VH-TQN  Fokker F.27 Friendship 600   'John Batman'                      (c/n  10385)

                                  

                                        Almost a decade after their first F.27s went into operation with TAA, the airline placed an order for
                                        eight dash-600 series.    By the time VH-TQN was delivered (end of 1968) the remaining VH-TF-
                                        series had been taken and hence the new Fokkers were registered in the TQ- series.   VH-TQN
                                        is seen above at Mascot in September 1974 in its final "T - blue tai" livery in this shot by Greg Ban-
                                        field.   The Fokker served the airline until it was withdrawn in 1982 and then was ultimately sold to
                                        SAS as OY-KAC..    It later served with Fedex in Europe as OO-FEA and EI-FEA before being
                                        rotated stateside where it became N729FE.   It was still operating as a Fedex Feeder freighter with
                                        Empire Airlines well into the new millennium.