Warbird Information Exchange

Its t-8.00hrs now until history goes up in Sydney, Australia.

That stalawart Boeing iconic product, the Boeing 707 - famous for military and civil flying since 1954 - will in Australia -sadly close another chapter.

The first ever owned by QANTAS airline 707-138 built in 1957-1958, will forever depart Sydney, Kingsford Smith/Mascot airport at 8am and fly to Longreach airport in Queensland to the Qantas Museum there - where already a DC-3 and a 747-200 are located.

Over $1m has been spent restoring this heritage 707 item and it has been well spent.

http://www.707.adastron.com/flyhome/diary-3.htm

Due to SEVERE weather conditions in Sydney and up to north coast - im in northern sydney - we are potentially having to see what is to happen.

Severe thunderstorms, rain and flooding has been happening all around sydney and north and the weather is horrible - let alone to fly in it.

I still suspect they will fly her thru this anyway.

I will be getting photos hopefully once i arrive before 8am if all is going to plan. It will depend which runway she takes off from - either north or south.

Will report back later today with outcome.

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

My first ever a/c flight was in a 707 (late winter 1966 Boston - Pittsburgh). My father was more excited than I was to be flying in a "jet". I was just happy to be going where I was going And on an "airplane".

Only later did I begin to appreciate that event on several levels. So oblivious at the time...

After driving thru sydney at a early hour, i arrived to find i was 30mins early, amongst a very unpopulated carpark.

WX was abit unwelcomed for photos, grey, rain, low ceiling and mist even. It did come and go abit but stayed.

I had my scanner tuned so i could be at the take off end and lucky for me the wind held for the whole time so a southern take off was in order.

It was due for a 0800 take off but due to delays? it didnt rorate on 16R runway until 810am i think.

There was other normal traffic arriving and departing but all a sudden she appeared climbing high and fast - i missed the tower and ground calling her etc i think? - and i had to quickly shoot my photos.

My EOS 1N camera was busy driving the film thru...click click click and she was disappearing from view amongst a grey rainy muck.

After i had expended a roll she was accelerating into the distance with all 4 JT-3D smoking and leaving that now familiar contrail etched into the sky never to be seen again - from her.

I was happy to least witnessed something rarely seen nowdays - that is a large 4 engined aircraft fully restored and flown and then preserved for all enternity.

I do wonder if this very QANTAS 707 was used by Qantas to ferry australian troops to vietnam in the 1960s?... if she did...she is then a true warbird..

Sydney will now have to wait and see what other private 707 may come thru or the occasional USAF KC-135 series or USN E-6 TCAMO.

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

http://www.707.adastron.com/flyhome/rr-001.htm

Tho this was taken few weeks back by someone else - this very scene could of passed for today. Same sky, samne weather, same plane angle on take off nearly and even the same photographger - in the blue car was there today i think. Unreal

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

Good news she made it to her museum in one piece after ehr fini flight.

Well done to QFM and all the volunteers, anyone in oz aviation will be proud of what you have done.

Whats next to restore ?

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

Qantas HS-125 to sit underneath her ?