The Aviation Historian — Issue 21 (October 2017)

128 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Issue No 21

BELOW Another aerial view of Melbourne Airport during the 1973 strike, with the bigger airliners having to be

parked wherever space can be found for them. Some of the parking spots for the smaller feederliners, mainly

Fokker F-27s of Ansett, are empty, but would have been of little use to anything much bigger than a turboprop.

It is perhaps hard to remember today just how big a leap in size the 747

was on its introduction into service in 1970, specially when compared to its

forerunner, the 707. Here Qantas 747-238B VH-EBA, named City of Canberra,

dwarfs 707-338C VH-EAE City of Swan Hill, while parked at Melbourne during

the strike. The 707 still wears the airline’s older “V-Jet” livery.

AIRSERVICES AUSTRALIA/CASA/CAHS

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