Boeing B737 at Essendon Airport?

[Oliver Gigacz]

I was wondering has a Boeing 737 or larger aircraft ever landed at Essendon (YMEN)

[Ryan Hothersall]

I think Essendon was the main Melbourne airport before tullamarine was built in the 1970s, so I would guess Ansett and TAA would have operated DC9s and 727s from Essendon.

[Anthony R Haynes]

There was a Pacific Transair 737-200 stored at Essendon many years ago.

[Gareth Forwood]

Here (http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?aircraft=Boeing+737&airline=-2&country=loc-Melbourne+Essendon+Airport+-+YMEN&photog=-2&category=-2&year=-2&keywordrange=all&keywordlimiter=2&keywords=&sort=1&genre=1&size=-2&mainsearch=search&displaymode=1&display=15) are a couple of photos from our very own Brian W.

[Raymond Rowe]

The department of transport used to operate F28 aircraft out of essendon.There has been many jet aircraft in and out of essendon as it was used as an alternate to tulla if it was fogged in.

[Robert Zweck]

I was at the Essendon Aviation Symposium and Airshow in November, 1984

Kym Beasley was the Minister for Transport at the time and was our guest Speaker

On the Sunday we did a joyride in the Ansett B767-200 VH-RMH which had only just been delivered and was on display for the public to view.

We were towed to the threshold of Essendon's RWY 26 , did a left hand circuit of the City and then landed on RWY 27 at Tullamarine.

All with the compliments of Ansett.....

[Nathan Long]

I have seen slides of C-135s and C-141As at Essendon.

[Bob C]

Ah, wasn't Essendon Melbourne's International airport before Tullamarine opened in the early 70s ?

And yes 737s and bigger have certainly landed there ; I photographed a Pacific Transair B737, N737RD, on 21 April 1996.

[Bob C]

"Google" is your friend Oliver.

Input "Essendon Airport" to get a comprehensive history.

[Paul f.]

Some more shots of N737RD which is the only 737 that has visited Essendon.

[Oliver Gigacz]

I found this photo just now and there is a B737 in the backround. Can anyone confirm if it is the same B737 you are thinking of?

[Paul f.]

No its not the one,also that photo is Tulla not Ess.

[Jack B]

what is the largest aircraft that has landed at Essendon?

I saw somewhere a Qantas 707 in 1960 that said it was taken at Essendon, but when considering the performance of the early turbojet 707's and the runway at Essendon, I find this unlikely.

[Paul f.]

The largest aircraft into Essendon would have been the C-141 that was on display at an open day at the airport in 1984.

[Chris Griffiths]

I remember when LBJ visited the then Air Force 1 (a VC-137) landed at Essendon.
Whilst young at the time I remember reading in the Herald(or the Sun, or the Age) that AF-1 was the largest aircraft to have landed at Essendon up to that time.
It is likely there were one or more C-141 supporting that trip but they may have landed at Laverton.

That was October 1966 with the same scene repeated just before Christmas 1967

Cheers

[Bob C]

Yes, Chris - Harold Holt's funeral just before Christmas 1967 saw many overseas dignitaries visit Melbourne so I guess there was some heavy metal at Essendon.

[Paul f.]

After being pointed out to me by a very knowledgable person on the subject of aircraft into Essendon, that maybe an C-141 was not the largest aircraft into Essendon but an A-300 which made a very quick stop there while on a demostration tour of Australia during the 70,s.

[Bob C]

This is a list of aircraft visiting Melbourne in December 1967 for Harold Holt's Memorial Service and is reproduced with the permission of an aviation enthusiast legend :

USAF/MAC C-135B 24125 ; Essendon and Tullamarine

USAF/MAC C-141A 70008 ; Essendon and Tullamarine

USAF/MAC C-141A 50263 ; Essendon and Tullamarine

US Of A VC-137A 86970 ; Essendon and Tullamarine

US of A VC-137A 86972 ; Tullamarine

707-321B N434PA Pan American ; Essendon and Tullamarine

707-320 N354US Northwest Orient Airlines ; Avalon and Tullamarine

RAF VC-10 XV105 ; Avalon and Tullamarine.

Indonesian Air Force Jetstar T-9446 ; Avalon and Tullamarine

Note that Tullamarine did not open officially until July 1 ’70.


Previously in October ’66 US President Johnson (LBJ) arrived at Essendon with the following aircraft :

US of A VC-135B 26000

707-331B N8725T of Trans World

USAF/MAC C-141A 40629, 40630, 50223 and 50233

[Jack B]

Never would have guessed TWA and Pan American 707's had been to Essendon, let alone Air Force One

[Raymond Rowe]

Essendon Airport has a very colourful history.

[Jeff N]

Regarding the LBJ visit to Melbourne in the late 60s, I vaguely recall that his 707 carved up the runway at Essendon. Is this true or false?

[Ben Smith]

I know it's not in the same class as a 707, C141 or even 737, but I saw an Alliance F100 land on Runway 26 about a year ago. It was about a week after black Saturday ferrying in/out fire fighters from interstate (saw it on the news that night). I was walking back to the car after visiting DFO and it took me by surprise as it is certainly one of the larger jets I have personally seen there.

I vaguely remember seeing one of the Ipec DC-9 freighters at an Essendon open day in the 90's. The HARS Super Constellation was definitely there. Also remember the commentator made a joke about the Qansett 767 lined up on final when it was actually on approach to runway 34 at Tullamarine.