VH-EBG

 

VH-EBG
17702
64
64
507
City of Hobart
VH-EBG
24JUL59
Rolled out as 707-138 "City of Hobart"
VH-EBG
08SEP59
First flown
VH-EBG
18SEP59
Accepted by Qantas.
Boeing delivery date to Qantas (Ref: HAI D20)
VH-EBG
24SEP59
Arrived Sydney at 1750 on delivery from Seattle. Carried a fifth pod. (TT: 32:47)
VH-EBG
06OCT59
Departed Sydney at 1602 on its first service (to San Francisco)
VH-EBG
29OCT59
Operated the first scheduled jet flight from Brisbane to London via the Kangaroo route. The flight originated in Sydney. (Ref: PAT 96)
VH-EBG
FEB60
Photographed at Mascot.
VH-EBG
27SEP60
During crew training at Avalon, the captain's window cracked and blew out. The aircraft landed safely.
VH-EBG
10DEC60
Photographed at London in 40th anniversary markings.
VH-EBG
61
Photographed at Mascot.
VH-EBG
c61
Photographed at London.
VH-EBG
19NOV61
Departed Sydney at 1848 on regular service to San Francisco from where the aircraft positioned to Seattle for 138B conversion
VH-EBG
20NOV61
Arrived Seattle at 0004
VH-EBG
10JAN62
Handed over to Qantas
VH-EBG
12JAN62
Departed Seattle at 1046 for Vancouver
VH-EBG
13JAN62
Departed Vancouver on regular service to Sydney
VH-EBG
15JAN62
Arrived Sydney at 0720
VH-EBG
15JAN62
Entered paint shop for V-Jet fin and rudder repaint
VH-EBG
19JAN62
Repaint completed
VH-EBG
11SEP64
Departed Avalon to perform a flypast at the Albury air show then returned to Sydney
VH-EBG
21SEP64
Departed Sydney at 1853 for London via the Southern Cross route. Royal Flight.
VH-EBG
08OCT64
Departed Sydney at 1134 for London via the Kangaroo route. Royal Flight.
VH-EBG
02DEC64
Departed Sydney at 1646 on the inaugural 707 service to Hong Kong
VH-EBG
31JAN68
Departed Sydney at 1000 on its last Qantas service (to Auckland)
VH-EBG
08MAR68
Struck off Australian Register
G-AWDG
13MAR68
Sold to British Eagle Airways and named "Phoenix". Departed Sydney at 0800 on delivery
G-AWDG
15MAR68
Arrived Heathrow on delivery. The aircraft was used on inclusive tour charters from the U.K. to the Caribbean and on inclusive tour flights from London to Alicante, Gerona, Malaga, Palma, Rimini, Rome, Santiago, Split, Tenerife and Venice. (Source: "British Independent Airlines since 1946" p.101 by A.C. Merton Jones)
G-AWDG
68
Contribution from Barry Stanley: "On the day before the inaugural flight with British Eagle, G-AWDG was kept inside the hangar because wind and rain were forecast. The next morning it was discovered that the hangar door had come off its top track and was leaning against the rudder of G-AWDG. This necessitated repairs before the inaugural flight was able to depart."
G-AWDG
06NOV68
British Eagle declared bankrupt
G-AWDG
29JAN69
Leased to Laker Airways. Operated inclusive tour flights in an all-economy 158 seat configuration. Destinations included the Canary Islands and North Africa. (Source: "British Independent Airlines since 1946" pp.257-258 by A.C. Merton Jones).
G-AWDG
10APR77
Contribution from Barry Stanley: "Under the command of Captain Vic Smith with myself as Flight Engineer, Laker's G-AWDG was the first aeroplane to land at Tenerife in the Canary Islands after the KLM and Pan Am ground collision on 27 March 1977. The weather was still bad and we had to do a go around from the first approach and eventually landed from the other end. It was tragic to see the wreckage of the two aeroplanes looming out of the fog on the side of the runway."
G-AWDG
18NOV77
Operated the first scheduled service for International Caribbean from Montreal to Barbados. The flight diverted to Bermuda because a passenger experienced a heart attack. (Source: Barry Stanley)
G-AWDG
78
Operated with International Caribbean titles
G-AWDG
24OCT78
Operated a Libyan Arab flight into Heathrow
G-AWDG
08NOV78
Delivered from Gatwick to Maxton, North Carolina for Charlotte Aircraft
G-AWDG
08DEC78
Sold to Charlotte Aircraft
G-AWDG
OCT79
Sold to IASCO
N600JJ
14NOV79
Registered to Trafalgar Leasing Inc, New York
N600JJ
08DEC79
Noted at Orlando, Florida awaiting refurbishing by Page Airways. Still in Laker livery minus titles
N600JJ
26APR80
Noted at Le Bourget in ex Laker colour scheme
N600JJ
06JUL80
Still at Le Bourget
-
14APR81
Noted at Le Bourget with no registration in a green, white and gold livery for Sheikh Abdallah Baroom
N600JJ
14FEB82
Noted at Heathrow as N600JJ (AL185/16)
N600JJ
AUG82
Photographed with the upper fuselage painted gold
N600JJ
FEB83
Photographed at Le Bourget with the upper fuselage painted gold
N600JJ
SEP84
Photographed with the gold paint removed from the upper fuselage
N600JJ
01JUN87
Sold to Aviation Management Consortium (Jeddah) (AL248/10)
N600JJ
AUG87
Registered to Skyways Aircraft Leasing Inc, League City TX (AL251/11)
N707KS
20DEC87
Noted at Heathrow operated by Skyways Aircraft Leasing. Owned by Aviation Management Consortium in which Sheikh Salem bin Laden has an interest. (AL254/9)
Sold to Sheikh Salem bin Laden around this time (AL253/11)
N707KS
APR90
Registered to First City Texas Houston NA (AL283/9)
N707KS
JUN91
N707SK
APR92
Re-registered to First City Texas Houston NA (AL307/12)
Note: The registration N707KS was subsequently allocated to a Boeing 707-321B msn 20025 which was also operated by Skyways.
N707SK
NOV92
Registered to New First City Texas Houston NA (AL314/14)
9Q-CLK
MAR98
Sold to the Republique du Congo by this date (AL395/25)
The registration is derived from the initials of Laurent Kabila who was President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) until his assassination in January 2001.
N707SK
27MAY98
Registration N707SK cancelled. Aircraft exported to Republic of Congo.
9Q-CLK
05
Unconfirmed sighting in service at Johannesburg towards the end of 2005. It had been reported earlier that the aircraft was owned by Wimbi Dira Airways of the Democratic Republic of the Congo but the airline has advised that they never owned or operated the aircraft but that Hewa Bora Airways did. Communications with HBA have gone unanswered.
9Q-CLK
07
Reported by Aerotransport.org as being in storage at N’Djili Airport, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
9Q-CLK
19AUG07
Noted at Lanseria, South Africa for interior modifications. (Source: Ian Malcolm, AFAVIA)
9Q-CLK
20AUG07
Commencement of interior refurbishment by FAAircraft at Lanseria, South Africa.
9Q-CLK
25SEP07
Completion of interior refurbishment by FAAircraft at Lanseria, South Africa.
Photos of the interior here.
9Q-CLK
SEP07
Reported that the aircraft is owned and operated by Presidential Airways and that a flight to New York (JFK) via Brussels is imminent.
9Q-CLK
OCT07
It is reported that the aircraft has been impounded at Lanseria with several parties taking legal action against the owners.
9Q-CLK
01NOV07
The aircraft departed Lanseria, destination unknown.
9Q-CLK
11APR08
The aircraft flew DRC President Joseph Kabila to Lusaka, Zambia, for a SADC meeting on the disputed Zimbabwe elections (meeting held April 12th). In the best traditions of all great democracies, the aircraft uses the call-sign "Congo 001" when the President is on board. The aeroplane is based at N'Djili airport in Kinshasa.
9Q-CLK
13APR08
The aircraft flew DRC President Joseph Kabila from Lusaka, Zambia, to Lubumbashi, DRC
9Q-CLK
14APR08
The aircraft flew DRC President Joseph Kabila from Lubumbashi, DRC to Kinshasa.
9Q-CLK
07AUG08
Arrived in Beijing, presumably for the Olympics.
9Q-CLK
06NOV08
The aircraft flew DRC President Joseph Kabila to Nairobi for talks on the humanitarian crisis in the DRC.
9Q-CLK
12JUN10
The following report was received from an observer in the DRC: "The aircraft is kept in immaculate condition and mainly used for intercontinental flights for the President Joseph Kabila while his 727 is used mostly within Africa. The exception to this is when the 727 is undergoing heavy maintenance in which case the 707 does the job. Recent trips include Korea and India. Normally there are no more than 3-6 flights per year. The aircraft is flown by HBA (Hewa Bora Airways) most senior captains who normally fly 767s for HBA. These pilots have spent many years flying both pax and cargo 707s in Congo and around the world. The paint scheme is actually the colors for military aircraft from ex-President Mobutu's time in power however it was not re-registered 9T as other military aircraft were before."
9Q-CLK
01AUG10
Reported to have flown to Miami for overhaul.
9Q-CLK
24NOV10
Noted at Miami in company with Hewa Bora Airways Boeing 767 9Q-COG. It is speculated that the 767 could have brought a crew to collect the 707.
9Q-CLK
10JAN11
Photographed minus engines at Miami. The aircraft now wears pseudo Boeing house colours with "707" on the fin/rudder.
9Q-CLK
AUG11
Photographed at Miami on completion of heavy maintenance and ready to be returned to its owner, the DRC Government.
9Q-CLK
MAR12
Photographed at Miami with number 1 engine missing.
9Q-CLK
NOV12
Photographed at Miami seemingly ready for delivery.
9Q-CLK
26JAN13
Departed Miami for Natal-Accra-Kinshasa.
9Q-CLK
11FEB13
Sighted on the Presidential Tarmac at Kinshasa. (Source: PPRuNe)
9Q-CLK
07DEC13
Sighted at Paris, Orly attending an Africa summit meeting. (Source: PPRuNe)
9Q-CLK
20MAY14
Operated from Ndjili, DRC to Paris, Orly after repairs following an incident in late 2013.
(Source: www.skyliner-aviation.de) Further details appreciated.
9Q-CLK
07DEC15
Sighted at Kinshasa, seemingly still in service with engines being worked on in the open.
9Q-CLK
28AUG17
Sighted at Kinshasa, seemingly still in service.
9Q-CLK
17DEC20
Photographed at Kinshasa, seemingly withdrawn from service.
9Q-CLK
APR21
Sighted at Kinshasa having been moved to a parking spot on the grass at the military end of the airport. It is feared that this may be a prelude to scrapping.
    Please report any sightings of this aircraft.

Sources in the DRC have issued this warning to spotters:

Please be EXTREMELY careful whenever in the presence of this aircraft on DRC soil. It is usually heavily guarded with armed soldiers of the Presidential Guard. By DRC law, taking photographs of 9Q-CLK is prohibited. Expect this to be aggressively enforced while on Congolese soil. Even getting too close to it can be hazardous to your health.


 

 


Camera icon is linked to a photo.

 

Issue
Date
Remarks
30
11MAY23
Added an image of G-AWDG in British Eagle livery..
29
16OCT22
Added an image of VH-EBG thanks to Eric Allen.
28
24AUG22
Added an image taken at London in 1960 thanks to Peter Gates.
27
01JAN22
Added an image taken at London c1961 thanks to Nick Sayer.
26
08MAY21
Added a sighting at Kinshasa in late April.
25
19DEC20
Added an image taken at Kinshasa on 17DEC20. Thanks to a Friend of EBG.
24
13AUG18
Added an image taken at Mascot in 1961.
23
31AUG17
Added a sighting at Kinshasa on 28AUG17.
22
16DEC15
Added a sighting at Kinshasa on 07DEC15.
21
03JUN14
Added a sighting at Paris, Orly on 20MAY14.
20
14DEC13
Sighted at Paris, Orly.
19
12FEB13
Sighted at Kinshasa.
18
31JAN13
Aircraft has departed Miami on return to the DRC Government.
17
10JUN12
Added a recent photo taken at Miami.
16
28AUG11
Added a recent photo taken at Miami.
15
20JAN11
Added a recent photo taken at Miami.
14
14JAN11
Added a recent sighting at Miami.
13
02DEC10
Added a recent sighting at Miami.
12
25JUN10
Added an update from the DRC.
11
08NOV08
Added a recent sighting in Nairobi.
10
19AUG08
Added a recent sighting in Beijing.
9
16APR08
Added further information thanks to Scupp.
8
15APR08
Added several recent sightings thanks to Scupp.
7
02NOV07
Added the departure date from Lanseria (01NOV07).
6
31OCT07
Added the cancellation date for N707SK (27MAY98).
5
07OCT07
The aircraft is impounded at Lanseria.
4
27SEP07
Added details and images of the 2007 refurbishment thanks to Lumain van Vuuren of FAAircraft.
Added three anecdotes from Barry Stanley. See 68, 10APR77 and 18NOV77.
3
22AUG07
Added a recent sighting by Ian Malcolm.
2
25JUL07
Added a recent sighting received via Paul Sheehan.
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.