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

Viscount c/n 266

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 266
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

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

It first flew on Saturday, 1 March 1958 at Weybridge, Surrey, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 520 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
BKS Air Transport Ltd, Northeast Airlines, British Airways (BA), British Air Ferries (BAF), British Caledonian Airways (BCAL), Aer Lingus and British World Airlines (BWA)


Photo of Viscount c/n 266
Hanningfield Metals


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
Hanningfield Metals as G-AOYR.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service at Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England 20 April 1994. Sold to Hanningfield Metals for scrap and the chopped up sections were transferred to their yard at Templewood Industrial Estate, Stock Road, West Hanningfield, Essex, England in June 1996 for final processing.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1958 to December 1969

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

January 1956
This was the 12th Type 806 and the 35th 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).

1 March 1958
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.

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

11 April 1958
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Sir Richard Arkwright'.

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

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

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

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

Painted in the new BEA 'Red Square' livery.
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.

17 February 1960
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

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

26 October 1960
Total time 5,759 hours.

24 June 1961
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

12 September 1961
Total time 7,867 hours.

1964
Converted to V.806X standard by Marshall's at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England.

This involved replacing the Dart RDa7 Mark 520 engines with RDa6 Mark 510 engines and installing a V.802 style cabin.

The RDa7 Mark 520 engines were returned to Rolls-Royce where some of them were converted to Mark 526 standard for use on the BEA Armstrong Whitworth 650 Argosy.

29 April 1965
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

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

circa October 1969
Withdrawn from service and stored at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England under the care of Marshall's.

29 December 1969
Sold to BKS Air Transport Ltd.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of BKS Air Transport Ltd Viscount G-AOYR

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1969 to November 1970

BKS Air Transport Ltd

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

29 December 1969
Purchased from British European Airways (BEA).

BKS relates to the surnames of three company directors: - James W Barnby, Thomas D Keegan, and Cyril Stevens.

2 March 1970
Noted at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England still in BEA livery.

It was undergoing wing spar modification work and a repaint with Field Aircraft Services Ltd.

Total time 22,119:30 hours and 18,368 total landings.

9 March 1970
Departed from East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England to Heathrow Airport, London, England in BKS livery (without titles or tail logo?).

12 October 1970
Noted at Collinstown Airport, Dublin, Ireland in BKS livery, but without titles or tail logo.

1 November 1970
Transferred to Northeast Airlines due to a corporate name change.


Photo of Northeast Airlines (UK) Viscount G-AOYR

Country of Registration United Kingdom

November 1970 to April 1974

Northeast Airlines (UK)

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 November 1970
Transferred from BKS Air Transport Ltd due to a corporate name change.

29 July 1972
During the approach to Belfast Airport, Northern Ireland the undercarriage was selected but a red waring light came on for the starboard main leg.

The undercarriage was retracted and lowered again with the same result.

A low fly-by of the control tower could only determine that the starboard leg appeared to be fully extended.

A landing was made with the emergency services in attendance and everything appeared to be normal but the starboard leg started to slowly collapsed as the landing roll continued.

The aircraft veered off the side of the runway resulting in damage to the starboard propellers, shockloaded Rolls-Royce Dart engines and the starboard flaps.

There was no fire and all the 73 passengers and 4 crew were evacuated without injury.

The accident was caused by the incorrect assembly of the starboard leg jack during a previous maintence period, although the aircraft had made 1,257 landings since then.

Repaired and returned to service.

1 April 1974
Transferred to British Airways (BA) due to a corporate merger.


Photo of British Airways (BA) Viscount G-AOYR

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1974 to January 1984

British Airways (BA)

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 April 1974
Transferred from Northeast Airlines due to a corporate merger.

Operated on British Airways (BA) Northeast routes.

13 May 1981
Total time 36,890 hours and 35,156 total landings.

27 March 1982
Last service from Aldergrove Airport, Belfast, Northern Ireland to Glasgow, Scotland.

Total time 37,623 hours and 36,176 total landings.

31 March 1982
Ferried to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales and withdrawn from service and stored.

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

FURTHER READING: Books about British Airways (BA)



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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1984 to March 1985

British Air Ferries (BAF)

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

Ferried from Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England.
Purchased from
British Airways (BA)

27 January 1984
Purchased from British Airways (BA).

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

After repainting entered service with British Air Ferries (BAF) named as 'Viscount Aberdeen'.

31 March 1985
Leased to British Caledonian Airways (BCAL).


Photo of British Caledonian Airways (BCAL) Viscount G-AOYR

Country of Registration United Kingdom

March 1985 to May 1986

British Caledonian Airways (BCAL)

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

31 March 1985
Leased from British Air Ferries (BAF) in full BCAL livery named as 'Viscount Caledonian Sky'.

3 April 1985
Operated the first British Caledonian Commuter service from Gatwick to Jersey, Channel Islands as BR013 flown by Captain J Hext along with First Officer D Murray.

The flight took one hour and a limited edition of 40 commemorative first day covers were carried on board.

Painted in British Caledonian 'Commuter' livery July 1985.
British Caledonian
'Commuter' livery

July 1985
Noted in a revised livery with 'British Caledonian Commuter' titles applied.

Apparently there were objections within BCAL regarding the use of the lion logo on the tail.

22 May 1986
Returned to British Air Ferries (BAF).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1986 to March 1989

British Air Ferries (BAF)

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

22 May 1986
Returned from British Caledonian Airways (BCAL) lease.

It was initially operated by BAF still in full BCAL livery until the BCAL management complained.

21 June 1986
Noted repainted in full British Air Ferries (BAF) 'British' livery and named as 'Viscount Gatwick'.

February 1988
Noted un-named.

4 September 1988
Appeared as a flying exhibit at the SBAC airshow at Farnborough Airfield, Hampshire, England.

25 March 1989
Leased to Aer Lingus.


Photo of Aer Lingus - Irish International Airlines Viscount G-AOYR

Country of Registration United Kingdom

March 1989 to April 1989

Aer Lingus - Irish International Airlines

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

25 March 1989
Leased from British Air Ferries (BAF) to cover the late delivery of a new Fokker 50.

6 April 1989
Returned to British Air Ferries (BAF).

FURTHER READING: Books about Aer Lingus



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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1989 to April 1993

British Air Ferries (BAF)

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

6 April 1989
Returned from Aer Lingus lease.

1 April 1993
Transferred to British World Airlines (BWA) due to a corporate name change.


Photo of British World Airlines (BWA) Viscount G-AOYR

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1993 to June 1996

British World Airlines (BWA)

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 April 1993
Transferred from British Air Ferries (BAF) due to a corporate name change.

It was never repainted in BWA livery.

20 April 1994
Ferried to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England and withdrawn from service and stored.

June 1996
Sold to Hanningfield Metals for scrap and chopped up sections transferred to their facility for final processing.


Photo of Hanningfield Metals Viscount G-AOYR

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1996 to June 1996

Hanningfield Metals

G-AOYR - c/n 266 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

June 1996
Purchased from British World Airlines (BWA) for metal salvage and remains transferred to their yard at Templewood Industrial Estate, Stock Road, West Hanningfield, Essex, England for final processing.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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