VH-RMV Boeing 727-277A

VH-RMV. Boeing 727-277A. c/n 20549-989.

Was also registered as: N275WC; YU-AKR; VH-TXH.

This was the second of four new aircraft ordered by Ansett Airlines - December 09, 1970

First flown - November 05, 1973

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-RMV - November 14, 1973

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd, Melbourne

Departed Seattle on the delivery flight to Australia - November 14, 1973

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - November 16, 1973

Delivery route: Seattle - San Francisco - Hilo - Pago Pago - Nadi - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains N. Murdoch, I. K. Armstrong, M. Wheaton; F/E H. Clark; Navigator B. S. McEwen

It operated its first revenue service - November 22, 1973

It was involved in the evacuation of Darwin following the city's devistation by Cyclone Tracy

Set a world record for the number of people uplifted in a single flight - December 28, 1974

This record was for 321 people - 311 passengers, 3 company staff and 7 crew members

Damaged when the starboard undercarriage went through the wing on landing at Melbourne - September 05, 1981

Was operating service Coolangatta - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN1183

It operated its final revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Melbourne (Tullamarine) - October 18, 1983

Flight crew: Captain P. Sullivan

Withdrawn from use and stored at Melbourne (Tullamarine) having flown 31,407 hours with 23,413 cycles

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to the United States - November 13, 1983

Ferry route: Melbourne - Nadi - Pago Pago - Hilo - San Francisco - Seattle

Flight crew: Captains J. Duff, P. Johnson; F/E B. Webber

Ownership transferred to Ansett Industries Australia Ltd, Sun Valley, California

Leased to Wien Air Alaska - November 13, 1983

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 30, 1983

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N275WC - December 01, 1983

Ownership transferred to Trans Pacific Enterprises, Belleview, WA - June 1984

Leased to Republic Airlines following Wien's bankruptcy - December 01, 1984

Transferred to Northwest Airlines when it merged with Republic Airlines - October 01, 1986

Sub-leased to Braniff as the registered operator - August 01, 1987

Sold to Aeron Aviation Corp but the lease to Braniff was continued - December 17, 1987

Rolled out in the 'Braniff' livery at Miami - December 19, 1987

Sold to Express One International but did not enter service with them - February 08, 1990

Leased to Aviogenex as the registered operator - March 17, 1990

Entered onto the Yugoslav Aircraft Register as YU-AKR - ?

Returned to Express One at the end of the lease - November 15, 1990

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N275WC - ?

Leased to Braniff Airlines as the registered operator - November 1990

Returned to Express One at the end of the lease - May 1992

Converted to freighter configuration - 1994 / 1995

Sold to Central BLF Inc and leased back to Express One - February 1995

Withdrawn from use and stored at Grayson, Texas - June 1995

Sold to Aviation Enterprises Inc and sub-leased to Express One - November 13, 1996

It operated its first revenue service with United States Postal Service - December 12, 1998

Offered for sale by Jack Previtt & Associates - 2001

Leased to Transasain Air Express as the registered operator - 2002

It arrived Melbourne (Tullamarine) on delivery to Transasian Air Express - April 12, 2002

Delivery route: Alexandria (Louisiana) - Oakland - Honolulu - Majuro - Noumea - Melbourne

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TXH - May 10, 2002

Registered to Transasian Air Express

Transasian Air Express was renamed TransAustralian Air Express - May 28, 2002

It operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Launceston as XM7074 - September 11, 2002

TransAustralian Air Express Pty Ltd changed its name to TransAustralian Air (T.A.A.) - March 20, 2003

Transferred to National Jet Systems after T.A.A. placed under administration - July 16, 2003

Continued to operate for Australian air Express

Registered to National Jet Express Pty Ltd (t/a JETEX) - November 26, 2003

Operated final revenue service Perth - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as XM7034 - March 30, 2007

Aircraft had flown 67,259 hours with 43,504 cycles

Stored at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport

Registered to Australian Air Express Pty Ltd - May 17, 2007

Sold to C & L Aerospace, Brisbane

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - September 10, 2007

Scrapped on site at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport - February 05, 2008

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1975.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-876.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-432.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-804.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, June 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-805.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, February 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-806.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, March 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-964.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, June 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-437.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, February 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-877.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-807.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-808.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-809.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-878.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-352.)

VH-RMV. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-879.)

VH-RMV. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-880.)

VH-RMV. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-075.)

N275WC. Republic - in the interim livery at an unknown airport, November 1985.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-881.)

N275WC. Northwest - in the interim livery at an unknown airport, September 1986.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-965.)

N275WC. Braniff - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, May 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-007.)

N275WC. Braniff - in the standard livery at Orlando Airport, October 1989.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-123.)

YU-AKR. Aviogenex - in the basic Braniff livery at an unknown airport, May 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-821.)

YU-AKR. Aviogenex - in the basic Braniff livery at an unknown airport, May 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-882.)

N275WC. Braniff International - in the 'lime green' livery at Orlando Airport, May 1991.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-180.)

N275WC. Braniff International - in the 'lime green' livery at an unknown airport, July 1991.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-736.)

N275WC. Express One - in the standard livery at Miami Airport, February 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-008.)

N275WC. Transasian Air Express - in the basic U.S. Postal Service livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 2002.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-735.)

VH-TXH. Australian air Express - in the all-white livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-168.)

VH-TXH. Australian air Express - in the all-white livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 2002.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-217.)

VH-TXH. Australian air Express - in the standard livery at Townsville Airport, March 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-290.)

VH-TXH. Australian air Express - in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, circa 2007.