Last Ansett 727s

[Jack B]

Where did Ansett operate their 727s in the last year of their service with the airline (97)

Does anyone remember what configuration the aircraft was in?

[Luke A]

Hi Jack.

In the final few years they were not allowed to fly to Sydney due to noise. I remember watching VH-ANA and ANB operate flights MEL-LST, MEL-HBA and MEL-ADL. Most flights from Melbourne to Cairns during the week stopped at either Sydney or Brisbane using a variety of types, however direct flights MEL-CNS were on the schedule for every Saturday / Sunday morning, and 727s were often used for these services. I was lucky enough to fly on one of the farewell flights on VH-ANA, a 40 minute flight over Melbourne. They were configured with BusinessFirst and economy, and had both audio/video entertainment systems (overhead TV) VH-ANE and ANF had been retired from service some weeks before this but were still at the base with titles removed.

[Raymond Rowe]

The very last flights were MEL -HBA-Mel as i was on the very last commercial 727 flight in this country.

[Jarrad Phillips]

I'm pretty sure I saw the thumpers operating into Darwin as well in 97.....

[Jack B]

Surprised to hear they weren't allowed into SYD - do you know when they started to enforce that?

[Jason Carruthers]

I flew on VH-ANA from Darwin - Adelaide in late December 1994. Darwin - Adelaide was replaced by 737-300 equipment sometime in 1995. As far as I'm aware Darwin - Brisbane was still 727 when I moved to Brisbane in January 1997. It would've been replaced with the A320 not long after.

[Luke A]

Originally Posted by Jack B

Surprised to hear they weren't allowed into SYD - do you know when they started to enforce that?

Hi Jack. Not sure of the year sorry, but it would have only been the last couple of years they were still in pax service between '95 and '97.

We all know they were noisy from the outside, but inside, they were so comfortable and quiet, even during the take off roll. If you are also interested, google VH-ANA and you should find the ATSB report on the 1992 incident at Brisbane, where the number 2 engine suffered a first-stage compressor fan disc failure. It was a rather serious incident as you will see if you read the PDF file, with similar somewhat media reaction to QF32, where a couple of weeks latter the entire crew were guests on a popular TV variety/news program at the time. A well known ‘pop music group’ were on board the flight but the name escapes me. The ATC staff in the tower were shocked when they saw the massive flames behind after take off, and a passenger evacuation took place on the runway.