I read somewhere earlier (and I can't remember where sorry) that it will be housed in a big building at HARS. I have never been to the airport at Illawarra, but would imagine it to be a small airport and to have a building big enough for a 747, what a boon for the incoming VH-OJA - protected from the elements.

I'd be interested in who's funding such a building. HARS is a great place to visit!

Found the article:

QANTAS 747-400 VH-OJA TO RETIRE IN ILLAWARRA
JANUARY 25, 2015|DR. DARREN DELANEY (THE FLIGHT DOC)|AIRCRAFT, AIRLINE, AIRPORT, BREAKING NEWS, NEWS|0 COMMENTS
In early March 2015 the people of Sydney will witness the last flight of one of Qantas Airways special ‘Jumbo’ Boeing 747 multi-deck airliners. Weather permitting, VH-OJA will be retired on what is to be possibly one of the shortest flights (outside of testing) ever taken by a Boeing 747-400. VH-OJA ‘City of Longreach’ will depart from the Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport at Mascot around the 8/9 March flying to the Illawarra Regional Airport at Wollongong located less than 50 nautical miles to the south of Sydney. The short sector leg for this wide-bodied long-haul aircraft is predicted to take no more than around 10 minutes.

VH-OJA will be the first Boeing 747-400 in the Qantas fleet to retire. It is historically significant as the carrier’s first aircraft to fly the ‘Kangaroo Route’ between Australia and the United Kingdom via Singapore. Although originally thought to be destined for the commercial jet graveyard of California’s Victorville she is set to lay rest on the South Coast of New South Wales as a gift from Qantas keeping her in Australia for perpetuity to celebrate her place in aviation history.

As an artefact of Australian history VH-OJA is likely to become a popular tourist attraction and thus a boon for the economy of the South Coast of New South Wales. However, a difficult problem for her custodians, the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), will be maintaining her fuselage in the harsh onshore environmental conditions that notoriously hits the Illawarra region. Although retired outdoors, the dilapidated and seemingly unloved Boeing 747 (serial number #001), “City of Everett”, located at Seattle’s Museum of Flight in the United States is an example of what can happen to aircraft exposed to unpredictably bitter weather conditions.

HARS, a not-for-profit organisation formed in 1979 by a group of aviation enthusiasts interested in the preservation of Australian aviation history will likely take custody of the Boeing 747-400 in early March. VH-OJA is most suitably to find her place in the Museum and Education Building financed by a Federal Government Grant of $275,000 in the late 1990s. With some 10 flying aircraft, and 3 static aircraft, the addition of the ‘Flying Kangaroo’ Boeing 747-400 to the museum fleet is a huge win for aviation history and the people of the Illawarra region.

HARS Open Days commence on the 2nd Friday of each month including the following Saturday and Sunday at a cost of $10 for adults and $2 for children. The “Wings Over Illawarra” Air Show planned for 2/3 May 2015 also given a fillip by the generous corporate gift is likely to see greater popularity by the general public and involvement of major industry players like Qantas.

http://www.pointsandmiles.com.au/?p=5036

Was OJA's last rev service QF64 on 13/01 ?

Affirmative, Greg. QF64 departing JNB 13/1 and arriving SYD 14/1.

Interesting that, having broken a long distance flight record early in her career, OJA is now set to break a short distance record to see that career out! I'm not a huge fan of the 747 (although I don't dislike them), but what an aircraft!

Thks Rowan,

The B747 changed commercial aviation for ever with the introduction of larger loads and cheaper flights.

I don't think the A380 has had that impact.

The problem is how to replace a B747 ?

Unfortunately Boeing missed the boat by not having a fuel hungry replacement ready to go.

We live in interesting times.

Would Qantas have bought them by the dozens so they could keep using 'the fuel costs are killing us' line? ;)


You did mean a fuel efficient replacement for the current fuel hungry aircraft?

They have, the 777-300ER has killed the 747.

And the 777X

That article has a heap of factual errors, makes you wonder what else is not accurate in it.