April 1956 to January 1968
Central African Airways Corporation (CAA)
VP-YNA - c/n 98 - a V.748D series Viscount
Rhodesia registered
July 1954
Central African Airways Corporation (CAA) placed an order for five Type 748 Viscounts
They were powered by Rolls-Royce Dart RDa6 Mark 510 engines with a 47 seat high-density cabin.
They were also fitted with de Havilland propellers, which was the first application to a production Viscount.
Production Order No. F01/748. Sales Order No. F01/67B. Stock Order No. F46/27B.
Production Aircraft No. 114 - the 114th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 73rd Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 76th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
28 March 1956
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
Godfrey Martin Huggins
24 April 1956
Handed over to Central African Airways Corporation (CAA) representative Mr I C M Hepburn by George Edwards in a ceremony at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England with the High Commissioner for the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyassaland Sir Gilbert Rennie also in attendance.
It then departed on delivery named as 'R M A Malvern'.
Shortly before Godfrey Martin Huggins retired as Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1956 he became a life peer and was then known as The Right Honourable First Viscount Malvern of Rhodesia and Bexley. He was the longest serving Prime Minister in the British Commonwealth, at that time. He was also the only one to serve under four Monarchs in British Commonwealth history (George V, Edward VIII, George VI, and Elizabeth II). He later became Sir Godfrey Huggins and died in Southern Rhodesia 8 May 1971 aged 87.
The aircraft crew on board consisted of: - J R 'Rob' Orbell, E S S 'Gar' Nash, Bob Hodgson and W G 'Jock' Elphinstone.
24 April 1956
Noted at Benina Airport, near Benghazi, Libya during the delivery of the aircraft to Salisbury.
25 April 1956
Arrived at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
This was before the airport buildings were finished or the airport formally commisioned as the old Belvedere Airport wasn't suitable for Viscount operations due to the runway length.
June 1956
Entered service on various African routes. The Salisbury terminal building and airport was not formerly opened until 5 February 1957, so the CAA Viscount operations were conducted using a hangar to process passengers and baggage.
Central African Airways (CAA)
'White Top' livery
20 July 1956
Services commenced from Jan Smuts Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.
16 October 1956
Total time 931:05 hours.
26 December 1956
Total time 1,421:01 hours.
circa March 1957
Weather radar installed by Marshall's at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England.
11 October 1957
Total time 2,809:57 hours.
circa 1959
Painted in the CAA 'white top' livery with the R M A prefix removed from the aircrafts' name.
27 January 1960
Total time 8,200:38 hours.
20 August 1960
Total time 9,791:55 hours.
1 October 1960
Operated the final Viscount service from Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Rhodesia to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England via Northern Rhodesia, Uganda, the Sudan, Libya, Malta and Italy.
20 January 1961
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England from Rome, Italy to clear customs.
It then departed to Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for maintenance with Marshall's.
29 April 1961
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England from Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England to clear customs.
30 April 1961
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to Malta during the return to Salisbury, Rhodesia.
2 July 1962
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England.
3 July 1962
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England.
25 April 1963
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England.
27 April 1963
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England.
1 June 1966
Central African Airways Corporation (CAA) celebrated their 20th anniversary and a special set of four stamps was issued featuring the de Havilland Dragon Rapide, Douglas DC3, Vickers Viscount and the BAC One-Eleven.
7 October 1966
Total time 22,030:55 hours.
1964 - January 1968
Operated as Central African Airways Corporation (CAA), Air Malawi, Air Rhodesia and Zambia Airways.
At this time the CAA Viscounts were fitted with removable nameplates that were easily installed to both sides of the rear fuselage. An ingenious quick release system held these nameplates in place as they were regularly changed over to suit the next departure schedule.
1 January 1968
Transferred to Air Rhodesia due to a corporate name change.
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