VH-EAD. Boeing 707-338C. c/n 19624-689.

Was also registered as: A20-624; N624RH.

 

 

This aircraft was ordered new by Qantas Airways - ?

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Seattle (Renton) - February 12, 1968

First flown at Seattle as VH-EAD - March 18, 1968

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAD - March 27, 1968

Registered to Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney

Accepted by B. Langevad for Qantas Airways at Seattle - March 27, 1968

This aircraft was the 28th Boeing airliner delivered to Qantas Airways

It was the 28th Boeing 707 delivered to Qantas

Departed Seattle (18:14 local) on the delivery flight to Australia as QF051D - March 27, 1968

It arrived at Sydney (Kingsford Smith - 15:56 local) on completion of the delivery flight - March 29, 1968

Delivery route: Seattle - Honolulu - Nadi - Sydney

The aircraft was named 'City of Melbourne'

Operated its first revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Christchurch - April 17, 1968

The aircraft was renamed 'City of Newcastle' - May 25, 1971

The aircraft was renamed 'City of Ballarat' - April 16, 1974

Operated the final Qantas Boeing 707 service Sydney - Johanessburg - Sydney as QF641/870 - December 29, 1976

Route: Sydney - Perth - Johannesburg - Perth - Sydney

Operated its final revenue service Sydney - Auckland - Sydney - February 04, 1979

Withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney (Kingsford Smith)

The aircraft had flown 37,140:30 hours with 14,618 cycles

Prepared for sale to the Royal Australian Air Force

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 30, 1979

Sold to the Royal Australian Air Force - April 01, 1979

Entered onto the Australian Military Aircraft Register as A20-624

Ferried Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Sydney (Richmond) on delivery to the R. A. A. F. - June 01, 1979

It was named 'Richmond Town' at the RAAF Base Richmond

It was allocated to No 33 Transport Squadron with radio call-sign 'VM-NUQ'

Utilised to carry Pope John Paul II on his Australian Papal Tour - November 1986

Converted for use as an aerial refuelling tanker - ?

Repainted into RAAF grey livery - December 1998

It had flown 49,431 hours - November 19, 2001

Operated its final 'Farewell' flight over the City of Sydney - June 30, 2008

It was officially retired at a special ceremony at Sydney (RAAF Richmond) - June 30, 2008

It had flown a total of 50,964.8 hours with 13,824 hours flown in RAAF service

Stored at RAAF Richmond its pending sale to Omega Air, U.S.A.

Sold to Omega Air Inc by Commonwealth of Australia Defence Disposal Agency - April 07, 2011

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N624RH - June 01, 2011

Registered to Omega Air Inc, San Antonio, Texas

It was observed stored near the control tower at Sydney (Richmond) - June 06, 2011

It was observed undergoing maintenance at Sydney (Richmond) - June 28, 2011

Test flown at Sydney (Richmond) - October 22, 2011

Departed Sydney (Richmond) on the ferry flight to the United States as 'Omega 74' - October 23, 2011

It arrived at Golden Isles Airport, Brunswick, Georgia on completion of the ferry flight - October 25, 2011

Ferry route: Sydney - Pago Pago - Honolulu - Brunswick

Will undergo deep maintenance before entering service

 

 

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1968.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-249.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' Coat of Arms.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1950-165.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1968.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-250.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1968.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-251.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1968.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-254.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1968.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-252.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1968.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-253.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1968.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-248.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1968.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 4605-255.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Melbourne' in the 'V-Jet' livery at Mexico City Airport, April 1969.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-141.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Newcastle' in the modified 'V-Jet' livery at San Francisco Airport, August 1972.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4605-217.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Newcastle' Coat of Arms.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1950-175.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Newcastle' in the modified 'V-Jet' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1974.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-065.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Newcastle' in the modified 'V-Jet' livery at Frankfurt Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-561.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 11, 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-070.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' Coat of Arms.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1950-176.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 16, 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-097.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery with additional 'Garuda' decal at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1978.

(N. Louis Copyright Image 4605-404.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 19, 1978.

(G. Wilkes Copyright Image 4604-106.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 19, 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-067.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Brisbane Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-002.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Brisbane Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-193.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 25, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4605-218.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 28, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-066.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 30, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-071.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 30, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-069.)

VH-EAD. Qantas Australia - 'City of Ballarat' in the 'ochre' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, February 04, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-068.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 10, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4605-496.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 10, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4605-400.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 10, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4604-072.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - 'Richmond Town' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1979.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4604-551.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - 'Richmond Town' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, February 1980.

(N. Louis Copyright Image 4605-436.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - 'Richmond Town' in the original livery at Sydney Richmond Airport, May 11, 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4605-435.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - 'Richmond Town' in the revised livery at Tucson Airport, June 1985.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-074.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - 'Richmond Town' in the revised livery at Denver Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-552.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, February 1999.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4604-075.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - in the final livery with additional '29 Years of service to the Nation' titles at Brisbane Airport, February 2008.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-628.)

A20-624. Royal Australian Air Force - in the final livery with additional '29 Years of service to the Nation' titles at Brisbane Airport, February 2008.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4604-627.)

N624RH. Omega Tanker - in the grey livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4605-437.)