Built as a Lockheed L-1049C-55-81 - 1954

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAH - February 9, 1954

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

First flown - April 22, 1954

Accepted by Qantas at Burbank, California - April 25, 1954

Departed Burbank, California on delivery flight - April 26, 1954

Arrived Melbourne at conclusion of delivery flight - April 28, 1954

Delivery route: Burbank-Honolulu-Nadi-Melbourne

Aircraft was named 'Southern Sky'

Entered Qantas service Sydney-Vancouver - May 19, 1954

Flew inaugural Qantas L-1049 Sydney-London service - August 2, 1954

Modified to L-1049E-01-55 standard - September 1956

Underwent overhaul and fitment of weather radar - October 21 to November 17, 1957

Operated its final Qantas service Sydney-Melbourne-London - October 14, 1959

Sold to Lockheed - November 3, 1959

Had flown 15,581 hours 53minutes and 4,130 cycles to date

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - November 3, 1959

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N9716C - November 3, 1959

Departed Sydney on delivery flight to Ontario - November 4, 1959

Placed in storage at Burbank before being leased to Twentieth Century Airlines - 1959

Leased to Capitol Airways Inc - March 1961

Sold to Capitol Airways - December 1961

Withdrawn from service and stored at Wilmington, Delaware for use as spares - August 1964

Cancelled from U.S. Aircraft Register - 1967

Scrapped at Wilmington - August 1967

VH-EAH. Qantas - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 1802-007.)

VH-EAH. Qantas - in the full livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 1802-045.)