Ordered new by Qantas Empire Airways Limited - September 8, 1964

Cost of aircraft was 1,000,000 pounds Australian

Powered by Bristol Siddeley Viper 521 engines

Originally built as a Series 1B aircraft but modified by Qantas to Series 3B standard

Constructed at Chester and fitted out as a Boeing 707 trainer

First flown at Chester - 1966

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ECF - July 8, 1966

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Limited

Accepted by Qantas at Chester - July 8, 1966

Aircraft had flown 56 hours to date

Departed Hatfield on delivery flight to Australia as QF070-D102 - July 4, 1966

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - July 8, 1966

Delivery route: Hatfield-Athens-Beirut-Bahrain-Karachi-New Delhi-Calcutta-Bangkok-Kula Lumpur-

Jakarta-Denpasar-Darwin-Mount Isa-Sydney

Flight crew: Capts T. Chaseling

Operated first training flight Sydney-Avalon - August 2, 1966

Ferried Sydney-London to compete in the BP England-Australia Air Race - December 1969

Departed London (Gatwick) at start of race - January 1, 1970

Route: London-Brindisi-Damascus-Bahrain-Karachi-Nagpur-Rangoon-Singapore-Denpasar-

Meekatharra-Adelaide (Parafield)

Crossed finish line at Adelaide after flying 27 hours 30 minutes 29 seconds - January 2, 1970

Flew Adelaide-Sydney (Bankstown) - January 2, 1970

Total flight time: 29 hours 0 minutes 29 seconds

Flight crew: Capts A. Dobson, S. Beeson, H. Faulkinar; S/O Huggett; Engineer M. Pruss

Aircraft won the Executive Jet Class award

Operated final training flight Sydney-Avalon-Hobart-Sydney - September 29, 1972

Withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney Airport

Aircraft had flown 5,290.41 hours

Sold to MacAlpine Aviation, Luton, Bedfordshire, U.K. - September 20, 1972

Sale price was $AUD 485,000

Arrived Luton at conclusion of delivery flight - November 28, 1972

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 28, 1972

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-BAXI - November 1972

Sold to Denis Vanguard International Ltd (Switchgear) - 1976

Aircraft was reregistered as G-BAXL

Engines were upgraded to Rolls-Royce 522 Tyne

Sold to Slender You (U.K.) Ltd - May 11, 1989

Aircraft was reregistered as G-OBOB - July 25, 1989

Aircraft was destroyed when it crashed into a field near US Highway 63 - January 30, 1990

Crash site was 5 kms east of Colombia Regional Airport, Montana

Was on flight from Crossville Memorial Airport, Tennessee to Kansas City (Johnson Executive), Montana

2 crew members and 1 passenger were on board at the time

1 crew member killed - 2 survivors were badly injured

At time of crash the aircraft was on descent from Flight Level 310 when both engines flamed out

Cause was attributed to an inadequate preflight inspection and water contamination in fuel

Deice fluid (methanol) was low and subsequent ice formation blocked fuel filters

Darkness was also a related factor

Aircraft had flown a total of 8,720 hours

Fuselage remains still in existance at White Industries, Bates City - October 2, 2007

VH-ECF. Qantas - in the original livery on handover at Hatfield, July 8, 1966.

VH-ECF. Qantas - in the original livery at Avalon Airport, 1967.

VH-ECF. Qantas - in the original livery at Port Moresby Airport, 1967.