July 1956 to August 1962
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)
G-AOFX - c/n 182 - a V.701C series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
20 December 1955
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).
This registration was originally allocated to Douglas DC-6A N6813C C/N 44889 but not taken up.
16 July 1956
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.
It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.
22 July 1956
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Sir Joseph Banks'.
This was the 27th and last Type 701 Viscount delivered to British European Airways (BEA) and the second one delivered with the new flush ventral cabin air intake in place of the ventral cabin air intake as fitted to previous aircraft. This also applied to G-ANHF (C/N 66)
1954 to 1958
The original design propeller blades were gradually replaced by new symmetrical ‘paddle’ 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 in place of the original Mark 505 engines, however G-AOFX was delivered as a Type 701C.
The 'C' suffix was used to indicate a BEA aircraft delivered new with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines.
12 February 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out crew training flights.
24 December 1958
Accidentally landed alongside the runway at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England due to poor visibility during a weather diversion from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.
It then ran over a raised pathway and became bogged down resulting in substantial damage.
There were no reported injuries to the 39 passengers or 5 crew on board.
Repaired and returned to service.
28 January 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.
1959
Converted from 40/47 seats to 60/63 seats in a new high density configuration. This modification also entailed the installation of an 11th standard size window on the rear starboard side and a small window behind the rear entrance door on the port side.
31 March 1959
BEA annual report quotes a total flying time of 5,981 hours.
7 November 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
15 December 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
1 August 1960
Positioned empty to Guernsey Airport, Channel Islands from Jersey Airport, Channel Islands, arriving at 09:20, to take part in the formal opening ceremony of the new 4,800ft concrete runway.
It departed at 16:30 as BE721 to Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England, replacing the scheduled Pionair service (the BEA name for the Douglas DC-3) becoming the first Viscount passenger flight from Guernsey.
Viscount loads from Guernsey were initially restricted to 44 passengers because one end of the new runway had not hardened enough to be used.
12 October 1961
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
30 August 1962
Sold to Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP).
Total time 13,009 hours.
FURTHER READING: Books about British European Airways
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