k5dh wrote:
eagle21 wrote:
I don't know how helpful-but isn't Quantas flying one in Australia? Is it the wrong model?
JMC
You're thinking of John Travolta's airplane. It's painted in QANTAS's famous V-Jet colors (which it was, when new). And yes, it is unfortunately the wrong model.
(BTW, for anyone who cares... QANTAS is an acronym and all letters should be caps... stands for Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service).

No, no and no.

Indeed Travolta operates a Qantas 707. However Qantas recently reactivated
another ex-Qantas 707 in the UK and had it flown to Longreach, Queensland to their museum there, in 2007, where it now sits - VH-XBA. I don't believe it is airworthy, as it hasn't flown since. Incidentally, it was parked in the US en-route alongside Travolta's example - there are pics of the two on the web.
http://www.qfom.com.au/707.htmlAccording to their website: "Retired Qantas engineers continue to maintain VH-XBA in flying condition and it is possible the aircraft will be seen again at air shows."
And I care

and now Qantas is regarded as a word (noun, proper name, cap 'Q') no longer an acronym, and is sometimes cited (dubiously as it's being a noun derived from an acronym) as a rare example of a word in English with a 'q' without a 'u'. You're quite correct as to the origins of the acronym.
That English thing; like nailing fog to a wall.
Regards,