
November 1957 to June 1966
Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. (KLM)
PH-VIH - c/n 179 - a V.803 series Viscount
Netherlands registered
June 1955
An order for nine Type 803 was placed by Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. (KLM).
This was the 8th aircraft for KLM.
Production Aircraft No. 38 - the 38th production 800 series Viscount built,
was the 9th 800 series Viscount fuselage assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England,
and the 38th 800 series Viscount assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England.
Production Order No. F08/803. Sales Order No. F08/83B. Stock Order No. F30/26B.
11 February 1957
Fuselage assembly commenced at Weybridge, Surrey, England.
31 May 1957
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Weybridge, Surrey, England.
1 November 1957
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.
It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.
Registration certificate 414 issued.
18 November 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England during the test flight period.
23 November 1957
Delivered to Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. (KLM) named as 'Wright Brothers' with a 53 seat mixed-class cabin.
The original livery had ‘The Flying Dutchman’ titles on the port side and ‘De Vliegende Hollander’ titles on the starboard side.
After delivery it was renamed as 'Alberto Santos Dumont' (without the hyphen).
16 January 1958
This was the first KLM Viscount to visit Speke Airport, Liverpool, England.
The cabin seating was later increased to 59/64 all-tourist class configuration.
15/16 November 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport weather diversion.
KLM 'diagonal striped tail' livery
circa 1960
Painted in the new KLM 'diagonal striped tail' livery with ‘KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines’ titles.
Did this happen during the previous livery change?
circa 1965
Painted in the new KLM 'horizontal striped tail' livery.
13 June 1966
Dutch registration cancelled.
13 June 1966
Sold to Aer Lingus.
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