B727-77
One of the few regrets I had from my time at Aviation Australia is that we did not recognise the opportunity to keep VH-TBS (ex VH-RMS) airworthy.
In 2004 National Jet Systems donated TBS to AA as a technical training aid, and at the time funding for AA was very tight so every donation was very valuable. Unfortunately one of the conditions of the donation was that the aircraft would not fly again (TBS had excellent hours remaining, full cargo fitout and 'grandfather rights' on the Australian register, so could have been a potential competitor to Australian Air Express).
In order to render the airframe unserviceable we originally agreed to drill the wing spars, but because these could have been easily repaired the fuselage centre barrel frames instead were drilled.
It is a shame because AA had (and still has) the engineering expertise and labour to have kept her flying, ideally in the Ansett delta scheme.
TBS is in remarkably good condition, with excellent times remaining. And the few times we ground ran the engines, the sound of the JT8s on a BNE winter morning certainly got the juices flowing for our young students (not to mention a few crusty instructors as well).
When I left AA in 2010 her last tech log entry was framed in the Corporate Centre: "nil defects, farewell to a grand old lady".
Although it would be a big job, it is still technically possible this old girl could be made airworthy.
http://www.aussieairliners.org/b-727/vh-rms/vhrms.html
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac...mz/VH-RMS.html