VH-TAE Airbus A300B4-203

VH-TAE. Airbus A300B4-203. c/n 218.

Was also registered as: N373PC; A6-MDC.

This aircraft was ordered new by Trans Australia Airlines (T.A.A.) - ?

First flown at Toulouse as 'F-WZMZ' - October 29, 1982

It was placed in storage at Toulouse and put up for sale as being surplus to requirements at that point in time

The aircraft was not sold and was retained by Trans-Australia Airlines

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAE - December 01, 1983

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne

Departed Toulouse on the delivery flight to Australia - December 01, 1983

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - December 04, 1983

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

The aircraft was named 'John Fawkner'

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - December 15, 1983

Trans-Australia Airlines (T.A.A.) was renamed Australian Airlines - August 04, 1986

Ownership transferred to Australian Airlines - July 11, 1988

Ownership transferred to Qantas when it merged with Australian Airlines - December 08, 1993

Operated its final Qantas revenue service Sydney - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as QF439 - October 24, 1998

The aircraft was stored at Melbourne (Tullamarine) awaiting sale

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - December 01, 1998

Sold to Pinnacle Air Cargo Enterprises / Pace Cargo - December 03, 1998

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N373PC - December 03, 1998

The incorrect registration 'N372PC' was applied to the aircraft prior to departure

Departed Melbourne on the ferry flight to Dresden, Germany for freighter conversion - December 18, 1998

Ferry route: Melbourne - Pago Pago - Honolulu - Seattle - Gander - Dresden

Ferried Dresden - Bristol (Filton) in the basic Qantas livery after freighter conversion - August 16, 1999

Ferried Bristol (Filton) - Bangor - Roswell in the basic 'Qantas' livery for storage - September 29, 1999

Leased to Express.net Airlines Inc, Florida - September 01, 2000

It was observed at Hong Kong in all-white livery with small Dragonair Cargo decals - August 03, 2006

Ferried Hong Kong - Sapporo - Anchorage on return to Express.net - December 10, 2006

Ferried Detroit (Willow Run) - Gander - Paris (Orly) - Abu Dhabi in all white livery - February 25 - 26, 2007

Intended for lease / sale to Midex Airlines, United Arab Emirates

Seen stored at Abu Dhabi as N373PC - March 2007

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - March 17, 2008

Entered onto the United Arab Emirates Aircraft Register as A6-MDC - March 2008

It was observed at Paris (Orly) in service with MidEx in an all-white livery with titles and logo - July 04, 2008

It was observed at Budapest with the name 'Midex 3' on the nose - November 17, 2008

It was withdrawn from service and placed in storage at Sharjah - May 2012

The aircraft remained stored at Sharjah as 'A6-MDC' - 2014

It was observed stored at Sharjah as 'A6-MDC' - March 02, 2015

It was observed stored at Sharjah without engines and in a derelict condition - January 27, 2017

F-WZMZ. TAA Trans Australia - in the standard livery at Toulouse Airport, March 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-018.)

VH-TAE. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1983.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-055.)

VH-TAE. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 06, 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-056.)

VH-TAE. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1984.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-121.)

VH-TAE. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1985.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-122.)

VH-TAE. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, July 13, 1987.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-016.)

VH-TAE. TAA Trans Australia - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, July 13, 1987.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-001.)

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

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0310-057.)

VH-TAE. Australian - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, August 1988.

(J. Goldfinch Copyright Image 0310-166.)

VH-TAE. Australian - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1989.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-123.)

VH-TAE. Australian - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery with additional 'Sydney Olympics - Gold Sponsor' titles and logo at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-058.)

VH-TAE. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, March 1996.

(N. Louis Copyright Image 0310-176.)

VH-TAE. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1997.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-124.)

VH-TAE. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, April 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-059.)

VH-TAE. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, August 1997.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-125.)

VH-TAE. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-060.)

VH-TAE. Qantas The Spirit Of Australia - 'John Fawkner' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1998.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-152.)

N372PC. Pinnacle Air Cargo Enterprises - in the basic 'Qantas' livery with the incorrect registration at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-066.)

N373PC. Pinnacle Air Cargo Enterprises - in the basic 'Qantas' livery with the correct registration at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1998.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-092.)

N373PC. Pinnacle Air Cargo Enterprises - in the basic 'Qantas' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 18, 1998.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0310-147.)

N373PC. Express.net - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0310-005.)

A6-MDC. Midex - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, August 2008.