VH-TAC Airbus A300B4-203

VH-TAC. Airbus A300B4-203. c/n 157.

Was also registered as: N371PC; A6-MDA; 4L-ABA.

This aircraft was the third of four aircraft ordered new by Trans-Australia Airlines (T.A.A.) - December 10, 1974

First flown at Toulouse as 'F-WZMG' - August 24, 1981

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAC - October 09, 1981

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne

Accepted by Trans-Australia Airlines at Toulouse, France - October 09, 1981

Departed Toulouse on the delivery flight to Australia - October 20, 1981

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - October 22, 1981

Delivery route: Toulouse - Bahrain - Madras - Singapore - Perth - Melbourne

The aircraft was named 'John Forrest'

The aircraft naming ceremony was carried out at Perth Airport before flying on to Melbourne

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as TN534 - October 25, 1981

Trans-Australia Airlines was renamed Australian Airlines - August 04, 1986

Leased to Air Niugini - December 08, 1986 to January 31, 1987

Ownership was transferred to Qantas Airways Ltd - December 08, 1993

Operated its final Qantas revenue service Sydney - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as QF475 - October 09, 1998

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 05, 1998

Sold to Pinnacle Air Cargo Enterprises / Pace Cargo - November 06, 1998

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N371PC - November 06, 1998

Departed Melbourne on the ferry flight to Bristol (Filton) in the basic Qantas livery - November 11, 1998

Ferry route: Melbourne - Denpasar - Colombo - Bahrain - Larnaca - Bristol (Filton)

Ferried Bristol (Filton) - Dresden for conversion to freighter configuration - February 02, 1999

Ferried Dresden - Bristol (Filton) on completion of freighter conversion - June 12, 1999

Ferried Bristol (Filton) - Bangor - Roswell for storage - June 14, 1999

It was observed stored at Roswell in all-white livery as N371PC - October 14, 1999

Leased to Express.net Airlines Inc, Florida - May 06, 2000

Leased to Air Hong Kong - September 02, 2002

Leased to Dragonair - June 10, 2004

Operates both Air Hong Kong and Dragonair freighter services in an all-white livery

Returned to Express.net Airlines and observed at San Juan in the standard 'Express.net' livery - February 25, 2006

Ferried Dayton - Marana on return to the lessor as XNA9371 - June 24, 2006

It was observed stored at Marana - March 13, 2007

Reportedly for Midex Airlines, United Arab Emirates - 2008

Entered onto the United Arab Emirates Aircraft Register as A6-MDA - ?

Delivered to MidEx Airlines - March 12, 2008

It was observed at Sharjah in an all-white livery - October 08, 2013

Cancelled from the United Arab Emirates Aircraft Register - ?

Entered onto the Georgian Aircraft Register as 4L-ABA - ?

Delivered to Georgian Star International - October 08, 2013

The aircraft was acquired by The Cargo Airlines (Georgia) - August 2015

It was observed at Dubai in an all-white livery as '4L-ABA' - October 09, 2015

It was observed at Dubai in an all-white livery as '4L-ABA' - March 24, 2016

It was delivered to AMS Airlines (Georgia) - February 2017

Current with AMS Airlines

VH-TAC. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 18, 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-108.)

VH-TAC. TAA - 'John Forrest' in the basic livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1985.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-109.)

VH-TAC. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 12, 1986.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-136.)

VH-TAC. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 17, 1986.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-011.)

VH-TAC. Australian - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1988.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-111.)

VH-TAC. Australian - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1988.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-110.)

VH-TAC. Australian - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, June 10, 1988.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-017.)

VH-TAC. Australian - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1988.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-168.)

VH-TAC. Australian - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, June 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-024.)

VH-TAC. Australian - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, August 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-023.)

VH-TAC. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery with additional '75 Years' logo at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1996.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-112.)

VH-TAC. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'John Forrest' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, August 1998.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-039.)

VH-TAC. Qantas - in the basic livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1998.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-040.)

VH-TAC. Qantas - in the basic livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1998.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-144.)

N371PC. Qantas - in the basic livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-028.)

N371PC. Express Net - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, May 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-041.)

N371PC. Midex - in the all-white livery at an unknown airport, October 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-162.)

A6-MDA. Midex - in the all-white livery at an unknown airport, September 2008.