VH-ANA. Boeing 727-277LR. c/n 22641-1753.

Was also registered as: N6393X; N627DH; EC-HIG; VH-VLI; 9M-NEP.

This aircraft was the first of four Boeing 727LRs ordered new by Ansett Transport Industries - ?

First flown as 'N8278V' - May 29, 1981

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ANA - June 02, 1981

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd, Melbourne

Departed Seattle (Boeing Field) on the delivery flight to Australia - June 11, 1981

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - June 14, 1981

Delivery route: Seattle - San Francisco - Hilo - Pago Pago - Nadi - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains W. Hanrahan, J. S. Welsh; F/E J. W. Gillett

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Brisbane as AN50 - June 20, 1981

Inaugurated Ansett's first scheduled non-stop Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Perth service - June 29, 1981

Flew the last commercial service into Brisbane's Eagle Farm Airport - March 19, 1988

Flew first commercial service from Brisbane's new airport Brisbane - Sydney as AN77 - March 20, 1988

Suffered major damage to rear the fuselage when the No 2 engine exploded on take-off from Brisbane - July 04, 1992

It was repaired and returned to service after 58 days

Sold to Intrepid Aviation Partners - December 13, 1996

Operated its final revenue service Adelaide (West Beach) - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN110 - April 20, 1997

Had been previously painted with old airline logos and carried titles:

'Ansett Australia Farewell the Boeing 727 Series of Jets, 33 Years of Service 1964-1997'

This flight was under the command of Captain L. Griffiths

Withdrawn from use at Melbourne (Tullamarine) after four special staff farewell flights as AN4727 - April 26, 1997

It was officially purchased by Intrepid Aviation - May 28, 1997

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to the United States as AN4290 - May 28, 1997

Ferry route: Melbourne - Pago Pago - Hilo - San Diego - Miami

Flight crew: Captains L. Griffiths, P. Terrill; F/E L. Forster

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 03, 1997

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N6393X - June 03, 1997

Registered to First Security Bank

Converted to freighter configuration by Professional Modification Services

Leased to Continental Micronesia as the registered operator - December 19, 1997

Reregistered as N627DH - ?

Returned to DHL at the end of the lease - November 30, 1999

Leased to SwiftAir to operate on behalf of DHL - December 01, 1999

Entered onto the Spanish Aircraft Register as EC-HIG - ?

Leased by DHL to TransAustralian Air Express Pty Ltd

Cancelled from the Spanish Aircraft Register - ?

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-VLI - November 11, 2002

Registered to Transaustralian Air Express Pty Ltd

The aircraft was named 'Tania'

Departed Lasham, England on the ferry flight to Australia as XME7024 - November 14, 2002

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the ferry flight in an all-white livery - November 17, 2002

Ferry route: Lasham - Larnaca - Dubai - Bangalore - Singapore - Darwin - Melbourne

Painted into Australian air Express livery - November 23, 2002

Operated its first revenue service with Australian air Express as XM7091 - November 29, 2002

Route: Melbourne - Brisbane - Townsville - Cairns

TransAustralian air Express Pty Ltd changed its name to TransAustralian Air (T.A.A.) - March 20, 2003

Registered to National Jet Express Pty Ltd (t/a JETEX) - November 26, 2003

Operated its final revenue service Perth - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as JTE092 - December 31, 2008

The intended sale to HeavyLift Cargo Airlines did not eventuate

It was parked outside the John Holland hangar at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in an all-white livery without titles

Registered to CSDS Aircraft Sale & Leasing, Torrance, California - March 28, 2009

It was observed parked outside JHAS hangar with only Number 1 engine fitted - May 2009

Sold to Airmark Asia for lease to Neptune Air, Sepang, Malaysia

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to Malaysia - August 20, 2009

Ferry route: Melbourne - Port Headland - Kuala Lumpur (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah)

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - ?

Entered onto the Malaysian Aircraft Register as 9M-NEP - October 14, 2009

Registered to Airmark Asia, Singapore

Flight tested - October 22, 2009

It was noted at Kuala Lumpur with 'Poslaju National Carrier' titles - December 2011

Registered to Gading Sari Aviation Services Sdn Bhd - 2012

It was withdrawn from service at Kuala Lumpur - December 31, 2012

Gading Sari Aviation Services Sdn Bhd was renamed DRB-Hicom Asia Cargo Express (ACE) - February 2016

The aircraft was reportedly donated / sold to a Malaysian University - December 2017

It was observed being used as a maintenance training aide at Senai International Airport - December 2017

Current status - ?

VH-ANA. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-286.)

VH-ANA. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-942.)

VH-ANA. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-359.)

VH-ANA. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '150 Years Victoria' decals at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 1985.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-360.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1990.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4610-361.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Brisbane Airport, September 1991.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-039.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-155.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Brisbane Airport, July 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-362.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Brisbane Airport, July 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-040.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Brisbane Airport, August 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-042.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Brisbane Airport, September 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-725.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery with additional 'Ansett Australia Farewells the Boeing 727' titles at Brisbane Airport, April 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-729.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery with additional 'Ansett Australia Farewells the Boeing 727' titles at Brisbane Airport, April 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-336.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery with additional 'Ansett Australia Farewells the Boeing 727' titles at Brisbane Airport, April 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-337.)

VH-ANA. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery with additional 'Ansett Australia Farewells the Boeing 727' titles at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-364.)

EC-HIG. DHL Worldwide Express - in the standard livery at Hamburg Airport, June 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-150.)

EC-HIG. DHL Worldwide Express - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, September 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4610-292.)

VH-VLI. Australian air Express - in the standard livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, date unknown.

(R. Brown Copyright Image 4610-923.)

VH-VLI. Australian air Express - in the standard livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, date unknown.

(R. Brown Copyright Image 4610-924.)