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Ansett is the only carrier to have ordered a three-crew configured flight deck. Four of the seven CRTs are visible in this photo which also clearly shows the Flight Engineer's station. In the event of future resale, the cockpits can be readily reconfigured in a two-man FFCC arrangement.
The 767 Comes to Australia
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The arrival of any new aircraft from Boeing is a matter of great significance. When the first Qantas 707 arrived in 1959, it enabled that airline to be in the forefront of the mass travel market which was soon to confront the international operators. The immensely successful 727 commenced service in Australia in 1964 and brought the jet era to the domestic scene. The smaller and further refined 737 is a comparatively recent arrival to our shores. Both the 727 and 737, although embodying much of modern technology, still draw much of their design heritage from the 707 from which they are derived. The 767 is so radically different from all these types that it warrants consideration as the most important airliner to have entered domestic service in Australia for nearly 20 years.
Ansett Airlines’ acquisition of the Boeing 767 signals the final step of a huge re-equipment programme announced by them in March 1980. In what was the fifth largest order placed with Boeing, Ansett purchased 21 aircraft at a cost of about $600 million. Comprising twelve 737-200s, four 727-200LRs and five 767-200s it establishes Ansett as one of the only two major airlines in the world to have an all-Boeing fleet. The other airline to have this claim to fame is of course Qantas. It also means that the hitherto unbroken association of Ansett and its predecessors with Douglas, which commenced with the DC-2 in 1936, has come to an end. The introduction into service of the 767 is the culmination of three years of intense planning and activity. However, before looking at Ansett’s association with the 767 and its arrival in Australia, it is worth looking at the birth of the 767 itself.
Boeing, as the pre-eminent commercial aircraft contractor, were keen to ensure that their leadership was retained. Over a ten year period, two design projects were underway. One, the 7N7, eventually became the 757. The other was originally identified as the 7X7 and was redesignated the 767 by Boeing in 1978. United Airlines placed the first order on 14 July 1978 for 30 767-200s. This was later lifted to 39 aircraft. Other substantial orders were received from American Airlines for 30 and from Delta for 20 not long after. The 767 prototype had its maiden flight in September 1981. It is doubtful if any other company apart from Boeing would have had the resources to handle the certification programme of two aircraft the size of the 757 and 767 simultaneously. The demands were considerable, but Boeing had the pleasure of seeing the award of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Certificate of Airworthiness to the 767 in July 1982 and the 757 in December 1982.
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