This aircraft was built by Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Limited, Woodford, Manchester, England - 1971

First flown with the test registration 'G-11-7' - January 19, 1972

This aircraft was unsold and was placed in storage at Woodford

Sold to Mount Cook Airlines - ?

First flown as 'ZK-MCA' - August 20, 1973

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-MCA - September 10, 1973

Registered to Mount Cook Airlines, Christchurch

Accepted by Mount Cook Airlines at Woodford - September 1973

Departed Woodford on the delivery flight to New Zealand - September 14, 1973

Arrived at Christchurch having completed its delivery flight to New Zealand - September 24, 1973

The aircraft was named 'Rangitoto' (bloody sky)

It was named after a war between 2 Maori tribes at Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island, Auckland during the 1860s

Operated its first revenue service - ?

Registered to The Mount Cook Group Ltd, Christchurch - February 07, 1978

Leased to Servico Acoreano de Transportes Aereos (SATA Air Acores), Ponta Delgarda, Portugal - April 02, 1980

Returned to Mount Cook at the end of the lease - October 09, 1980

Leased to Airline of the Marshall Islands - August 21, 1989

Returned to Mount Cook at the end of the lease - September 09, 1989

It operated the inaugural Mount Cook service to the Chatham Islands - November 01, 1990

It operated its final revenue service Chatham Islands - Christchurch - November 04, 1995

The aircraft was withdrawn from use at Christchurch and prepared for lease to Royal Tongan Airlines

It was repainted into the Royal Tongan Airlines livery at Christchurch

Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - November 16, 1995

Entered onto the Tongan Aircraft Register as A3-MCA - November 16, 1995

Registered to Royal Tongan Airlines, Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Ferried Christchurch - Nuku'alofa on delivery to Royal Tongan - November 16, 1995

Ferried Tongatapu - Auckland - Blenheim for maintenance with Safeair - October 17, 1997

Ferried Blenheim - Auckland - Tongatapu - November 27, 1997

Sold to Clewer Aviation Limited, England - 1999

Leased to Royal Tongan Airlines as the registered operator

Withdrawn from service by Royal Tongan Airlines - August 18, 2000

Feriied to Christchurch for storage - August 26, 2000

Departed Christchurch on the ferry flight to the United Kingdom - December 14, 2000

Arrived Southend on completion of the ferry flight for storage - December 22, 2000

Sold to Emerald Airways Limited - January 21, 2001

During overhaul at Southend this aircraft was fitted with a side cargo door

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-OTBA (CofR G-OTBA/R1) - March 14, 2001

Registered to Emerald Airways Limited, Leeds

It was test flown at Southend - May 03, 2001

The Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) was issued - May 04, 2001

Ferried Southend - Liverpool in the basic Royal Tongan livery - May 04, 2001

Operated its first revenue service Liverpool - Dublin in the basic Royal Tongan livery - May 05, 2001

Withdrawn from use by Emerald Airways and stored at Blackpool - February 03, 2006

Emerald Airways Air Operators Certificate (AOC) was suspended - May 04, 2006

The aircraft remained stored at Blackpool

Sold to International Air Parts (Pty) Ltd, England - October 16, 2006

Registered to PTB (Emerald) Pty Ltd, Blackpool (G-OTBA/R2) - December 12, 2006

The wings were removed from the aircraft - April 2009

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - June 15, 2009

The aircraft had flown 51,554 hours with 54,897 cycles

Aircraft's nose was removed and trucked to the West Yorkshire Fire Service, Birkenshaw, Bradford - November 2009

It was used as a fire trainer

ZK-MCA. Mount Cook Line - 'Rangitoto' in the old livery at Christchurch Airport, circa 1980.

(R. Finlayson Copyright Image 0748-043.)

ZK-MCA. Mount Cook Line - 'Rangitoto' in the revised livery at Auckland Airport, November 1984.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0748-125.)

ZK-MCA. Mount Cook Airline - 'Rangitoto' in the final livery at Rotorua Airport, December 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0748-039.)

A3-MCA. Royal Tongan - in the standard livery at Southend Airport, January 2004.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0748-143.)