VH-DHE. Boeing 727-2J4A. c/n 22080-1598.
Was also registered as: OY-SBF; N729DH; HS-SCK.
This aircraft was ordered new by Sterling Airways A/S - ? First flown as 'N7278V' - March 19, 1980 Powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 engines Delivered to Sterling Airways A/S - March 26, 1980 Entered onto the Danish Aircraft Register as OY-SBF - ? Sterling Airways A/S ceased operations - September 22, 1993 It was transferred to Sterling European (a revamped Sterling Airways) - March 1994 Sold to First Security Bank of Utah NA Trustee - January 05, 1995 Cancelled from the Danish Aircraft Register - January 05, 1995 Leased to DHL Worldwide - January 05, 1995 Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N729DH - January 05, 1995 It was observed at Miami in Sterling European livery as 'N729DH' - January 11, 1995 Converted to freighter configuration - May 1995 Sold to European Air Transport - May 1995 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-DHE - May 22, 1995 Registered to DHL International (Aust) Pty Ltd Leased to Premier Airlines as the registered operator Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - May 03, 1995 Arrived Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on completion of the ferry flight from the United States - June 03, 1995 Ferry route: Miami - Los Angeles - Apia - Auckland - Sydney Premier Airlines was renamed Asian Express Airlines - November 22, 1996 Leased to Asian Express Airlines Pty Ltd as the registered operator - November 29, 1996 It was operated by Asian Express Airlines in the standard DHL livery Leased by Ansett Air Freight - December 1996 to June 1997 Utilised on trans-Tasman air freight services - Sydney - Auckland - Sydney Ferried Auckland - Sydney - Brisbane - Darwin - Tainan for maintenance with Air Asia - December 24 - 25, 1999 It was modified to comply with Stage 3 noise requirements and fitted with TCAS during C-Check Ferried Tainan - Darwin - Brisbane - January 24 - 25, 2000 Returned to service Brisbane - Auckland as HJ92 - January 25, 2000 Ferried Auckland - San Jose (Costa Rica) for maintenance and repaint into the new DHL livery - December 23, 2002 Arrived Auckland in new red / yellow DHL livery after maintenance - February 19, 2003 Registered to European Air Transport, Brussels - January 31, 2005 Leased to Asian Express Airlines as the registered operator It was observed undergoing maintenance with ANZES at Christchurch - March 24, 2005 Test flown at Christchurch after maintenance - June 22, 2005 Ferried Christchurch - Auckland as HJ4 - June 22, 2005 Returned to service Auckland - Christchurch - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Brisbane as HJ91 - June 26, 2005 Registered to European Air Transport, Brussels - January 31, 2006 Leased to Asian Express Airlines as the registered operator Ferried Auckland - Subang (Malaysia) for maintenance - February 17, 2008 Ferried Subang - Darwin - Brisbane - Auckland after maintenance as AXF/HJ96 - May 08 - 09, 2008 Asian Express Airlines was renamed Tasman Cargo Airlines - October 01, 2008 Ferried Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Darwin - Denpasar - Subang for maintenance as TMN6 - December 30, 2009 Ferried Subang - Darwin - Brisbane - Auckland after maintenance - March 05 - 06, 2010 Operated its final revenue service Auckland - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Auckland as HJ2 - August 31, 2010 Departed Auckland on the ferry flight to Thailand - February 25, 2011 Arrived Bangkok (Don Muang) on completion of the ferry flight - February 26, 2011 Ferry route: Auckland - Cairns - Denpasar - Bangkok (Don Muang) It was observed at Bangkok (Don Muang) as 'VH-DHE' in full DHL red / yellow livery - March 3, 2011 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 09, 2011 It was observed at Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) as 'HS-SCK' with DHL titles - March 09, 2011 Entered onto the Thai Aircraft Register as HS-SCK - March 11, 2011 Leased to K-Mile Air Co. Ltd, Thailand as the registered operator Operated in red / yellow DHL livery with K-Mile titles Withdrawn from service and ferried to U-Tapao for storage - January 2013 Returned to service with K-Mile - March 2013 It was observed at Hong Kong in a hybrid DHL livery - March 27, 2013 Ferried to U-Tapao for storage - July 10, 2013 Ferried U-Tapao - Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) for return to service with K-Mile - August 26, 2013 It was observed at U-Tapao in service with K-Mile - January 10, 2015 It was observed withdrawn from service and stored at U-Tapao - March 2015 The aircraft remains stored in good condition at U-Tapao - 2017 |
OY-SBF. Sterling - in the standard livery at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, October 1981. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-259.) |
OY-SBF. Sterling - in the standard livery with additional 'Skybus' titles at an unknown airport, December 1984. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-260.) |
VH-DHE. DHL Worldwide Express - in the standard livery at Auckland Airport, August 1995. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-780.) |
VH-DHE. DHL Worldwide Express - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-025.) |
VH-DHE. DHL Worldwide Express - in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, October 1997. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-530.) |
VH-DHE. DHL - in the revised livery with additional 'Surf Life Saving' promotional aids at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 10, 2003. (S. Chui Copyright Image 4610-727.) |
VH-DHE. DHL - in the revised livery with additional 'Surf Life Saving' promotional aids at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 10, 2003. (S. Chui Copyright Image 4610-728.) |
VH-DHE. DHL - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, June 2005. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-190.) |
VH-DHE. DHL - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, June 2006. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-247.) |
VH-DHE. DHL - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, June 2006. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-248.) |
HS-SCK. K-Mile DHL - in the standard DHL livery at Bangkok Airport, April 2012. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-357.) |