History:

54	Built as L-1049E-55 for Northwest Orient Airlines but completed as L-1049E-55-118 for Qantas.
24SEP54	CofR No 2805 issued to Qantas Empire Airways as VH-EAK.
04JAN55	First flown.
03NOV54	Photographed carrying the name "Southern Moon".
11JAN55	Export CofA No E-27659 issued.
12JAN55	Accepted by Qantas.
14JAN55	Photographed as VH-EAK "Southern Mist". More details
15JAN55	Departed Burbank on delivery to Sydney via Honolulu and Nadi.
17JAN55	Arrived Sydney. Flight Time: 29:16. Total Time: 40:20.
02FEB55	Entered service (to San Francisco).
56	Converted to L-1049E/01-55.
04APR57	Withdrawn from service for "B" overhaul and fitment of weather radar.
	Possibly converted to L-1049G/02-82 at this time.
05MAY57	Returned to service.
20JAN59	Departed Sydney on a courtesy flight to Port Moresby becoming the first L-1049 to land at Port Moresby.
06MAR60	Operated first service on lease to Malayan Airways (Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta).
18MAR60	Departed Sydney on the inaugural L-1049 service to Noumea.
24MAR60	Departed Sydney on a training flight to Avalon.
25AUG60	Departed Sydney to uplift the passengers from the crashed VH-EAC at Mauritius.
23DEC60	Leased to TEAL.
MAR61	Returned to Qantas.
10JUN61	Departed Sydney for Perth where the aircraft was based.
26JUL61	Returned to Sydney after Perth basing.
01JAN63	Total Time: 20,499 hours.
15JAN63	Departed Sydney on its last Qantas service (a migrant charter).
02FEB63	Sold to Boeing and cancelled from the Australian Register the same day. Departed Sydney on delivery to Burbank via Nadi, Honolulu, San Jose and San Francisco (Capt J.G. Morton). It is reported that the aeroplane departed Sydney as N93163, although no record of this registration can be found. If indeed VH-EAK was cancelled from the Australian Register on the same day that it departed for the United States, it stands to reason that the delivery flight must have been under another registration. However, the aircraft was photographed at Mascot on 02FEB63 with all Qantas markings removed but still retaining the registration VH-EAK.
04FEB63	Arrived Burbank. Flight Time: 32:06. Total Time: 20,680:24.
63	Sold to Airmotive Inc for spares.
DEC64	Noted in a parking lot near Burbank minus outer wings and tail awaiting scrapping. Still carrying the name "Southern Mist". See photo.
69	Still present at Burbank but presumed subsequently scrapped.

Issue	Date	Remarks
9	21JAN25	Added three images from the John Hopton Collection thanks to the CAHS. Image 1 Image 2 Image 3
8	04AUG22	Added an image thanks to Eric Allen.
7	15FEB22	Added an image thanks to Ken Watson.
6	10FEB21	Added three images thanks to John Harker. Image 1 Image 2 Image 3
5	25FEB16	Revised presentation of type.
4	18JUN01	Clarified use of name "Southern Moon" on this aeroplane.

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