January 1956 to July 1973
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
February 1953
An order was placed for the first V.800 series Viscount which was specifically designed for British European Airways Corporation (BEA).
This was the 21st V.802 ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).
Production Aircraft No. 24 - the 24th production V.800 series Viscount built,
was the 21st V.800 Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 24th V.800 Viscount assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England.
Production Order No. F21/802. Sales Order No. F21/63B. Stock Order No. F21/26B.
2 January 1956
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).
2 January 1957
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
February 1957
Fuselage transported by road from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England to Weybridge, Surrey, England.
21 February 1957
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Weybridge, Surrey, England.
10 July 1957
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.
It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.
22 July 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England during the pre-delivery test flight phase.
25 July 1957
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Sir John Barrow'.
6 December 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport weather diversion. The passengers were transferred to London by coach.
BEA
'Red Square' livery
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.
31 March 1959
BEA annual report quotes a total time of 3,241 hours.
BEA
'Malta' livery
July 1968
Noted at Luqa, Malta with Malta logos applied to the 'Red Square' livery for the service to Heathrow Airport, London, England.
BEA
'Flying Union Jack' livery
circa 1968
A new BEA ‘Flying Union Jack‘ livery was adopted and most aircraft were repainted when they went in for major overhaul, which took some of them into the early 70s before this was accomplished.
BEA
'Channel Islands' livery
26 December 1969
During a night landing at Tempelhof Airport, Berlin, West Germany in poor weather conditions the pilot became dazzled by the bright runway landing lights combined with a residue of de-icing fluid on the windscreens.
This resulted in the aircraft touching down to the left of the runway, in several inches of snow.
The nose undercarriage collided with a concrete block supporting a runway guidance light, which burst both tyres. This resulted in a loss of directional control and the aircraft veered to the right across the runway and off the other side where it collided with another concrete block which collapsed the nose undercarriage leg. The aircraft finally came to a stop in the snow.
There were no reported injuries to the 66 passengers and 4 crew on board.
Repaired and returned to service.
July 1971
Noted with 'Channel Islands' titles added to the BEA livery.
20 July 1971
Total time 29,539:24 hours and 23,499 total landings.
8 August 1972
Total time 31,366:30 hours and 25,732 total landings.
31 July 1973
Transferred to British Airways (BA) due to a corporate merger.
 FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways
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July 1973 to January 1981
British Airways (BA)
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
31 July 1973
Transferred from British European Airways Corporation (BEA) due to a corporate merger.
September 1973
Noted with British Airways (BA) titles applied to the former BEA livery.
31 March 1980
Last service for British Airways (BA) from Collinstown Airport, Dublin, Ireland to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales and put into storage.
16 January 1981
Sold to British Air Ferries (BAF).
FURTHER READING: Books about British Airways (BA)
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January 1981 to February 1981
British Air Ferries (BAF)
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
16 January 1981
Purchased from British Airways (BA).
This was the first Viscount purchased by British Air Ferries (BAF).
16 January 1981
Ferried from Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England in a basic British Airways (BA) livery less titles.
6 February 1981
The aircraft was displayed immediately after roll-out during a ceremony in the terminal building to celebrate the introduction of the first former British Airways (BA) Viscount. It was named 'Winn' after the chief training hostess by British Air Ferries (BAF) Managing Director Mike Keegan. Painted in the BAF diagonal stripes livery with a yellow cockpit roof to match the stripes, and Oasis Oil Co titles and Arabic script on the starboard side and BAF titles on the port side and also on the nose.
8 February 1981
Leased to the Oasis Oil Company.
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February 1981 to May 1981
Oasis Oil Company
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
8 February 1981
Leased from British Air Ferries (BAF).
Oasis Oil Co titles and Arabic script replaced the BAF titles on the port side.
During the delivery journey it was demonstrated to Air Algerie at Algiers Airport, Algeria.
At some point the yellow cockpit roof was repainted white, probably due to the intense heat.
It was based at Tripoli Airport, Libya in support of various outlying oil rig stations.
28 May 1981
Returned to British Air Ferries (BAF).
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May 1981 to July 1981
British Air Ferries (BAF)
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
28 May 1981
Returned from the Oasis Oil Company lease.
2 June 1981
Returned to service still named as 'Winn'.
8 July 1981
Leased again to the Oasis Oil Company.
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July 1981 to September 1981
Oasis Oil Company
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
8 July 1981
Leased again from British Air Ferries (BAF) in a basic BAF diagonal stripes livery with 'OASIS Oil Co' titles and arabic script and 'BAF' on the nose.
It was delivered by Captain Brian Beattie and First Officer Cliff Newton to Tripoli Airport, Libya via Marseilles Airport, France and departed from Southend Airport at 0930 and arrived at Marseille Airport at 1215. It departed from Marseille Airport at 1340 and arrived at Tripoli Airport at 1720.
The aircraft operated to Giallo (Oil Platform 59E), Waha (Oil Platform 59A), Es Sider, Dahra and Marsa el Brega. Some of these locations were simply oil drilling sites with limited facilities for aircraft other than an airstrip of suitable length.
Typical sector lengths were: -
Giallo to Waha 30mins
Tripoli to Waha 2hrs 10mins
Waha to Es Sider 55mins
Es Sider to Dahra 30mins
Dahra to Tripoli 1hr35mins
Tripoli to Marsa el Brega 1hr 50mins and return.
September 1981
Returned to British Air Ferries.
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September 1981 to October 1981
Esso Standard Libya Inc
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
September 1981
Leased from British Air Ferries (BAF) in a basic BAF diagonal stripes livery with the 'ESSO' logo and arabic script.
October 1981
Returned to British Air Ferries (BAF).
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October 1981 to August 1982
Oasis Oil Company
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
October 1981
Leased for a third time from British Air Ferries (BAF) in a basic diagonal stripes livery with 'Oasis Oil Co' titles and arabic script and 'BAF' on the nose and still named as 'Winn'.
August 1982
Returned to British Air Ferries (BAF).
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August 1982 to March 1983
British Air Ferries (BAF)
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
August 1982
Returned from Oasis Oil Company lease.
22 March 1983
Sold to Polar Airways.
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March 1983 to July 1983
Polar Airways
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
22 March 1983
Purchased from British Air Ferries (BAF) and operated in the ex BAF diagonal stripes livery with Polar titles.
20 April 1983
Operated the last Polar Airways service from Middelkerke Airport, Ostend, Belgium to East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire, England as flight VF9074L.
Polar Airways then ceased operations and the aircraft was ferried to Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England and stored.
5 July 1983
Sold back to British Air Ferries (BAF).
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July 1983 to August 1983
British Air Ferries (BAF)
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
5 July 1983
Purchased from Polar Airways and ferried to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England.
2 August 1983
Leased to Euroair Transport Ltd.
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August 1983 to June 1984
Euroair Transport Ltd
G-AOHV - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
2 August 1983
Leased from British Air Ferries (BAF).
2 August 1983
Delivered to Gatwick Airport, West Sussex, England in basic British Air Ferries (BAF) livery with the Euroair logo on the tail and a small Business Air Centre emblem behind the cockpit.
This was the first Gatwick based Viscount since British United Airlines (BUA) in 1970.
September 1983
Entered service on charter work.
April 1984
Noted with 'Air Commuter' titles on the rear fuselage.
7 June 1984
Purchased from British Air Ferries (BAF) while still on lease.
It was actually purchased by Alexandra Aviation Ltd which was the parent company of Euroair Transport Ltd.
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June 1984 to July 1984
Euroair Transport Ltd
G-BLNB - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
7 June 1984
Purchased from British Air Ferries (BAF) while on lease and re-registered from G-AOHV.
It was actually purchased by Alexandra Aviation Ltd which was the parent company of Euroair Transport Ltd.
9 June 1984
Total time 44,299:45 hours.
July 1984
Leased to Tunisavia.
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July 1984 to December 1984
Tunisavia
G-BLNB - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
July 1984
Leased from Euroair Transport Ltd. Tunisavia titles and logo were applied to the Euroair livery.
Alexandra Aviation Ltd was the parent company of Euroair Transport.
December 1984
Returned to Euroair Transport Ltd.
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December 1984 to August 1985
Euroair Transport Ltd
G-BLNB - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
December 1984
Returned from Tunisavia lease and stored at Exeter Airport, Devon, England.
Alexandra Aviation Ltd was the parent company of Euroair Transport.
8 May 1985
Returned to service.
1 August 1985
Sold to British Air Ferries (BAF).
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August 1985 to April 1993
British Air Ferries (BAF)
G-BLNB - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
Initially operated in Euroair Transport livery
1 August 1985
Purchased from Euroair Transport Ltd.
The aircraft was initially operated in a basic Euroair livery less titles.
16 February 1986
Air tested at Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England after repainting in British Air Ferries (BAF) 'British' livery. It was now carrying the name 'Viscount Winston Churchill'.
Suffered a wheels up landing
9 March 1986
Suffered a wheels up landing at Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England during a ferry flight to its home base.
6 June 1986
Returned to service after repairs. The Rolls-Royce Dart engines needed a repair shop visit to rectify shockload damage to the shafts, gears, casings and bearings.
26 August 1986
Noted at Exeter Airport, Devon, England in bare metal condition with the tail and engines removed undergoing a major overhaul with West Country Aircraft Services.
British Air Ferries (BAF)
final livery
19 May 1990
Noted painted in the final British Air Ferries (BAF) livery.
1 April 1993
Transferred to British World Airlines (BWA) due to a corporate name change.
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April 1993 to March 1994
British World Airlines (BWA)
G-BLNB - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
1 April 1993
Transferred from British Air Ferries (BAF) due to a corporate name change.
July 1993
Noted still in British Air Ferries livery but now with a plain maroon tail.
10 August 1993
Noted now fully repainted in the British World Airlines (BWA) 'leaping Lion' livery.
February 1994
Rolled out after a repaint in Data Post livery.
1 March 1994
Re-registered G-OPFI.
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March 1994 to May 1999
British World Airlines (BWA)
G-OPFI - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
1 March 1994
Re-registered from G-BLNB. The new registration refers to 'Go Parcel Force International'.
Circa August 1994
Rolled out in full Parcel Force International livery.
8 January 1998
Last service from Baginton Airport, Coventry, England to Aldergrove Airport, Belfast, Northern Ireland as BWL4251 for Parcel Force International.
In storage at Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England
This was the last British World Airlines (BWA) Viscount service.
8 January 1998
Ferried from Aldergrove Airport, Belfast, Northern Ireland to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England as BWL251P and withdrawn from service and stored.
May 1999
Sold to Airwing 2000 Ltd.
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May 1999 to August 1999
Airwing 2000 Ltd
G-OPFI - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
May 1999
Purchased from British World Airlines (BWA) still in cargo configuration but the plan was to convert it for passenger services in Africa.
17 June 1999
Departed from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to Luqa Airport, Malta still carrying the UK registration G-OPFI.
This was the last Viscount to depart from Southend, the recognised home of the Viscount.
Reportedly noted operating out of Son Sant Joan Airport, Palma, Mallorca, Spain for two weeks on a fish transport contract to mainland Spain.
Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
circa August 1999
Re-registered as 3D-PFI.
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August 1999 to September 1999
Airwing 2000 Ltd
3D-PFI - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
Swaziland registered
circa August 1999
Re-registered from G-OPFI.
31 August 1999
Departed from Luqa Airport, Malta on delivery to Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa as 3D-PFI together with Viscount 3D-OHM (C/N 162).
circa September 1999
Sold to Interflight. The actual date is unknown.
Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
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September 1999 to October 2001
Interflight
3D-PFI - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
Swaziland registered
circa September 1999
Purchased from Airwing 2000 Ltd.
October 2000
Noted stored at Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria, South Africa.
1 October 2001
Sold to Transtel.
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October 2001 to November 2002
Transtel
5V-TTP - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
Togo registered
1 October 2001
Purchased from Interflight and fitted out with a passenger interior and repainted.
1 November 2002
Leased to the Ivory Coast Government.
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November 2002 to July 2003
Ivory Coast Government
TU-VAB - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
Ivory Coast registered
1 November 2002
Leased from Transtel.
21 July 2003
Returned to Transtel.
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July 2003 to January 2009
Pegasus Aviation
3D-PFI - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
Swaziland registered
21 July 2003
Purchased from Transtel after its return from lease to the Ivory Coast Government.
15 January 2005
Noted transporting troops to Beni, northeast region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
1 January 2009
Sold to Global Airways (Democratic Republic of the Congo). The actual date is not known. Information please to information@vickersviscount.net.
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January 2009 to January 2011
Global Airways (D.R. Congo)
9Q-COD - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
Democratic Republic of the Congo registered
1 January 2009
Purchased from Pegasus Aviation. The actual date is not known. Information please to information@vickersviscount.net.
January 2009
Ferried to Luano Airport, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo and stored.
This is the last known flight of a Vickers Viscount anywhere in the world.
Total time 53,014 hours and 50,631 total landings.
December 2010
Offered for sale in 'flyable' condition for US $275,000.
Fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa6 Mark 510G engines.
No.1 S/N 5295 Time Since Overhaul 5625 hours / Cycles Since Overhaul 5385 landings
No.2 S/N 6308 Time Since Overhaul 3919 hours / Cycles Since Overhaul 4240 landings
No.3 S/N 6531 Time Since Overhaul 5848 hours / Cycles Since Overhaul 6793 landings
No.4 S/N 5927 Time Since Overhaul 3586 hours / Cycles Since Overhaul 4004 landings
circa January 2011
Sold to GTRA Airways but the aircraft remained stored at Luano Airport, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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January 2011 to January 2015
GTRA Airways
9Q-COD - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
Democratic Republic of the Congo registered
Circa January 2011
Purchased from Global Airways (D.R.Congo) but the aircraft remained stored at Luano Airport, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
September 2012
After contact with GTRA Airways, Olivier Manzambi advised that the aircraft was still for sale for $250,000 in an 'airworthy' condition. Also available was a package of spare parts including four Dart Mark 510 engines and Propellers for $50,000 which came from 9Q-CON (C/N 382) when it was scrapped in 2008.
23 October 2012
Aircraft viewed externally and considered to be in poor condition after nearly four years in open storage in a very humid environment.
18 August 2014
Still visible on Google Earth.
18 October 2015
Noted on Google Earth at location 11.503339 S 27.635871 E, Ferme Hasna, a tourist resort near Futuka Village, off the main N5 road to Mwangalala, northeast of Lubumbashi.
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January 2015 to
Ferme Hasna
9Q-COD - c/n 170 - a V.802 series Viscount
Democratic Republic of the Congo registered
18 October 2015
Noted on Google Earth at location 11.503339 S 27.635871 E, near Futuka Village, off the main N5 road to Mwangalala, northeast of Lubumbashi.
It forms part of a tourist resort (Hasna Farm) and there is also Piper PA31 Navajo 9Q-CEV at the same location.
Neither aircraft have their engines.
The Viscount front cabin door is open but there are no access steps.
21 October 2019
Noted with a deteriorating exterior.
21 February 2020
Still visible on Google Earth.
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