QANTAS V Jet #1 Returns Home

[Nashy]

</h1>

<h1>Flying icon comes home

December 16, 2006 10:08am

Article from: AAP THE Boeing 707 that first propelled Qantas into the long-haul age of jet aviation has returned home 47 years after it first joined the national flag-carrier's fleet.

Qantas's first 707, named the City of Canberra and delivered to the airline in 1959, landed safely at the Qantas domestic terminal in Sydney at 9am (AEDT) today.

After being out of commission for the past four years, the jet has undergone a restoration by a team of current and retired Qantas engineers in London.

The plane has already journeyed across the Atlantic to the United States and then onto Nadi, Fiji.

Its final stop will be the Qantas Founders Museum at Longreach in central Queensland.

Qantas chairman Margaret Jackson and the Minister for Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, and about 300 others gathered in a hangar to welcome the aircraft.

A Qantas spokesman said the City of Canberra appeared majestic in the Sydney skies, but also much smaller against the modern city than in the past. The City of Canberra first touched down in Sydney at 4.25pm on July 20, 1959, the Qantas spokesman said.

Can't wait till this aircraft transits through Brisbane :D

[Badtz-Maru]

recently restored...no wonder it looks so new...aside from the style.

[Nashy]

It had been sitting for years in the weather. Was not going anywhere without being fully restored.

Its amazing that the first Jet that QANTAS ever flew was still around, and not scrapped. So, now we have #1 (VH-EBA then, VH-XBA now) and #8 (VH-EMB then, N707JT now) flying in QANTAS colours.

[McSmiggins]

I'd love to see the mileage on that!

[accesser]

Any word if/when its going to come to Brisbane ? before it goes to Longreach

[sundayx Veteran]

airline companies should use old liveries like nba using retro jerseys to make it more fun, nevermind the cost

[accesser]

This was on the news last night the owner has said no cameras inside yet

[Nashy]

Be in Brisbane in the next week or so.