June 1955 to July 1955
Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S
LN-FOF - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
Norway registered
circa June 1955
This was the first Type 736 ordered by Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S.
Production Aircraft No. 77 - the 77th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 37th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 45th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
Production Order No. F01/736. Sales Order No. F01/57B. Stock Order No. F32/22B.
18 January 1955
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
13 April 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
22 July 1955
Registration LN-FOF allocated to Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S but not taken up.
Re-registered G-AODG for pending lease to British European Airways (BEA).
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July 1955 to March 1957
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)
G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
22 July 1955
Registered to British European Airways (BEA), Bealine House, Ruislip, Middlesex.
20 October 1955
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England in full BEA livery.
18 November 1955
Delivered on lease to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Fridtjof Nansen'.
Total time flown by BEA was 1,844 hours.
27 March 1957
Sub-leased to Middle East Airlines (MEA) in full MEA livery
FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways
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March 1957 to December 1957
Middle East Airlines (MEA)
OD-ACR - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
Lebanon registered
27 March 1957
Sub-leased from British European Airways (BEA) in full Middle East Airlines (MEA) livery.
The company name at that time was: - Associated British Airlines (Middle East) Limited.
31 March 1957
Total time 2,594 hours.
13 December 1957
Aircraft sold by Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) while still on lease to MEA via BEA.
20 December 1957
Returned to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) after flying for 1,618 hours during the lease period.
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December 1957 to January 1958
British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)
G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
20 December 1957
Returned from Middle East Airlines (MEA) lease to London Airport (later known at Heathrow), Middlesex, England.
3 January 1958
Sold to Airwork Ltd.
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January 1958 to February 1959
Airwork Ltd
G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
January 1958
Purchased from BOAC Associated Companies Ltd.
3 January 1958
Registered to Airwork Ltd.
Their registered address was: - 35 Piccadilly, London, W1
9 January 1958
Operated the inaugural flight from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Accra Airport, Ghana, West Africa via Portela Airport, Lisbon, Portugal, Las Palmas Airport, Canary Islands, Bathurst Airport, The Gambia, and Freetown Airport, Sierra Leone, as a joint venture with Hunting-Clan Air Transport Ltd (HCA).
Passengers would spend a night at Las Palmas.
This was the second Viscount to be seen in Ghana, the first being an executive Viscount owned by the Standard Oil Company.
21 March 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out crew training circuits.
23 April 1958
Total time 4,728 hours and 2,436 total landings.
17 January 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.
1 February 1959
Transferred to Transair (UK) Ltd due to a corporate merger.
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February 1959 to July 1960
Transair (UK) Ltd
G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
1 February 1959
Transferred from Airwork Ltd due to a corporate merger.
12 February 1959
Ferried from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England for future operations.
It was converted to 61 seat high-density configuration.
February 1959
It entered service on the 'Colonial Coach Class' service previously operated by Airwork Ltd.
1 July 1960
Transferred to British United Airways (BUA) due to a corporate merger.
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July 1960 to May 1962
British United Airways (BUA)
G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
1 July 1960
Transferred from Transair (UK) Ltd due to a corporate merger.
1 July 1960
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England on the first day of BUA service.
5 September 1960
Registered to British United Airways (BUA).
22 February 1962
During a test flight off the Sussex coast at Selsey Bill the aircraft was put into a dive to reach the maximum operational speed (VNE).
During the recovery to level out it was noted that the flaps were partially extended. After landing an inspection revealed substantial damage to the tailplanes.
Repaired and returned to service.
circa May 1962
Leased to Polskie Linie Lotnicze (LOT) for the summer season in full BUA livery.
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May 1962 to October 1962
Polskie Linie Lotnicze (LOT)
G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa May 1962
Leased from British United Airways (BUA) for the summer season in full BUA livery.
circa October 1962
Returned to British United Airways (BUA).
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October 1962 to January 1967
British United Airways (BUA)
G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa October 1962
Returned from Polskie Linie Lotnicze (LOT) summer lease.
6 October 1966
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England for overhaul by Aviation Traders Ltd.
It didn't return to Gatwick until sold to BMA.
10 January 1967
Sold to British Midland Airways (BMA).
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January 1967 to February 1969
British Midland Airways (BMA)
G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
10 January 1967
Purchased from British United Airways (BUA) as the first BMA Viscount and handed over in a ceremony at Jersey Airport, Channel Islands.
12 January 1967
Entered British Midland Airways (BMA) service from East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire, England to Abbotsinch, Airport, Glasgow, Scotland replacing a Canadair Argonaut.
20 June 1967
Registered to British Midland Airways (BMA).
20 February 1969
Damaged beyond repair after a heavy landing at East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire, England on a scheduled flight from Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland.
Captain Monty Rogers failed to execute a flare on the second attempt to land on runway 10 in a snow storm resulting in a very heavy landing.
The aircraft initially struck the ground approximately 1,000 feet short of the intended aiming point which collapsed the nose undercarriage leg and broke the fuselage in two just rear of the wing. The aircraft then swung off the runway into the snow.
Visibility at the time was poor and assistance was being provided by a Plessey 424 Ground Radar system.
All 4 crew members and 48 passengers on board escaped without any reported injuries, mainly due to the lack of a post-crash fire.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The accident resulted from the pilot in command failing to execute a proper landing manoeuvre in adverse weather conditions.
Declared as beyond economic repair and written off.
7 March 1969
Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from use.
Broken up for scrap.
Total time 20,895 hours and 14,817 total landings.
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