VH-ECD  Lockheed L-188C Electra                               (c/n   2008)

                                
                              
                                        VH-ECD was the last of the four Electras operated by Qantas.  It was delivered in December
                                        1959 and named 'Pacific Enterprise'.  Greg Banfield's two shots (above), at Mascot in Feb
                                        1964 and (below) departing the same airport in March 1970 show it in its original Qantas
                                        livery.  .  In addition to flying the Tasman Sea route to New Zealand, the Electras were also
                                        operated on the service from Australia to Tokyo, via Hong Kong.  In 1960 it was leased to
                                        TAA for six months, and Peter Gates' photo (# 3) shows it in TAA livery.  In 1970 it was
                                        leased to Air New Zealand becoming ZK-TED.    Oddly, after only 4 month's service it was
                                        wfu and stored at Auckland.     Within a year it was sold to Nomads, Inc a Detroit, Michigan
                                        based air-travel club.   A decade later (1981) saw it acquired by Indonesia's Mandala Airlines
                                        and another image from the Peter Gates collection (bottom of page) illustrates it in their livery
                                        as PK-RLG.  On 30 November 1985 the starboard main wheels fell off over Padang, Indonesia
                                        and the aircraft diverted to Medan where it crash landed in flames, shedding all four propellors.
                                        Fortunately the crew and 45 passengers aboard escaped serious injury although the Electra was
                                        a complete write off.