VH-EBM

 

VH-EBM

18740
388
460
513

City of Launceston

VH-EBM
29JUL64
Rolled out as 707-138B "City of Launceston"
VH-EBM
01SEP64
First flown
VH-EBM
10SEP64
Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd. Departed Seattle on delivery
VH-EBM
12SEP64
Arrived Sydney at 1928. (TT:20:42)
VH-EBM
02OCT64
Departed Sydney at 1157 on its first service (a special to Tokyo)
VH-EBM
12NOV64
Departed Sydney at 2300 on a proving flight on the Fiesta Route via Nadi, Papeete, Acapulco, Mexico City, Nassau, Bermuda, London and return
VH-EBM
26NOV64
Departed Sydney at 2259 on the inaugural service on the Fiesta Route:
12,562 miles
Flight time 27 hrs 10 mins
Total time 45 hrs 20 mins
VH-EBM
08FEB65
Arrived at Sydney with Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies who had been attending the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in London. (Source: Photos on Picture Australia website)
VH-EBM
c.65
Photographed at Brisbane.
VH-EBM
06MAR65
On take-off from Perth the right-hand rear axle on the right-hand undercarriage truck broke, leaving the wheel and brake assembly hanging by the torque rod. The aircraft landed safely with no further damage
VH-EBM
29OCT66
Departed Sydney at 1230 on a VIP flight for the opening of the new terminal in Launceston, Tasmania. The first 707 to visit Tasmania. Sir Hudson Fysh was amongst the passengers
VH-EBM
05JUL67
Departed Sydney at 1114 on an Air New Zealand charter to Hong Kong
VH-EBM
08NOV67
Departed Sydney at 0900 on the first of a series of test flights by the ARB for UK certification of the type
VH-EBM
10NOV67
Departed Sydney at 1111 on the final ARB certification flight
VH-EBM
01APR68
Departed Sydney at 1858 on its last Qantas service (to London via the Southern Cross route). Stored engineless and all white at Sydney. (TT: 11995:00)
N108BN
07JUN69
Sold to Braniff International Airways Inc via Regency Income Corp. Re-registered and painted in the blue livery.
N108BN
23JUN69
Struck off the Australian Register as VH-EBM
N108BN
24JUN69
Departed Sydney at 1000 on delivery to Dallas via Honolulu
N108BN
20OCT73
Withdrawn from service and stored
N108BN
74
Traded in to Boeing
N108BN
JAN75
Registered to Great American Insurance Company by this date
N108BN
SEP75

Sold to Kirk Kerkorian / Tracy Investments Corp / Tracinda. (The latter company name was derived from Kerkorian's daughters Tracy and Linda).

It is widely reported that the aircraft was once owned by Frank Sinatra. However, on 30JUN04, Nancy Sinatra posted on an internet forum that her father "never owned a 707". Given that Frank Sinatra was a known associate of Kirk Kerkorian, it is likely that he did travel on the aircraft while it was in Kerkorian's ownership. Source:
https://sinatrafamily.com/forum/showthread.php/14668-Frank-Sinatra-s-old-plane-now-on-Holiday-Airport

N108BN
31OCT75
Noted at Heathrow in Tracinda colours but no titles
N108BN
28MAR77
Nosewheel collapsed on landing on Runway 08 at Luton, UK after a flight from Newark. The owner was quoted as Tracinda. The aircraft was towed to Hangar 89 with the nose resting on a cargo dolly to be repaired by the Boeing AOG Team with assistance from Britannia Engineering. The first nose landing gear assembly had to be returned because it was the wrong part number. (Source: various via PPRuNe) http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/595193-travolta-donates-707-138b-hars.html#post9784841
N108BN
16SEP77
Arrived at Luton for overhaul
N108BN
26SEP77
Sold to TAG Aviation of Saudi Arabia
N108BN
05OCT77
Rolled out at Luton in full TAG colours
N108BN
18OCT77
Flown from Luton to Le Bourget
N108BN
NOV77
Was to be re-registered HZ-AK1 but not taken up
N108BN
24JUL79
Visited London, Heathrow in TAG colours.
N108BN
25AUG81
Withdrawn from use and for sale at Newark by TAG
N108BN
24JUN82
Noted back in service with TAG operating into Washington-Dulles
N108BN
AUG82
Registration cancelled (AL205/15)
N108BN
SEP83
Registered to TAG Aviation Ltd (AL205/15)
N108BN
MAR85
Registered to TAG Group USA
N108BN
24SEP88
Noted at Orlando FL for new interior and repaint (AL263/8 & AL265/13)
N707XX
JUL90
Registered to TAG Aviation Ltd (AL286/11)
N707XX
21DEC90
Flew from Reykjavik to Paris Le Bourget (AL291/12)
N707XX
13FEB91
Photographed at Geneva.
N707XX
AUG91
Photographed.
N707XX
03MAR94
Noted stored at Las Vegas (AL329/15)
N707XX
03MAY94
Noted at Heathrow (AL330/14)
N707XX
29OCT95
Operated Washington IAD-Shannon-Istanbul. Registered to Aviation Methods. (AL348/14)
N707XX
25FEB96
Departed Stansted.
N707XX
20MAY98
Registered to Jet Clipper Johnny LLC (John Travolta). The aircraft was named Jett Clipper Ella after John Travolta's son Jett and his daughter Ella.
N707XX
25MAY98
Sold to Jet Clipper Johnny LLC (AL380/19)
N707JT
13DEC98
Noted at Phoenix as N707JT (AL386/19)
N707JT
JAN02
Photographed in a blue colour scheme.
N707JT
JUN02
Repainted in full Qantas V-Jet livery for a Qantas marketing campaign involving John Travolta.
N707JT
28MAR07
Photographed at Stansted, UK.
N707JT
APR07
Photographed.
N707JT
25OCT11
Arrived at Farmingdale, NY for use in the American Broadcasting Company television series "Pan Am" which premiered in the US on 25 September.
N707JT
28OCT11
Appeared in partial Pan Am livery with name "Jet Clipper Majestic" and registration N1703D. The markings were applied with vinyl stickers. The tail retained its Qantas V-Jet livery. The aircraft did not fly with these markings.
N707JT
29OCT11
The vinyl Pan Am stickers were removed at Farmingdale.
N707JT
DEC16
The aircraft was flown to Brunswick, Georgia, USA and placed in open storage.
N707JT
25MAY17
John Travolta announced that he is donating the aeroplane to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), Albion Park, NSW, Australia. Read the Press Release
N707JT
29JUN17
The aircraft was registered to Historical Aircraft Restoration Society LLC of Naples, Florida. (Source: FAA Register)
N707JT
14SEP17
Advice received from HARS engineers that the aircraft escaped Hurricane Irma with nil damage.
N707JT
27JUN19
It was announced on this date that the aircraft would arrive at Albion Park in late November 2019. It is expected that John Travolta will be amongst the delivery crew.
N707JT
18MAY21
Announcement by HARS:

"The 707 Project - Pylon Work #7
Today's update on our 707 deals with the pylon inspections that were required. These inspections were undertaken last year.

"After signing the contracts with Stambaugh Aviation in Brunswick, Georgia, provision was made to hangar the 707 in preparation for the work involved in carrying out the major AD on the Pylon Attachment Fitting Replacement.

"The first job involved removing the four (4) engines, inhibiting them and storing until further tests are carried out. This report will be covered later.

"All four (4) pylons were then removed and work began on the disassembling of each one to facilitate the internal structural inspections needed to determine sub-structure condition. Also, to be better able to determine if all new fittings will work without further modification of the pylon structure due to the width of the fittings.

"Securing new pylon attachment fittings for a 707-138 is no easy task, and searches were made all over the world. Boeing suppliers were contacted and after many months, we were able to secure five (5) out of the eight required for the job. The remaining three (3) had to be manufactured from scratch at the Boeing Seattle plant.

"Although each fitting (I/B and O/B) have their own part numbers, each unit produced was a different width. These differences and variances can be attributed to a 'final clean-up' of the machined fitting edges, to eradicate any tooling compression on the fitting from the manufacturing process. Thus, more scoring or compression requires more clean up and this explains why the new fittings showed a differentiation of up to eighty thousandths. Although the fittings meet the 'minimum' allowable tolerance for width, the fact that you have to locate the fittings to the holes in the beam on the aircraft – and then oversize those holes - have combined in cases to violate the required minimum edge distance of the hi-loks being installed in the fitting, making the fittings unusable.

"The decision was made to order the fittings undrilled.

"Note: The 707 aircraft were not 'jig drilled' on the Boeing assembly line. Thus the hole placement in the beams for these fittings vary from aircraft to aircraft. Consequently, the exact placement of the fitting does vary slightly to accommodate that condition."

 

JT HARS, if you're reading


 


Camera icon is linked to a photo.

 

Issue
Date
Remarks
13
15NOV22
Added an image of N707XX.
12
19MAY21
Added a HARS update on the pylon work.
11
29JUN19
Added an approximate delivery date to HARS.
10
14JAN18
Added an image of N707XX thanks to Keith Burton.
9
14SEP17
Added an update post Hurricane Irma.
8
03JUL17
Registered Owner changed on 29JUN17.
7
07JUN17
Added further details of the NLG collapse at Luton on 28MAR77.
6
27MAY17
John Travolta has donated the aeroplane to HARS. Thank you John!
5
26MAY17
Updated to show the aeroplane in open storage at Brunswick, GA. Also added a reference to Frank Sinatra.
4
16JUL12
Added an image of the aircraft with all markings removed prior to sale to Braniff. Thanks to Ken Watson.
3
29OCT11
Added a reference to an appearance in the Pan Am television series.
2
14OCT06
Corrected a typo in the date of the charter to Air New Zealand. Changed from 05JUL76 to 05JUL67.
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.