VH-TCA. Boeing 757-236PCF. c/n 25620-449.

 

This aircraft was ordered new by British Airways but it was not taken up

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Seattle - March 25, 1992

First flown as 'G-IEAC' - April 15, 1992

Powered by Rolls Royce RB-211-535-E4 engines

Accepted by Sunrock Aircraft Corporation at Seattle - April 28, 1992

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-IEAC - April 28, 1992

Registered to Sunrock Aircraft Corporation, Dublin, Ireland

Leased to Inter European Airlines as the registered operator

Inter European Airways parent company, Aspro Travel, was acquired by the Airtours Group - June 1993

Leased to Airtours International Airways Ltd, Cardiff

Sub-leased to Inter European Airways as the registered operator

Inter European Airways ceased operations and taken over by the Airtours Group - October 18, 1993

The aircraft was returned to Sunrock Aircraft Corporation on termination of the lease - October 18, 1993

It was then reregistered as G-CSVS - October 19, 1993

Registered to Sunrock Aircraft Corporation, Dublin, Ireland

Leased to Airtours International as the registered operator - October 19, 1993

Arrived Manchester on delivery to Airtours International - November 01, 1993

Operated its final Airtours service Orlando (Sanford) - Manchester - March 29, 1998

Returned to Sunrock Aircraft Corporation on termination of the lease - April 25, 1998

Sold to FIH Leasing - April 1998

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - April 30, 1998

Entered onto the Icelandic Aircraft Register as TF-GRL - April 30, 1998

Registered to FIH Leasing

Leased to Greenlandair as the registered operator

Ferried Manchester - Hamburg for repainting into the Greenlandair livery - May 01, 1998

Ferried Hamburg - Copenhagen in the Greenlandair livery as GRL757 - May 10, 1998

The aircraft was named 'Kunuunnguag' (Little Knud) referring to the Danish explorer Knud Rasmussen

Enter service with Greenlandair - May 11, 1998

Cancelled from the Icelandic Aircraft Register - June 01, 1999

Entered onto the Danish Aircraft Register as OY-GRL - June 01, 1999

Leased to Greenlandair as the registered operator

Greenlandair was renamed Air Greenland - July 01, 2002

It was observed at Copenhagen in the new Air Greenland livery - May 24, 2004

Registered to Air Greenland A/s - May 06, 2005

Observed stored at Copenhagen - November 14, 2010

It was observed stored inside a hangar at Copenhagen without titles and logo - February 10, 2011

Sold to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Trustee, Salt Lake City, Utah - March 17, 2011

Cancelled from the Danish Aircraft Register - March 17, 2011

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N701AX - March 18, 2011

Registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Trustee, Salt Lake City, Utah

Ferried Copenhagen - Bangor - Jacksonville as GN026 - March 22, 2011

The aircraft was converted to freighter configuration at Jacksonville

The intended lease to CargoBis (Brazil) as 'PP-BIZ' did not eventuate

The freighter conversion was completed at Jacksonville - June 2011

Departed Jacksonville on the ferry flight to the United Kingdom on DHL livery - July 21, 2011

Arrived East Midlands on completion of the ferry flight - July 22, 2011

Ferried route Jacksonville - Bangor - East Midlands

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - July 28, 2011

Sold to European Air Transport Leipzig GmbH, Germany - July 28, 2011

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-CSVS - July 29, 2011

Registered to European Air Transport Leipzig GmbH, Germany

Leased to DHL as the registered operator

It was observed at East Midlands in the yellow DHL livery - August 05, 2011

Departed East Midlands on the ferry flight to New Zealand - August 11, 2011

Arrived Auckland on completion of the ferry flight in the DHL yellow / red livery - August 14, 2011

Ferry route: East Midlands - Bahrain - Singapore - Sydney - Auckland

Leased to Tasman Cargo Airlines as the registered operator

Operated its first Tasman Cargo Airlines service Auckland - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as TMN1 - August 20, 2011

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - June 28, 2013

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TCA - July 03, 2013

Registered to European Air Transport, Schkeuditz, Germany

Leased to Tasman Cargo Airlines Pty Ltd, Sydney as the registered operator

Test flown Auckland - Auckland as TMN1 - July 08, 2013

Returned to service Auckland - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as TMN92 - July 10, 2013

Rolled out at Auckland with large 'Rugby World Cup' and 'Official Logistic Partner' titles - October 25, 2013

DHL has been the official logistics partner for the TV show 'The Grand Tour' since its inception in 2016

The aircraft was rolled out at Auckland with the image of Jeremy Clarkson on the tail - November 10, 2017

It also had 'The Flying Orangutan' titles above the aircraft registration on the rear fuselage

Returned to service Auckland - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - November 11, 2017

The aircraft is now named 'The Flying Orangutan'

Operated its final revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Auckland as TMN2 - October 09, 2018

It was withdrawn from service by Tasman Cargo Airlines at Auckland - 2018

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 23, 2018

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-DHKZ (CoR G-DHKZ/R1) - October 23, 2018

Registered to DHL Air Limited, Diegem, Belgium

The aircraft had flown 59,132 hours - October 29, 2018

Departed Auckland on the ferry flight to Singapore as DHK1P - October 31, 2018

The end-of-lease maintence was carried out at Singapore

Departed Singapore on the ferry flight to the United Kingdom - November 10, 2018

Arrived East Midlands on completion of the ferry flight - November 11, 2018

Ferry route: Auckland - Sydney - Singapore - Bahrein - East Midlands

Returned to service with DHL - ?

The aircraft was observed performing circuit training at East Midlands - December 01, 2018

The aircraft is based at East Midlands

 

 

G-IEAC. Inter European - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, July 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4640-019.)

G-CSVS. Airtours - in the original livery at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, August 1994.

(N. Roozen Copyright Image 4640-023.)

G-CSVS. Airtours - in the revised livery at an unknown airport, March 1995.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4640-024.)

OY-GRL. Greenlandair - in the original livery at an unknown airport, May 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4640-020.)

OY-GRL. Air Greenland - in the revised livery at Milan Malpensa Airport, June 2005.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4640-021.)

OY-GRL. Air Greenland - in the revised livery at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, May 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4640-036.)

OY-GRL. Air Greenland - in the revised livery at an unknown airport, May 2007.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4640-022.)

VH-TCA. DHL - in the standard livery with additional 'Official Logistics Partner - Rugby World Cup 2015' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, October 08, 2014.

(G. Louis Copyright Image 4640-025.)

VH-TCA. DHL - in the standard livery with additional 'Official Logistics Partner - Rugby World Cup 2015' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, October 11, 2014.

(G. Louis Copyright Image 4640-026.)

VH-TCA. DHL - in the standard livery with additional 'Official Logistics Partner - Rugby World Cup 2015' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, October 11, 2014.

(G. Louis Copyright Image 4640-027.)

VH-TCA. DHL - 'The Flying Orangutan' in the standard livery with additional 'Grand Tour' titles and logo at Christchurch Airport, December 03, 2017.

(Z. Rae Copyright Image 4640-028.)

VH-TCA. DHL - 'The Flying Orangutan' in the standard livery with additional 'Grand Tour' titles and logo at Christchurch Airport, January 14, 2018.

(Z. Rae Copyright Image 4640-029.)