VH-RMD Boeing 767-277

VH-RMD. Boeing 767-277. c/n 22692-24.

Was also registered as: N861AT.

Ansett Airlines places an order with Boeing for five Boeing 767-200s - March 17, 1980

It was built with a 'three-man' cockpit although it was designed to be operated by 'two crew' members

Construction was completed at Seattle - May 1983

First flown as 'N8278V' - May 04, 1983

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-RMD - June 06, 1983

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

Configured to seat 48 First Class and 153 Economy Class passengers

Accepted by Ansett at Seattle (Boeing Field) - June 06, 1983

Departed Seattle on the delivery flight to Australia as AN767 - June 08, 1983

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - June 10, 1983

Delivery route: Seattle - Honolulu - Port Moresby - Sydney - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captain M. Wheaton; F/E G. Lynch; Captain J. Rhind (Dept of Aviation)

Boeing flight crew: Captains R. W. Pollard, J. Adams; F/E C. Lackey, E. Hermanns, K. Vigh

This was the first Boeing 767 delivered to Ansett Airlines

Following its arrival it was utilised for crew training and port familiarisation flights

Operated a special service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney for Ansett staff as AN6767 - June 18, 1983

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney (Captain B. Porter) as AN8 - June 27, 1983

Operated its first revenue service for Cook Islands International as KC202 - August 17, 1986

Route: Sydney - Rarotonga - Auckland - Rarotonga - Sydney

Operated a Qantas charter service Melbourne - Christchurch - Melbourne as QF35 / 36 - March 22, 1989

Conversion from 3-man cockpit to standard 2-person cockpit was completed - March 06, 1998

Configured to seat 12 First Class, 18 Business Class and 181 Economy Class passengers

Grounded by CASA at Melbourne (Tullamarine) for the non-compliance with airworthy directives - April 12, 2001

Returned to service following the lifting of the grounding order Melbourne - Perth as AN63 - May 02, 2001

The intended sale and lease back from GECAS did not eventuate - May 2001

Operated its final service Sydney - Melbourne (Captain D. W. Lang; F/O P. Schwarz) as AN51 - September 13, 2001

Ansett ceased all operations due to bankruptcy - September 13, 2001

It was offered for immediate sale by Ansett Trading - October 2001

It had flown 51,036 hours and 36,599 cycles as of October 03, 2001

Prepared for long-time storage as sale prospects were not forthcoming - April 2002

Sold to Aeroturbine Inc - September 13, 2004

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - December 02, 2004

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N861AT - December 02, 2004

Registered to Aeroturbine Inc

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to the United States Airport for storage - December 07, 2004

It arrived at Opa Locka on completion of the ferry flight - December 08, 2004

It was observed being broken up for parts at Opa Locka - July 03, 2005

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - May 17, 2006

VH-RMD. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1983.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-644.)

VH-RMD. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 06, 1983.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-866.)

VH-RMD. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 21, 1983.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-633.)

VH-RMD. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-194.)

VH-RMD. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1985.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-626.)

VH-RMD. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '150 Years Victoria' decals at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 11, 1985.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-164.)

VH-RMD. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '50th Birthday' decal at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1986.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-627.)

VH-RMD. Cook Islands International - in the Ansett 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, August 1986.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-002.)

VH-RMD. Cook Islands International - in the Ansett 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1986.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-659.)

VH-RMD. Cook Islands International - in the Ansett 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, February 1987.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-657.)

VH-RMD. Cook Islands International - in the Ansett 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1987.

(J. Goldfinch Copyright Image 4650-277.)

VH-RMD. Cook Islands International - in the Ansett 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1987.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-638.)

VH-RMD. Cook Islands International - in the Ansett 'Southern Cross' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 05, 1988.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-165.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Brisbane Airport, April 1989.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4650-566.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1989.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-656.)

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

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-658.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 14, 1990.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-183.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 16, 1990.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-565.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Brisbane Airport, February 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4650-186.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Flag' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4650-867.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1997.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-662.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Coolangatta Airport, July 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4650-245.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, September 1997.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 4650-660.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 2000.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 4650-661.)

VH-RMD. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Brisbane Airport, July 2001.