VH-TBN Boeing 727-276A

VH-TBN. Boeing 727-276A. c/n 21479-1357.

Was also registered as: XA-SJE.

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

It was rolled out at Seattle (Boeing Field) - May 22, 1978

First flown - June 09, 1978

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TBN - June 26, 1978

Departed Seattle (Boeing Field) on the delivery flight to Australia - June 27, 1978

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - June 30, 1978

Delivery route: Seattle - Honolulu - Pago Pago - Brisbane - Melbourne

The aircraft was named 'Caroline Chisholm'

It operated its first revenue service - July 07, 1978

It operated its last service in the original livery - September 30, 1983

Rolled out at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in the 'camel-hump' livery - November 06, 1983

Returned to service - November 09, 1983

Trans-Australia Airlines changed its name to Australian Airlines - August 04, 1986

Rolled out at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in the Australian Airlines livery - March 29, 1987

Returned to service - March 31, 1987

It was officially transferred to Australian Airlines - July 11, 1988

This aircraft was leased to Air Vanuatu - March 1989

Australian Airlines titles and logo were removed from the aircraft at Melbourne (Tullamarine) - March 23, 1989

Rolled out at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in the basic Australian livery with Air Vanuatu titles - March 30, 1989

The aircraft was renamed 'Spirit of Vanuatu' - June 09, 1989

It was sold to Air Vanuatu - April 1990

It was then leased back by Australian Airlines for regular services from Monday to Friday

It operated Air Vanuatu services on Saturday and Sunday

Entered service in the standard Air Vanuatu livery after repainting at Melbourne (Tullamarine) - April 28, 1990

It operated its final revenue service - October 30, 1992

Withdrawn from use and stored at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport

It had flown 43,420 hours with 29,287 cycles

The Air Vanuatu titles were removed at Melbourne (Tullamarine) - May 08, 1993

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to the United States as TN6902 - June 10, 1993

Ferry route: Melbourne - Apia - Honolulu - Dallas (Fort Worth)

Sold to Extex International - June 11, 1993

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 15, 1993

Sold to Aeroexo - September 1993

Entered onto the Mexican Aircraft Register as XA-SJE - ?

Leased to Aviacsa as the registered operator - December 1994 to March 1996

AeroExo operations were transferred to Aviacsa - 2000 - 2001

This aircraft was retro-fitted with winglets - ?

Withdrawn from service and stored at Mexico City - April 2006

Current status - ?

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Brisbane Airport, August 1978.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-092.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-643.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-644.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-645.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-646.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-263.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-647.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-648.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-649.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-650.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-651.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the original livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-652.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the 'camel hump' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1985.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-653.)

VH-TBN. TAA Trans Australia - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the 'camel hump' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 1986.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-654.)

VH-TBN. Australian - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, July 1987.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-294.)

VH-TBN. Australian - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, July 1987.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-575.)

VH-TBN. Australian - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, July 1987.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-926.)

VH-TBN. Australian - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-655.)

VH-TBN. Australian - 'Caroline Chisholm' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-656.)

VH-TBN. Air Vanuatu - 'Spirit of Vanuatu' in the basic Australian livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 10, 1989.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-995.)

VH-TBN. Air Vanuatu - 'Spirit of Vanuatu' in the basic Australian livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1989.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4610-535.)

VH-TBN. Air Vanuatu - 'Spirit of Vanuatu' in the basic Australian livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1989.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4610-657.)

VH-TBN. Air Vanuatu - 'Spirit of Vanuatu' in the basic Australian livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1989.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-658.)

VH-TBN. Air Vanuatu - 'Spirit of Vanuatu' in the basic Australian livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-634.)

VH-TBN. Air Vanuatu - 'Spirit of Vanuatu' in the basic Australian livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-996.)

VH-TBN. Air Vanuatu - 'Spirit of Vanuatu' in the basic Australian livery at Brisbane Airport, October 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-956.)

VH-TBN. Air Vanuatu - in the basic Australian livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-659.)

XA-SJE. Aviacsa - in the hybrid livery at an unknown airport, March 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-712.)

XA-SJE. Aviacsa - in the standard livery at Tijuana Airport, December 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-221.)

XA-SJE. Aviacsa - in the final livery at an unknown airport, June 2005.