VH-TJR Douglas DC-9-31

VH-TJR. Douglas DC-9-31. c/n 47528-617.

Was also registered as: N943AX.

This was the third of 6 additional aircraft ordered by the Australian National Airlines Commission for T.A.A.

Construction complete at Douglas Long Beach plant - December 1970

First flown as VH-TJR at Long Beach - January 25, 1971

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TJR - February 02, 1971

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne

Accepted by T.A.A. at Long Beach - February 05, 1971

Departed Long Beach on the delivery flight to Australia - February 05, 1971

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the delivery flight - February 07, 1971

Delivery route: Long Beach - Honolulu - Pago Pago - Brisbane - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains Winch, Howard

The aircraft was named 'George Bass' during the pre-service lay-up

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as TN414 - February 10, 1971

Operated its last flight in the old livery - September 22, 1981

Rolled out at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in the new Trans Australia 'camel-hump' livery - October 24, 1981

Returned to service - October 31, 1981

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

Registered to Australian Airlines Ltd, Melbourne - July 11, 1988

Operated its final revenue service ? - Melbourne (Tullamarine) - July 07, 1989

It had flown 46,313 hours with 50,222 cycles

Trans Australia titles and logo were removed from the aircraft - July 07, 1989

Sold to Australian Aircraft Sales (A.A.S.) and their logo applied to the aircraft - July 08, 1989

Sold to Airborne Express Inc - August 21, 1989

Departed Melbourne in the basic TAA livery on the ferry flight to the United States via Europe - August 21, 1989

It arrived at Wilmington on completion of the ferry flight - August 26, 1989

This ferry flight was routed via Europe as the long-range fuel cells were unserviceable at the time

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 27, 1989

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N943AX - September 1989

Registered to ABX Air Inc

Converted to freighter configuration to carry small parcels only

The aircraft was hushkitted with Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B engines

Entered service with ABX Air - December 11, 1989

Sold and registered to Wilmington Trust Company, Wilmington, Delaware - January 1990

Leased to ABX Air Inc as the registered operator

Sold to ABX Air Inc - June 29, 1999

It was observed at Cincinnati Airport operating for ABX Air flights - July 26, 2006

Withdrawn from service by ABX Air at Cincinnati Airport - April 27, 2008

Sold to D.H.L. Network Operations Inc - October 06, 2008

Registered to D.H.L. Network Operations (USA) Inc - October 15, 2008

It was observed painted in the DHL livery - October 15, 2008

It was observed stored at Roswell, New Mexico - September 23, 2009

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - October 23, 2013

The aircraft was scrapped at Roswell, New Mexico

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1977.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-584.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-422.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-407.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-452.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1980.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-585.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1980.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-382.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-423.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-111.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-289.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-383.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia - 'George Bass' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-617.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia - 'George Bass' in the 'camel hump' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 1985.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-384.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia - 'George Bass' in the 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1985.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-618.)

VH-TJR. TAA Trans Australia - 'George Bass' in the 'camel hump' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, October 1986.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1135-424.)

VH-TJR. A.A.S. Australian Aircraft Sales - in the basic TAA 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1989.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1135-509.)

VH-TJR. A.A.S. Australian Aircraft Sales - in the basic TAA 'camel hump' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1989.