This was the second of three aircraft ordered new by Tasman Empire Airways Ltd

The purchase agreement was signed at Burbank - August 1958

Signatories: Sir Leonard Isitt (Chairman of Directors, TEAL); F. A. Reeves (General Manager, TEAL) and

J. E. Boyce ( Lockheed Director of Sales, Pacific Area)

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-TEB - November 24, 1959

Registered to Tasman Empire Airways Limited, Auckland, New Zealand

First flown at Burbank as ZK-TEB - December 10, 1959

Accepted by Tasman Empire Airways Limited at Burbank - December 18, 1959

The aircraft was named 'Atarau' (Moonlight)

Departed Burbank on the ferry flight to New Zealand - December 19, 1959

It arrived at Auckland on completion of the ferry flight - December 22, 1959

Ferry route: Burbank - Honolulu - Nadi - Auckland

Operated its first revenue service Auckland - Nadi - Auckland (Captain E .R. Tredrea) - January 01, 1960

TEAL changed its name to Air New Zealand - April 01, 1965

The aircraft was sold to California Airmotive Inc - May 1972

Cancelled from New Zealand Aircraft Register - May 30, 1972

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N33506 - May 30, 1972

Converted to passenger / freighter configuration using parts from Electra c/n 2001 - August 1972

C/n 2001 had crashed on take-off from Hill Air Force Base, Utah - March 19, 1972

Sold to Nordair - September 12, 1972

Entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as CF-NAX - September 12, 1972

Withdrawn from use and stored at Cartieville, Canada - May 1976

Sold to American Jet Industries - November 1977

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N63AJ - ?

Sold to Reeve Aleutian Airways - April 04, 1978

Reregistered as N178RV - April 1978

Leased to Northwest Territorial Airways - November 01, 1986

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - ?

Entered onto Canadian Aircraft Register as C-GNWC - April 1987

Returned to Reeve Aleutian Airways on termination of the lease - December 07, 1988

Cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register - December 1988

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N178RV - December 1988

Withdrawn from use and stored at Anchorage, Alaska when Reeve suspended operations - April 2001

Sold to Electra Aero Inc - September 04, 2002

Reregistered as N2RK - September 04, 2002

Registered to Electra Aero Inc Trustee, Wilmington, Delaware

Leased to Atlantic Airlines as the registered operator - September 06, 2002

The intended British Registration of 'G-LOFI' was not taken up

Ferried Anchorage - Coventry on delivery to Atlantic Airlines - November 25, 2002

It was to be converted by Atlantic Airways to a sprayer configuration for oil polution work but this did not occur

The aircraft remained stored at Coventry, UK

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - August 04, 2010

Entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as C-FIJX - August 05, 2010

Registered to Buffalo Airways Ltd, Hay River, NWT

Departed Coventry on the ferry flight to Canada - August 12, 2010

Arrived Red Deer on completion of the ferry flight - August 13, 2010

Ferry route: Coventry - Shannon - Iqaluit - Red Deer

Converted to tanker configuration by Air Spray at Red Deer Industrial Airport, Alberta

Observed at Red Deer awaiting flight testing following conversion - May 22, 2014

To view an interesting YouTube clip on this aircraft please click 'HERE'

ZK-TEB. TEAL Jet-Prop - 'Atarau' in the original livery somewhere over the North Island of New Zealand, December 1959.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-485.)

ZK-TEB. TEAL Jet-Prop - 'Atarau' in the original livery somewhere over the North Island of New Zealand, December 1959.

(J. Mounce Collection Copyright Image 1808-949.)

ZK-TEB. TEAL Jet-Prop - 'Atarau' in the original livery somewhere over the South Island of New Zealand, December 1959.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 1808-780.)

ZK-TEB. TEAL Jet-Prop - 'Atarau' in the original livery at Auckland Whenuapai Airport, date unknown.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 1808-813.)

ZK-TEB. TEAL Jet-Prop - 'Atarau' in the original livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, March 1964.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-494.)

ZK-TEB. Air New Zealand - 'Atarau' in the standard livery at Auckland Airport, March 1966.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 1808-782.)

ZK-TEB. Air New Zealand - 'Atarau' in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, March 1968.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-349.)

ZK-TEB. Air New Zealand - 'Atarau' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1968.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1808-282.)

ZK-TEB. Air New Zealand - 'Atarau' in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1971.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-968.)

ZK-TEB. Air New Zealand - 'Atarau' in the revised livery with additional 'Qantas' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, October 1971.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1808-283.)

ZK-TEB. Air New Zealand - 'Atarau' in the revised livery with additional 'Qantas' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1971.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-284.)

ZK-TEB. Air New Zealand - 'Atarau' in the revised livery with additional 'Qantas' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1972.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1808-285.)

ZK-TEB. Air New Zealand - 'Atarau' in the revised livery with additional 'Qantas' titles at Brisbane Airport, circa 1972.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-772.)

N33506. Nordair - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, September 1972.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-287.)

CF-NAX. Nordair - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, September 1972.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-288.)

N178RV. Reeve Aleutian - in the standard livery at Anchorage Airport, July 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-289.)

N178RV. Northwest Territorial Cargo - in the basic Reeve livery at an unknown airport, February 1987.

(A. J. Hickey Copyright Image 1808-960.)

C-GNWC. Northwest Territorial Cargo - in the basic Reeve livery at Toronto Pearson International Airport, April 09, 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-985.)

C-GNWC. Northwest Territorial Cargo - in the basic Reeve livery at Toronto Pearson International Airport, May 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-950.)

C-GNWC. Northwest Territorial Cargo - in the basic Reeve livery at Toronto Pearson International Airport, June 05, 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-518.)

N178RV. Reeve Aleutian - in the standard livery at Anchorage Airport, June 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-556.)

N2RK. Reeve Illusion - in the basic Reeve livery at Coventry Airport, June 2003.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-429.)

N2RK. Reeve Illusion - in the basic Reeve livery at Coventry Airport, June 2003.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-271.)

C-FIJX. Buffalo - in a modified Reeve livery at Red Deer Airport, June 2013.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-954.)