
June 1953 to August 1962
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)
G-AMOF - c/n 19 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
25 June 1953
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA), Keyline House, Ruislip, Middlesex.
17 July 1953
Engine ground running commenced.
23 July 1953
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.
It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.
5 August 1953
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.
8 August 1953
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Sir Martin Frobisher'.
It was fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 505 engines.
The cabin was fitted out with a 47 seat all-tourist class layout. It also had the early 'cutlass' style propeller blades fitted, which were later replaced.
September 1953
BEA used this aircraft as a substitute for G-AMAV (C/N 3) to enable them to take some publicity photos relating to the New Zealand Air Race which took place in October.
G-AMAV was not available as it was appearing at the Farnborough SBAC Air Show and also having additional fuel tanks installed in the cabin.
10 January 1954
Operated the first Viscount service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Son Sant Joan Airport, Palma, Mallorca, Spain non-stop with 45 passengers, flown by Captain A J Holderness.
1954 to 1962
The original ‘cutlass’ design propeller blades were gradually replaced by new symmetrical ‘needle’ blade propeller sets.
From photographic evidence, both propeller types were fitted to Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3, Mark 505 and Mark 506 engines and many aircraft flew with an ‘intermix’ of both types of propeller blades.
May 1955 to December 1956
All BEA Type 701 aircraft were gradually retrofitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines which were upgraded using modified Mark 505 engines.
Aircraft are known to have flown with an ‘intermix’ of both engine marks between these dates.
When completely retro-fitted with Mark 506 engines, the Type 701A designation was applied to these aircraft although this has not been seen widely used or quoted.
On the steps are James 'Jimmy' Stewart and Doris Day
1956
This aircraft appeared in the Alfred Hitchcock remake of the film 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'. The films cast included Jimmy Stewart, Doris Day and Daniel Gélin.
When the aircraft arrives at London Airport it taxies to the BEA maintenance area where Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day come down the rear steps pretending that they are outside the terminal building. The film is still available on DVD.
15 December 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.
15 January 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
17 February 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
March 1959
A new BEA 'Red Square' livery was adopted and aircraft were repainted during the early 1960s when they next went in for overhaul.
Sadly, after repainting, the aircraft no longer carried a name including the nameplate on the forward cabin bulkhead.
27 April 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.
3 May 1960
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.
16 October 1961
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
circa June 1962
Offered for sale for £110,000.
30 August 1962
Sold to Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP).
FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways
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