VH-EBC

 

VH-EBC
17698
44
44
503
City of Melbourne
City of Canberra
VH-EBC
27APR59
Rolled out as 707-138. Planned name “City of Melbourne”.
VH-EBC
08JUN59
First flown
VH-EBC
06JUL59
Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd and accepted by Qantas. (TT: 9:35)
Boeing delivery date to Qantas (Ref: HAI D20)
VH-EBC
07JUL59
Departed Seattle on delivery flight
VH-EBC
09JUL59
Arrived Sydney at 1638. No 4 pod strike on arrival. (TT: 20:00)
VH-EBC
29JUL59
Departed Sydney at 1535 on the inaugural Qantas 707 service, Flight Number EM774/775-001 to Nadi, Honolulu and San Francisco. Flying time Sydney to San Francisco was 14 hours 57 minutes - a commercial record. The aircraft was renamed "City of Canberra" for the inaugural flight and subsequently retained this name.
Operating Crew:
Commander: Capt I.D.V. Ralfe
First Officer: Capt R.F. Uren
Second Officer: Capt C.G. Fox
Navigation Officer R.G. Goodwin
Engineer Officer K.D. Stark
Flight Steward H. Smith
Flight Steward J. Brown
Flight Steward B. Slater
Flight Steward G. Sweeney
Flight Steward E. Duker
Flight Hostess E. Wright
Supernumerary: F/O J.P. Theobald
Supernumerary: N/O R.R. Sherwin
Supernumerary: E/O D.S. Moorhouse
(Crew names sourced from "Wings to the World" p.161)
VH-EBC
16AUG59
While operating from San Francisco to Sydney (via Honolulu and Nadi) VH-EBC diverted to Brisbane because of crosswinds in Sydney. Read the full story The Day the Qantas 707 Fleet Diverted to Brisbane
VH-EBC
AUG59
Photographed at Sydney
VH-EBC
SEP59
Photographed at Honolulu
VH-EBC
19OCT59
Departed Sydney at 0900 on a proving flight to London via the Kangaroo Route.
VH-EBC
24OCT59
Returned to Sydney at 0823
VH-EBC
14AUG60
Photographed at Sydney.
VH-EBC
29SEP61
Departed Sydney at 0900 on regular service to San Francisco after which it positioned to Seattle for conversion to 707-138B
VH-EBC
30SEP61
Arrived Seattle at 0955 (TT: 6819:49)
VH-EBC
02OCT61
Returned to Boeing
VH-EBC
07NOV61
Test flown for 2 hrs 5 mins
VH-EBC
08NOV61
Returned to Qantas
VH-EBC
09NOV61
Departed Seattle at 0422 on return to Sydney
VH-EBC
11NOV61
Arrived Sydney at 0730. (TT: 6838:19)
VH-EBC
17NOV61
Entered Block C overhaul during which fin and rudder were repainted in V-Jet livery.
VH-EBC
17DEC61
Rolled out after overhaul
VH-EBC
04SEP65
Operated the inaugural service from Sydney to London via Kuala Lumpur (Ref: PAT 124)
VH-EBC
29JAN67
Departed Sydney at 1200 on its last Qantas service (to London via Kangaroo Route).
VH-EBC
21MAR67
Struck off Australian Register
N791SA
01APR67
Sold to Seymour R. Gross of Chicago, entered on the US Register and leased to Standard Airways. (TT: 23213:00 Landings: 10842)
N791SA
04APR67
Departed Sydney at 0841 on delivery to Standard Airways
N791SA
MAY67
Leased to Sudflug of Germany for the summer
N791SA
01OCT67
Leased to Canadian Pacific and operated in full CPA livery as "Empress of Sydney".
N791SA
07FEB68
At 0607 over-ran the runway on landing at Vancouver in fog and crashed into a building killing 2 and injuring 18. The aircraft was written off. (TT: 26712:00) Subsequently the wreckage was sold to a North Carolina aircraft salvage company.


 

 


Camera icon is linked to a photo.

 

Issue
Date
Remarks
10
16OCT22
Added an image of VH-EBC thanks to Eric Allen.
9
10AUG22
Added an image of VH-EBC thanks to Eric Allen.
8
31MAY20
Added an image of N791SA thanks to Eric Allen.
7
28JAN18
Added a link to the crash report.
6
22SEP17
Added an image of the aircraft prior to the departure of the inaugural service on 29JUL59.
5
22APR14
Added an image of the aircraft in Standard Airways livery.
4
27JUN10
Revised the entry regarding the diversion to Brisbane on 16AUG59.
3
12MAY10
Added more detail to the entry regarding the diversion to Brisbane on 16AUG59.
2
08AUG09
Corrected the flight number of the inaugural service on 29JUL59 to EM774. The return flight was EM775.
1
27JUL06
Created individual page for this aircraft. Archived Updates for combined B707-138B list.

 

NOTES

1
There are four numbers in the second column of each header. These are:

1. The Constructor's Number (c/n or Manufacturer's Serial Number)
2. The Line Number (The order in which final assembly began)
3. Cumulative Line Number (The order in which the aircraft were rolled out)
4. Engineering Block Number (Customer Number)

Note: During early production, the Line Number was often the same as the Cumulative Line Number.

Source: "The Boeing 707 & 720" Air-Britain 1972.
2
Please forward any errors or updates to the Webmaster.
3
These sources are gratefully acknowledged.