VH-RMU Boeing 727-277A

VH-RMU. Boeing 727-277A. c/n 20548-907.

Was also registered as: N274WC; HK-3977X; YV-17C.

This aircraft was ordered new by Ansett Transport Industries - December 09, 1970

It was their first Boeing 727 series 200 aircraft

First flown - November 10, 1972

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-RMU - November 20, 1972

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

Flown Seattle - San Francisco for lease to United Airlines - November 20, 1972

This lease was the result of a general traffic downturn in Australia

Sub-leased to NASA for noise abatement testing using temporary registration N7640U - December 1972

Returned to Ansett and departed San Francisco on the delivery flight to Australia - February 17, 1973

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - February 19, 1973

Delivery route: San Francisco - Honolulu - Pago Pago - Nadi - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains A. Lane, B. McKenna, J. M. Whiteman; F/E W. Ross, F. Howard; Navigator W. C. Kennedy

Operated its first revenue service - February 26, 1973

Participated in the evacuation of Darwin following Cyclone Tracy - December 1974

It was badly damaged at Melbourne (Tullamarine) - August 19, 1976

The senior hostess lowered the rear passenger door onto a freight barrow parked under the tail

As the tug-driver moved off he ripped the door out of the aircraft, causing over $100,000 damage

Operated its final revenue service Adelaide - Melbourne (Captain A. Rankin) as AN213 - November 06, 1983

Withdrawn from use and stored at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport having flown 38,265 hours with 25,079 cycles

It was repainted into the standard Wein Air Alaska livery prior to departing Australia

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

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to the United States - December 06, 1983

Ferry route: Melbourne - Pago Pago - Honolulu - Seattle

Flight crew: Captains A. Boomsma, R. Donaldson (Melbourne - Honolulu sector)

Flight crew: Captains J. Dorward, T. Otway, F/E A. Clarke (Honolulu - Seattle sector)

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - December 08, 1983

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N274WC - ?

Registered to Ansett Industries Australia Ltd

Leased to Wien Air Alaska as the registered operator - December 16, 1983

Registered to Trans Pacific Enterprises Inc, Belleview, WA - June 1984

Wien Air Alaska ceased operations due to bankruptcy - November 28, 1984

The aircraft was returned to the lessor - November 29, 1984

Sub-leased to Republic Airlines - December 01, 1984

Ownership transferred to Trans Pacific Enterprises, Belleview, WA - June 1985

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

Leased to Braniff International as the registered operator - January 01, 1987

Sold to Aeron Aviation Corp - December 17, 1987

Leased to Braniff Internation Airways as the registered operator

Repossessed by Aeron - December 1989

Sold to Security Pacific Eurofinance - March 02, 1990

Leased to Lineas Aereas de Costa Rica (t/a LACSA) as the registered operator - March 02, 1990 to April 1992

Leased to HCL Aviation (t/a Av Atlantic) as the registered operator - May 15, 1992 to June 15, 1994

Sub-leased to Braniff International - May 1992 to July 1992

Repossessed by First Security Bank, Utah on behalf of Security Pacific Eurofinance - June 15, 1994

Leased to Servicios Aereos Rutas Oriente SA (SARO) as the registered operator - November 1994

Entered onto the Colombian Aircraft Register as HK-3977X - December 01, 1994

Leased to Aerolineas Centrales de Colombia SA (t/a ACES Colombia) as the registered operator - December 20, 1994

Offered for sale by Aeron Aviation Resources having flown 71,540 hours - May 14, 2001

Sold to Pegasus Aircraft Partners

Sold to Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela CA (t/a Aeropostal) - May 2003

Entered onto the Venezuelan Aircraft Register as YV-17C - May 2003

Reported as being used for parts by Aeropostal - June 2003

Current status - ?

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, February 1973.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-902.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 10, 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-253.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 03, 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-390.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 06, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-254.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 10, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-391.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 12, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-392.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 15, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-164.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 20, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-401.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 10, 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-393.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-701.)

VH-RMU. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-790.)

VH-RMU. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, August 19, 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-695.)

VH-RMU. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional 'Official Carrier Commonwealth Games Brisbane 1982' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, August 20, 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-394.)

VH-RMU. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 15, 1983.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-395.)

VH-RMU. Wien Air Alaska - in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-396.)

N274WC. Wien Air Alaska - in the standard livery at Seattle Airport, February 1984.

(S. A. Hills Copyright Image 4610-932.)

N274WC. Wien Air Alaska - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, May 1984.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-152.)

N274WC. Republic - in the revised livery at San Francisco Airport, February 1985.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-397.)

N274WC. Republic - in the revised livery at an unknown airport, March 24, 1985.

(A. Miller Copyright Image 4610-933.)

N274WC. Braniff - in the standard livery at Dallas Fort Worth Airport, October 1989.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-122.)

N274WC. Lacsa - in the all-white livery at an unknown airport, December 1991.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-201.)

N274WC. Lacsa - in the revised livery at an unknown airport, March 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-724.)

N274WC. Av Atlantic - in the basic Lacsa livery at Miami Airport, August 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-153.)

N274WC. Av Atlantic - in the all-white livery at Miami Airport, April 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-179.)

N274WC. Av Atlantic - in the all-white livery at Miami Airport, May 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-154.)

HK-3977X. Aces Colombia - in the standard livery at Miami Airport, January 1998.