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VH-TAF. Boeing 737-376. c/n 23477-1225. Was also registered as: ZS-OKB. |
This was the first of twelve aircraft ordered new by Trans-Australia Airlines - May 27, 1985 Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton - April 02, 1986 Powered by CFM International CFM56-3C1 engines First flown as 'N3281U' at Renton - April 16, 1986 Accepted by Trans-Australia Airlines and handed back to Boeing to further test the new EFIS equipment Trans-Australia Airlines (T.A.A.) was renamed Australian Airlines - August 04, 1986 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAF - October 03, 1986 Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne Accepted by Australian Airlines at Seattle (Boeing Field) - October 03, 1986 Departed Seattle (Boeing Field) on the delivery flight to Australia - October 05, 1986 It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - October 07, 1986 Delivery route: Seattle - Hilo - Pago Pago - Noumea - Melbourne The aircraft was named 'Courageous' Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as TN472 - October 20, 1986 Australian Airlines was sold to Qantas Airways - September 14, 1992 Australian Airlines was merged with Qantas Airways - October 31, 1993 Ownership was transferred to Qantas Airways Ltd - December 08, 1993 Leased to Air Vanuatu - March 04, 2003 to April 10, 2003 Operated its first Air Vanuatu revenue service Brisbane - Honiara as IE701 - March 04, 2003 Operated its final Air Vanuatu revenue service Port Vila - Brisbane as NF20 - April 10, 2003 Operated final Qantas revenue service Adelaide (West Beach) - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as QF698 - August 08, 2003 Sold to Comair, South Africa Test flown at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in the basic Qantas livery without titles - August 18, 2003 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 21, 2003 Entered onto the South African Aircraft Register as ZS-OKB - August 22, 2003 Registered to Comair Limited, South Africa Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to South Africa - August 22, 2003 Ferry route: Melbourne - Port Headland - Cocos Islands - Male - Mahe - Johannesburg Operated its first Comair revenue service Johannesburg - Port Elizabeth as BA3619 - September 22, 2003 Operated by Comair in standard British Airways livery as a franchise carrier Withdrawn from service - ? It was observed at Johannesburg in British Airways livery with tail and horizontal stabiliser missing - October 04, 2014 Cancelled from the South African Aircraft Register - January 16, 2015 Preserved off-airport at Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, Johannesburg - January 25, 2015 Used as a cabin trainer by Comair in standard British Airways livery |
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N3281U. Australian - in the standard livery at Seattle Boeing Field, July 04, 1986. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4622-142.) |
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VH-TAF. Australian - 'Courageous' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 06, 1987. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4620-547.) |
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VH-TAF. Australian - 'Courageous' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1988. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 4623-027.) |
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VH-TAF. Australian - 'Courageous' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, July 1988. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-044.) |
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VH-TAF. Australian - 'Courageous' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4622-255.) |
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VH-TAF. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'Courageous' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, May 1994. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-045.) |
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VH-TAF. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'Courageous' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1994. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4622-825.) |
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VH-TAF. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'Courageous' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, July 2002. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-224.) |
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ZS-OKB. British Airways - in the standard livery with additional 'Operated by Comair Limited' titles at Johannesburg Airport, October 2003. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4622-271.) |