Built as a Lockheed L-1049G-82-153 - 1957

First flown - October 24, 1957

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAO - October 25, 1957

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Accepted by Qantas at Burbank - October 25, 1957

Departed Burbank, California on delivery flight - October 26, 1957

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - October 28, 1957

Delivery route: Burbank-Honolulu-Sydney

Aircraft was named 'Southern Aurora'

Entered Qantas service on Sydney-Hong Kong service - December 2, 1957

Flew proving & goodwill flight around the world with cities visited painted on a/c - December 20, 1957 to January 8, 1958

Flew inaugural round-the-world service via the 'Southern Cross' route - January 14, 1958 to January 20, 1958

Total flying time on this flight - 128 hours

Withdrawn from use and stored Sydney awaiting sale - September 1959

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - September 19, 1959

Sold to Lockheed Aircraft Coeporation - October 13, 1959

Had flown 5,874 hours 9 minutes and 932 cycles to date

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N9722C - October 13, 1959

Departed Sydney on delivery flight to Ontario - October 14, 1959

Leased to Qantas due to capacity shortage - August 18, 1960

Total time to date - 5,903 hours 7 minutes

Departed Portland on delivery flight to Australia - August 19, 1960

Ferry route: Portland-Honolulu-Nadi-Sydney

Cancelled from U.S. Aircraft Register - August 22, 1960

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAO - August 23, 1960

Aircraft was named 'Southern Prodigal'

Operated its first Qantas service on Sydney-Melbourne-Auckland-Nadi-Sydney route - August 24, 1960

Purchased from Lockheed - March 31, 1961

Departed Sydney on its final Qantas service - a migrant charter - February 13, 1962

Operated its final training flight - Sydney-Narromine-Sydney - February 25, 1962

Sold to California Airmotive Corp

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - March 5, 1963

Entered onto U.S. Aircraft Register as N86682 - March 1963

Departed Sydney on delivery flight to U.S.A. - March 5, 1963

Ferry route: Sydney-Nadi-Honolulu-San Francisco-Burbank

Leased to American Flyers Airline - 1965

Returned to California Airmotive & stored at Fox Field, Lancaster, California - November 1968

Cancelled from U.S. Aircraft Register - 1970

Scrapped - 1971

VH-EAO. Qantas - in the final livery with dayglow wingtip tanks at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

(K. Gould Photograph. 1802-021.)