Evacuees walk towards a TAA 727 at Darwin Airport after Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Historians are unclear if this is TBK or TBH.abc.net.au/news/cyclone-tracy-evacuation-plane-becomes-danish-conference-centre/102120960A plane involved in Australia's largest civil evacuation almost half a century ago is living a second life as an "Austin Powers-style" conference room.
Trans Australia Airlines's 727 VH-TBK was only months old when it evacuated 877 Darwin residents in two flights to Mount Isa on December 27, 1974, after Cyclone Tracy hit the city on Christmas Day. Darwin-based aviation enthusiast Bruce Dale joined the dots and tracked down the plane in Denmark on a recent "avgeek" pilgrimage."It was one of the first aircraft painted in the colours to represent Central Australia back in the day so I was just looking into the history of that particular aircraft," he told ABC'sBruce Dale checks out the cockpit of the former TAA 727 VH-TBK in Denmark.
Mr Dale, who works in the aviation industry, then uncovered the plane's contribution to Cyclone Tracy evacuation efforts."It's a very tangible link to that momentous time in Darwin and Australia's history.""The aircraft was used very early on [in the evacuation] meaning it would have been carrying some of the most critically injured out of Darwin."
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