It's taken almost (2) years but finally this image of the UBA leased Northwest Orient 727-151C (N489US) has just been posted on Airlinehobby.com! One of the more interesting lease/hybrid schemes as all the Northwest Red was removed from the tail, leaving the lower White section with the reg#. A very small UBA logo was used on the tail for the 1yr lease. Sadly, I have never been able to find out any details on this lease, whether it was flown by Northwest pilots or contract crews. The A/C was used on Union Of Burma's international routes that were flown out of Rangoon to Calcutta, Kathmandu, Hong Hong & Bangkok. Service to Cambodia was later suspended in 1971. The 727 lease was successful enough that UBA began searching for it's own 727 and contracted with Hughes Airwest for the purchase of (1) of the ex-Pacific 727-193's (N989PC), becoming XY-ADR in 1970.
This Christian Volpati photo (AirlineFan.com) shows the -193 in 1975. Rodger "Cabforward" sent me some interesting information on the Hughes Airwest Assistance contract with UBA. It was the first of HAW's Aviation Assistance Programs. Hughes Airwest provided maintenance support services and training. At least (2) HAW managers were based with UBA. XY-ADR went through at least (2) slight color scheme variations. When it left the U.S. West Coast in the summer of 1970, it was painted in an over-all White fuselage with the same small UBA logo on the tail that the leased -151C wore and the engine nacelles were also White. Later a full size logo appeared and finally the White paint was removed on the lower fuselage. According to the HAW Newsletter, the UBA contract was terminated after 6 & 1/2 yrs due to the fact that UBA was no longer allowed fly-over rights to Vietnam, causing a discontinuation of the Hong Kong service.
The 727-193 was sold in 1976. Thanks to Rodger for adding to the UBA 727 story........John