Original order placed by TAA for 2 Electras - October 10, 1958

First flown - May 19, 1959

Was first Electra delivered with the uplilted engine mounts incorporated during construction

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TLA - June 15, 1959

Arrived Melbourne's Essendon Airport on delivery to Trans Australia Airlines - June 24, 1959

Flight crew: Capts F. Fischer, J. Maloney, J. Hickey; Navigator H. Cast; Engineer A. Wright

Performed flypast with newly arrived Viscount VH-TVQ & Friendship VH-TFA before landing

Aircraft was named 'John Eyre'

Entered TAA service as TN534 Melbourne-Sydney - July 8, 1959

Set a speed record between Melbourne-Brisbane of 129 minutes (Capt W.O. James) - February 15, 1960

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

Flight crew: Capts R.B. Keig, I.A.F. Clarke, R. Lauchland; F/O D.W.R. Pummeroy; F/E R.C. Lane

Entered the Lockheed (LEAP) Program as LEAP #71 TAA-1 - January 27, 1961

LEAP modification completed - February 23, 1961

Departed Burbank on ferry flight to Melbourne - February 23, 1961

Flight crew: Capts V.C. Austen, M.I. Fitzgerald, T.R. Bennet; F/O K.J. Purnell; F/E F.C. Storer

Set a speed record between Brisbane-Melbourne of 148 mins 30 seconds - March 13, 1961

Set a speed record between Melbourne-Sydney of 54 minutes (Capt G.J. White) - July 8, 1961

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

Operated final TAA service as TN406 Canberra-Sydney - April 30, 1971

Ferried Sydney-Brisbane as TN2890 for storage (Capt Humphries) - April 30, 1971

Aircraft had flown 34,063 hours and 26,925 cycles

Test flown at Brisbane (Capt S. Arnold, R. Hickey; F/E R. Verity) - September 15, 1971

Test flown at Brisbane before being ferried Brisbane-Melbourne direct in 2 hrs 35 mins - February 7, 1972

Flight crew: Capts S. Arnold, A. Hofman; F/E R. Verity

Leased to Royal Air Lao - as XW-PKA - May 1972

Aircraft was named 'Tiao Anou'

Arrived Vientiane on delivery from Miami, Florida - July 18, 1972

Grounded and used as a source of parts to keep Electra XW-PKB airworthy - December 1973

Fearing seizure of aircraft by new Lao Government work commenced to return it to airworthy status - August 1974

Parts were sourced from XW-PKB which was in Hong Kong for overhaul

Departed Vientiane for Seletar, Singapore for overhaul by Lockheed - September 20, 1974

Flight crew: Capts A. Ogle; F/O A. Adolph; F/E W. Dettori; Mechanic P. Dreith

Arrived Seletar after exciting delivery flight - September 21, 1974

Aircraft did not fly again

Sold to American Jet Industies along with Electra XW-PKB - 1975

Scrapped at Seletar, Singapore late 1975 / early 1976

VH-TLA. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - in the original silver tail livery, June 1959.

(Image 1808-508. P. J. Gates Collection via TAA)

VH-TLA. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - in the original silver tail livery, June 1959.

(Image 1808-183. R. N. Smith Collection via TAA)

VH-TLA. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - in the original silver tail livery at Essendon Airport, June 1959.

(Image 1808-526. R. N. Smith Collection via TAA)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - new titles and dayglow tail livery at Sydney Airport, June 1962.

(Image 1808-184. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - new titles and dayglow tail livery at Brisbane Airport, July 1962.

(Image 1808-186. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - new titles and dayglow tail livery, July 1962.

(Image 1808-344. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - new titles and dayglow tail livery at Brisbane Airport, 1962.

(Image 1808-565. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, July 1966.

(Image 1808-188. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery at Sydney Airport, December 1966.

(Image 1808-189. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery at Brisbane Airport, December 1966.

(Image 1808-509. B. Dannecker Collection)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, June 1967.

(Image 1808-505. J. Hopton Photograph)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, January 1968.

(Image 1808-560. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery at Sydney Airport, April 1970.

(Image 1808-566. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery, stored at Brisbane Airport, December 1971.

(Image 1808-195. E. D. Daw Photograph)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery, stored at Brisbane Airport, December 1971.

(Image 1808-194. E. D. Daw Photograph)

VH-TLA. TAA The Nation's Jetline - in the final livery stored at Melbourne Airport, February 1972.

(Image 1808-191. B. Dannecker Collection)

 

N188LA. Concare Aircraft Leasing - white colors & no titles at Melbourne Airport, March 1972.

(Image 1808-737. G. Bennett Collection)

N188LA. Concare Aircraft Leasing - white colors & no titles at Melbourne Airport, April 1972.

(Image 1808-352. R. N. Smith Collection)

XW-PKA. Royal Air Lao - in original livery with english titles at Singapore, November 1972.

(Image 1808-547. R. N. Smith Collection)