It's 16 November in Australia, and that means it's officially Qantas' 85th anniversary!   

Happy Birthday to Qantas!

Some bits and pieces about Qantas -

* Flying boats were introduced in 1938, connecting Southampton and Sydney in a mere 10 days!

* The Kangaroo symbol first appeared in 1944.

* Became an around-the-world airline in 1958, when two Super Constellations were dispatched - one eastbound and one westbound around the world.

* First airline outside the USA to fly the Boeing 707, with the first Boeing 707-138 being delivered in July 1959.

* Held off on delivery of the Boeing 747 until the more powerful Boeing 747B was available, and thus took delivery in 1971.

* Had production deposits on the Boeing 2707 and the Concorde, but both never appeared in Qantas livery.

* The worlds only all Boeing 747 airline from 1979 to 1985, with a mix of 747-238Bs, 747-238B Combis, and 747-38SP.

* Merged with the domestic government owned airline TAA / Australian Airlines in 1993.

http://www.qantas.com.au/info/about/company/85thbirthday?lk=prau

Cheers,

Trent.