26 April 2024
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Viscount Survivors


59 of the 444 Viscounts built survive as complete airframes or major components. Some are in very good condition and are looked after by museums while others are just wrecks. They can be found in 24 countries.

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Established 2005
Vickers Viscount Network
A Virtual Museum dedicated to the Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount
   

Viscount c/n 262

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 262
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

This V.806 series Viscount was built for
British European Airways Corporation (BEA) as G-AOYM

It first flew on Wednesday, 26 February 1958 at Weybridge, Surrey, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 520 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Cambrian Airways, British Airways (BA), British Air Ferries (BAF), Manx Airlines and Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC) and La Granja Park


Photo of Viscount c/n 262
Hotel Las Americas


Spain flag Spain

Its final owner/operator was
Hotel Las Americas as EC-DYC.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service and stored at Los Rodeos Airport, Tenerife Norte, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spanish Territory in May 1989. Noted still stored in February 1992. Transferred to La Granja Park, Taco, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spanish Territory circa September 1992. Noted still in existence in March 1997. Subsequently scrapped. Date not known. The nose section was noted in use as a DJ cabin at a discotheque within the Hotel Las Americas in December 1999. Does it still exist? Details please to information@vickersviscount.net.


Operational record
Photo of British European Airways Corporation (BEA) Viscount G-AOYM

Country of Registration United Kingdom

March 1958 to November 1971

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AOYM - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

January 1956
This was the 8th Type 806 and the 31st 800 series Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

The first (C/N 255) was not delivered as it was loaned to Vickers-Armstrongs for Type 810 development work.

20 December 1956
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

26 February 1958
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.

It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.

19 March 1958
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A John Loudon McAdam'.

16 February 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

A new BEA ‘Red Square‘ livery was adopted.
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.

7 January 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

22 October 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

13 December 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

18 December 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

10 April 1961
Total time 6,890:06 hours.

24 January 1963
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

14 September 1963
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

5 September 1964
Rolls-Royce Dart RDa7 Mark 520-3 engine S/N 7173 installed in the No.4 (starboard outer) position at 13,117 hours total airframe time.

3 June 1965
Noted at Leeds / Bradford Airport, Yeadon, Yorkshire, England operating UK services on behalf of BKS Air Transport Ltd.

October 1965
Noted at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England undergoing conversion to V.806X standard with Marshalls, which involved replacing the Rolls-Royce Dart RDa7 Mark 520-3 engines with RDa6 Mark 510 engines.

These engines were eventually traded back to Rolls-Royce to help offset some of the cost of the recently delivered Armstrong Whitworth Argosy freighters.

A new BEA ‘Flying Union Jack‘ livery was adopted.
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.

1970
Noted stored at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England under the care of Marshall's.

17 September 1970
Departed from Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England back to BEA at Heathrow Airport, London, England.

8 November 1971
Sold to Cambrian Airways.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of Cambrian Airways Viscount G-AOYM

Country of Registration United Kingdom

November 1971 to July 1973

Cambrian Airways

G-AOYM - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

8 November 1971
Purchased from British European Airways (BEA) and registered to Cambrian Airways.

16 November 1971
Ferried from Heathrow Airport, London, England to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales still in BEA livery, but without titles.

30 December 1971
Rolled out in full Cambrian Airways livery after an overhaul.

31 December 1971
First service from Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales to Speke Airport, Liverpool, England.

1 April 1972
Cambrian Airways came under the control of British Airways (BA).

1 September 1972
Cambrian Airways became part of the Regional Division of British Airways (BA).

31 July 1973
Transferred to British Airways (BA) due to a corporate merger.


Photo of British Airways (BA) Viscount G-AOYM

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1973 to January 1984

British Airways (BA)

G-AOYM - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

31 July 1973
Transferred from Cambrian Airways due to a corporate merger and continued to operate on the old Cambrian Airways routes initially in the Cambrian Airways livery with BA titles.

Painted in the new British Airways (BA) livery.
British Airways (BA)
'New' livery

circa 1975
Painted in the new British Airways (BA) livery.

Repainted with large 'British' titles on fuselage.
British Airways (BA)
'British' livery

April 1981
Noted painted in the British Airways (BA) 'British' livery.

27 and 28 March 1982
British Airways (BA) operated special flights from Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland to Kirkwall Airport, Orkney Islands, Scotland with Viscounts G-AOYL, G-AOYM, G-AOYO and G-APIM, to mark the airline's withdrawal of the type twenty-five years after it had first visited Kirkwall and following twenty years of scheduled services. Three hundred passengers, many of whom were British Airways (BA) air crew and ground crew, past and present, took part in the occasion, which included a celebratory dinner and dance at Kirkwall.

The instigator and chief organiser of this very popular and fondly remembered event was Jack Ridgway, who was to serve for nearly twenty years as British European Airways (BEA) and British Airways (BA) Station Manager at the airport. Hundreds of spectators watched as the four aircraft departed at lunchtime on Sunday 28 March, each making a low flypast of the airport and the town.

8 May 1982
Operated the last British Airways (BA) Viscount service from Dalcross Airport, Inverness, Scotland to Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland flown by Captain J A MacDonald, who was the Flight Manager of the Highlands Division. It departed at 16:00 and landed at 16:31 having covered a distance of 129 nautical miles or 149 statute miles. A postal first day cover was issued for the event.

10 May 1982
Operated the last British Airways (BA) Viscount service from Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland on the Sumburgh Airport, Shetland Islands, Kirkwall Airport, Orkney Islands, Dalcross Airport, Inverness and back to Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow route as BA5823 that included a flypast at Sumburgh.

11 May 1982
Ferried from Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales and withdrawn from service and stored.

Total time 36,010 hours and 39,016 total landings.

27 January 1984
Sold to British Air Ferries (BAF).

FURTHER READING: Books about British Airways (BA)



Photo of British Air Ferries (BAF) Viscount G-AOYM

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1984 to February 1985

British Air Ferries (BAF)

G-AOYM - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

27 January 1984
Purchased from British Airways (BA).

21 February 1984
Ferried from Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England.

May 1984
Noted in service in full British Air Ferries (BAF) livery named as 'Viscount Westminster'.

21 February 1985
Leased to Manx Airlines.


Photo of Manx Airlines (Skianyn Vannin) Viscount G-AOYM

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1985 to October 1985

Manx Airlines (Skianyn Vannin)

G-AOYM - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

21 February 1985
Leased from British Air Ferries (BAF) in full Manx Airlines livery with the Manx language operators name 'Skianyn Vannin' also applied.

It was delivered from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex to Heathrow Airport, London, England.

7 October 1985
Returned to British Air Ferries (BAF).


Photo of British Air Ferries (BAF) Viscount G-AOYM

Country of Registration United Kingdom

October 1985 to October 1985

British Air Ferries (BAF)

G-AOYM - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

7 October 1985
Returned from Manx Airlines lease and ferried from Heathrow Airport, London to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England and entered hangar for re-painting.

The port outer wing section was changed and the original one was donated to the Brooklands Museum at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

23 October 1985
Delivered to Las Palmas, Canary Islands in full Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC) livery with UK registration.

25 October 1985
Officially sold to Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC).


Photo of Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC) Viscount EC-DYC

Country of Registration Spain

October 1985 to May 1986

Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC)

EC-DYC - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
Spain registered

23 October 1985
Delivered to Las Palmas Airport, Canary Islands, Spanish Territory in full LAC - Lineas Aereas Canarias livery with UK registration G-AOYM, in 81 seat configuration.

The delivery crew was Captain Clive Parkes and First Officer Tony Crossland, and on board were Clive Worboys, Sid Clark - Technical Director for Jadepoint Aircraft Engineering and one of his team, plus representatives from LAC - Lineas Aereas Canarias.

25 October 1985
Purchased from British Air Ferries (BAF), re-registered and named as 'Isla de Tenerife'.

circa May 1986
Leased back to British Air Ferries (BAF).


Photo of British Air Ferries (BAF) Viscount EC-DYC

Country of Registration Spain

May 1986 to September 1986

British Air Ferries (BAF)

EC-DYC - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
Spain registered

circa May 1986
Leased from Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC) for the summer season.

circa September 1986
Returned to Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC).


Photo of Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC) Viscount EC-DYC

Country of Registration Spain

September 1986 to September 1991

Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC)

EC-DYC - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
Spain registered

circa September 1986
Returned from British Air Ferries (BAF) lease.

May 1989
Withdrawn from service and stored at Los Rodeos Airport, Tenerife Norte, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spanish Territory.

19 February 1992
Noted still in storage.

circa September 1992
Transferred to La Granja Park, Taco, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spanish Territory.


Photo of La Granja Park Viscount EC-DYC

Country of Registration Spain

September 1991 to June 1997

La Granja Park

EC-DYC - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
Spain registered

circa September 1992
Transferred from Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC) at Los Rodeos Airport to La Granja Park, Taco, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spanish Territory.

It was going to be used as a night club / disco / restaurant.

The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

March 1997
Noted still in existence.

Subsequently scrapped.

The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

December 1999
The nose section was noted being used as a DJ cabin in a discotheque within the Hotel Las Americas.


Photo of Hotel Las Americas Viscount EC-DYC

Country of Registration Spain

June 1997 to December 2000

Hotel Las Americas

EC-DYC - c/n 262 - a V.806 series Viscount
Spain registered

December 1999
The nose section was noted being used as a DJ cabin in a discotheque within the Hotel Las Americas.

When did it arrive here and does it still exist?

Details please to information@vickersviscount.net.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

The Vickers Viscount Network is always interested to hear from anyone who has information or photographs to help complete the story of the Viscount. If you can help please contact us at
Information@VickersViscount.net.


Click here for more details about the Vickers Viscount Network

This website has been designed, built and is maintained by Geoff Blampied, Norwich, Norfolk, England.