History.

OO-TAQ started life registered as G-5-078 (with the serial number: E2078), which was given to her whilst being produced by British Aerospace. Test flights were carried out using the registration, G-BNPJ.

On the 28th July 1987 she completed her first flight before being re-registered to I-TNTC prior to delivery to TNT (Mistral Air).

On the 3rd of December 1987, she was delivered before being put into full operation by the start of 1988.

In 2000, at the turn of the millennium, she was transferred to the Belgian based operations of TNT Airways, although she kept her Italian registration, I-TNTC.

She was also given the striking new orange and black livery that we still see on her today. - A personal favourite of mine.

On October 8th 2009, she was stripped of her Italian registration and re-registered as G-BNPJ. This was the same registration she had worn when undergoing testing with British Aerospace in 1987.

Then, on July 30th 2010, she was finally transferred and placed onto the Belgian aircraft register, with the callsign we are familiar with today, OO-TAQ.

Unfortunately, as we all know, the nail in the coffin came in July 2011 when she landed at Exeter on her final flight from Brussels. She has remained on the ground ever since.

The airframe was juggled around parking stands at Exeter until 2019 where she was towed to where she sits now which was often known as the "scrapping area" of Exeter. Luckily, she's not gone just yet.

We believe she was being cannibalized for parts, the engines were removed and the main door was sealed up.

However, since nothing has happened in terms of her condition in quite some time, it is safe to say she may face the cutters torch soon if we don't do something to save her.