail bar titles at Melbourne Airport, January 1965.

(Image 1808-059. B. Dannecker Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in original livery with final twin tail bar tail at Sydney Airport, June 1965.

(Image 1808-065. R. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in original livery with final twin tail bar titles at Sydney Airport, June 1965.

(Image 1808-068. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in original livery with final twin tail bar titles at Brisbane Airport, July 1965.

(Image 1808-545. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with no nose titles at Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(Image 1808-504. J. Hopton Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with final twin tail bar titles at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(Image 1808-473. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with final twin tail bar titles at Essendon Airport, January 1967.

(Image 1808-060. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with final twin tail bar titles at Sydney Airport, January 1968.

(Image 1808-062. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in the original livery with final twin tail bar titles at Essendon Airport, June 1968.

(Image 1808-064. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in its original livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, January 1970.

(Image 1808-709. G. Bennett Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in its original livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, November 1970.

(Image 1808-710. G. Bennett Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett-ANA - in its original livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, November 1970.

(Image 1808-711. G. Bennett Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the new 'delta' livery at Essendon Airport, February 1972.

(Image 1808-070. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Brisbane Airport, November 1974.

(Image 1808-073. P. J. Gates Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Brisbane Airport, January 1979.

(Image 1808-074. P. J. Gates Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Airport, January 1979.

(Image 1808-077. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Airport, January 1979.

(Image 1808-079. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Airport, January 1979.

(Image 1808-080. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Airport, January 1979.

(Image 1808-081. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA - Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Airport, January 1980.

(Image 1808-085. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Melbourne Airport, August 1980.

(Image 1808-355. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Tullamarine Airport, August 1980.

(Image 1808-717. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Tullamarine Airport, August 1981.

(Image 1808-713. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Tullamarine Airport, August 1981.

(Image 1808-714. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cargo - in the 'delta' livery at Tullamarine Airport, August 1981.

(Image 1808-715. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Air Freight - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Brisbane Airport, April 1982.

(Image 1808-434. P. J. Gates Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Air Freight - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, June 1982.

(Image 1808-089. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-RMA. Ansett Air Freight - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, May 1984.

(Image 1808-090. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-RMA / B / C. Ansett Air Freight - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Airport, June 1984.

(Image 1808-091. E. D. Daw Photograph)

VH-RMA. Ansett Air Freight - in the basic 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Airport, September 1984.

(Image 1808-092. R. N. Smith Collection)

 

N356Q. TPI - in the full livery but without titles at unknown location, June 1985.

(Image 1808-093. R. N. Smith Collection)

N356Q. TPI / Air Bridge - in TPI livery with small 'Air Bridge' titles on nose, February 1988.

(Image 1808-094. R. N. Smith Collection)

N356Q. TPI / Air Bridge - TPI livery with large 'Air Bridge' titles, location unknown, May 1989.

(Image 1808-097. R. N. Smith Collection)

N355WS. TPI / Air Bridge - TPI livery with large 'Air Bridge' titles, location unknown, December 1989.

(Image 1808-098. R. N. Smith Collection)

N355WS. TPI / Air Bridge - TPI livery with large 'Air Bridge' titles at Brussels Airport, date unknown.

(Image 1808-696. P. J. Gates Collection)

N356Q. Hunting Cargo Airlines - in the full livery at Stuttgart Airport, July 1993.

(Image 1808-099. R. N. Smith Collection)

N356Q. Hunting Cargo Airlines - in the basic livery at Brussels Airport, June 1994.

(Image 1808-516. R. N. Smith Collection)

N356Q. Renown Aviation - in the full livery at Miami Airport, August 1995.

(Image 1808-486. P. J. Gates Collection)

N356Q. Renown Aviation - in the full livery at Miami Airport, August 1995.

(Image 1808-668. R. N. Smith Collection)

N356Q. Amerer Air - in the basic livery without titles, May 1997.

(Image 1808-103. R. N. Smith Collection)

N356Q. Amerer Air - in their full colors & small nose titles, May 1997.

(Image 1808-102. R. N. Smith Collection)

OE-ILB. Amerer Air - in the full livery, location unknown, August 2003.

(Image 1808-433. R. N. Smith Collection)

OE-ILB. Amerer Air - in the full livery at Ostend Airport, October 2003.

(Image 1808-522. P. J. Gates Collection)

OE-ILB. Amerer Air - in the full livery at Ostend Airport, October 2003.

(Image 1808-697. R. N. Smith Collection)