VH-TVL Vickers Viscount 756C

VH-TVL. Vickers Viscount 756C. c/n 197.

This aircraft was ordered new by Trans-Australia Airlines - ?

It was built at the Vickers-Armstrong Hurn factory

First flown - February 22, 1957

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TVL - March 01, 1957

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the delivery flight - March 01, 1957

Known crew: Captain R. Andrews; F/O McCallum; Navigator C. O. White; Radio Operator Hobbs

The aircraft was named 'James Cook'

It operated its first revenue service - March 21, 1957

Set a speed record between Adelaide - Perth of 4 hours 25 minutes (Captain L. W. Manning) - July 23, 1957

Set a speed record between Longreach - Brisbane of 112 minutes (Captain D. Lawrence) - September 01, 1957

The aircraft was renamed 'George Evans' - October 1964

The name was changed to allow 'James Cook' to be used on the Boeing 727-76 'VH-TJA'

Withdrawn from T.A.A. service and placed in storage at Melbourne (Essendon) - December 30, 1968

Returned to service with T.A.A. - February 27, 1969

It operated its final revenue service - August 19, 1969

Placed in storage at Brisbane (Eagle Farm) Airport

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 24, 1971

Sold to Les Arthur of the Toowoomba Aviation Museum - November 1971

It was dismantled and trucked by low-loader to Toowoomba - November 13, 1971

Sold to Jensens Metals, Toowoomba - 1978

Sold to J. Aspromourgus and transported to Wildmans Timber Yard - April 1989

Aircraft had flown 30,275 hours with 21,474 cycles

VH-TVL. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'James Cook' in the original livery at Hurn Airport, February 1957.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0129-329.)

VH-TVL. TAA The Nation's Jetline - 'James Cook' in the revised 'dayglow' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0129-035.)

VH-TVL. TAA The Nation's Jetline - 'George Evans' in the standard livery at Brisbane Eagle Farm Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0129-015.)

VH-TVL. TAA The Nation's Jetline - 'George Evans' in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0129-184.)

VH-TVL. TAA The Nation's Jetline - 'George Evans' in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1964.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0129-473.)

VH-TVL. TAA The Nation's Jetline - 'George Evans' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1965.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0129-124.)

VH-TVL. TAA The Nation's Jetline - 'George Evans' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1965.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0129-271.)

VH-TVL. TAA The Nation's Jetline - 'George Evans' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, September 24, 1967.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0129-330.)

VH-TVL. TAA - in the basic livery at Toowoomba, November 1979.

(G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 0129-349.)

VH-TVL. TAA - in the basic livery at Toowoomba, July 1987.

(G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 0129-331.)

VH-TVL. TAA - in the basic livery at Toowoomba, date unknown.