23 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 282

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 282
New Zealand National Airways Corp (NAC)


New Zealand flag New Zealand

This V.807 series Viscount was built for
New Zealand National Airways Corp (NAC) as ZK-BRE

It first flew on Saturday, 17 January 1959 at Weybridge, Surrey, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Montgomery Corporation, Air Caribbean, Atlas Air System, Garnish Best Ltd, Southern International Air Transport Ltd, Royal American Airways (RA) and Southern International Air Transport Ltd


Photo of Viscount c/n 282
Stansted Airport Fire School


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
Stansted Airport Fire School as G-CSZA.

Its fate:-
Ferried to Stansted Airport, Essex, England by Southern International Air Transport with UK registration taped on 22 December 1980. The sale to Royal American Airways (RA) was not completed. It was ferried to Stansted Airport, Essex, England still painted up in Royal American Airways (RA) livery in December 1980 and stored. It was finally broken up for scrap after spares recovery by GB Airways in August 1982 to support their Viscount operation. The forward fuselage section was transferred to the nearby aviation fire training school, and was still there 16 May 1984. Does anyone know when it was finally scrapped?


Operational record
Photo of New Zealand National Airways Corp (NAC) Viscount ZK-BRE

Country of Registration New Zealand

January 1959 to November 1974

New Zealand National Airways Corp (NAC)

ZK-BRE - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
New Zealand registered

On the production line at Weybridge, Surrey, England.
Weybridge, Surrey, England

17 January 1959
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.

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

31 January 1959
Departed from Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England on delivery to New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) named as 'City of Auckland' as a Type 807.

It was flown by Captains P A Matheson, A C Kenning and R J Walton.

It was fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa6 Mark 510 engines and the cabin seating was configured for 60 passengers.

10 Febuary 1959
Arrived at Harewood Airport, Christchurch, New Zealand on delivery.

23 August 1962
The King and Queen of Thailand travelled from Whenuapai Airport, Auckland to Harewood Airport, Christchurch, New Zealand in this aircraft. The crew consisted of Captain A C Kenning, First Officer J E Shaw, Stewardesses N C Coe, D R B Brabant and W Te Purei.

Prepared and used for the Royal visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip to New Zealand.
Prepared for the Royal visit

15 and 16 February 1963
Used for the visit to New Zealand of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. The aircraft was fitted out with prefabricated furnishings, plastic panels for the walls in off-white, the ceiling covered in a doeskin type of fabric, and carpeting of a rich gold colour. After the visit the fittings were stored for future use.

A second NAC Viscount ZK-BWO (C/N 428) was operated during the Royal visit as the No.2 aircraft carrying other tour personnel and also acting as a standby aircraft.

1963 Royal visit crew operating instructions


Painted in the final New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) Viscount livery.
new New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) livery

circa 1968
Painted in the final New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) Viscount livery.

July 1974
Withdrawn from service and stored at Harewood Airport, Christchurch, New Zealand.

29 November 1974
Sold to Montgomery Corporation of Nassau, Bahamas and initially ferried to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea via Brisbane, Queensland, Australia by a French crew for Shackleton Aviation who were brokering the sale of this aircraft.

FURTHER READING


The Illustrated history of New Zealand National Airways Corporation
by Richard Waugh, Peter Layne and Graeme McConnell

The Illustrated history of New Zealand National Airways Corporation 1947 - 1978


The delivery of New Zealand’s first Viscount by Peter Layne

The delivery of New Zealand’s first Viscount



Photo of Montgomery Corporation Viscount ZK-BRE

Country of Registration New Zealand

November 1974 to April 1975

Montgomery Corporation

ZK-BRE - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
New Zealand registered

29 November 1974
Purchased from New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) and initially ferried to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea via Brisbane, Queensland, Australia by a French crew for Shackleton Aviation Ltd who were brokering the sale of this aircraft.

14 December 1974
Arrived at Rhein-Main Airport, Frankfurt, West Germany after its long ferry journey. Montgomery Corporation, based in Nassau, Bahamas had their European office at Wiesbaden Airfield, West Germany which was a military facility used by the US Air Force so Frankfurt was the closest available for a civil aircraft.

30 January 1975
Ferried to Mulhouse Airport, Basel, Alsace Region, France from Rhein-Main Airport, Frankfurt, West Germany for maintenance and initially stored outside.

circa April 1975
Re-registered VP-LKA but still in the basic ex NAC livery.


Photo of Montgomery Corporation Viscount VP-LKA

Country of Registration Windward Islands

April 1975 to June 1975

Montgomery Corporation

VP-LKA - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
Windward Islands registered

circa April 1975
Re-registered from ZK-BRE but still in the basic ex NAC livery.

June 1975
Leased to Air Caribbean.


Photo of Air Caribbean Viscount VP-LKA

Country of Registration Windward Islands

June 1975 to February 1976

Air Caribbean

VP-LKA - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
Windward Islands registered

June 1975
Leased from the Montgomery Corporation in full Air Caribbean livery.

9 June 1975
Ferried from Mulhouse Airport, Basel, Switzerland to East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England for an overnight stop with Field Aircraft Services.

10 June 1975
Delivered to Coolidge International Airport, St John's, Antigua, Leeward Islands via Keflavik, Iceland for operations from St Kitts to neighbouring Caribbean Islands on behalf of several West German owned clubs and hotels.

This operation never happened and the aircraft was stored at Coolidge International Airport, St Johns, Antigua.

Reportedly offered for sale to Pearl Air but a sale was not completed.

February 1976
Purchased by Atlas Air System from the Montgomery Corporation.


Photo of Atlas Air System Viscount VP-LAU

Country of Registration Windward Islands

February 1976 to January 1978

Atlas Air System

VP-LAU - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
Windward Islands registered

February 1976
Purchased from the Montgomery Corporation and ferried from Coolidge International Airport, St Johns, Antigua to the Atlas Air System facility at Fort Lauderdale Airport, Florida, USA and stored.

26 January 1978
Sold to Garnish Best Ltd.


Photo of Garnish Best Ltd Viscount G-CSZA

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1978 to February 1978

Garnish Best Ltd

G-CSZA - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

26 January 1978
Purchased from Atlas Air System but this ownership entry was held up by the UK CAA pending clarification.

16 February 1978
Sold to Southern International Air Transport Ltd.


Photo of Southern International Air Transport Ltd Viscount G-CSZA

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1978 to May 1980

Southern International Air Transport Ltd

G-CSZA - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

16 February 1978
Purchased from Garnish Best Ltd.

7 March 1978
Delivered to Southern International Air Transport Ltd at Hurn Airport, Dorset, England via New York, USA.

Their registered address was: - 20 Springfield Road, Crawley, West Sussex.

Ferried to Eastleigh Airport, Southampton, Hampshire, England for overhaul and issue of its UK Certificate of Airworthiness.

7 March 1979
Certificate of Airworthiness issued and the aircraft entered service soon afterwards, initially on Dan-Air weekend services from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, Lulsgate Airport, Bristol and Hurn Airport, Dorset, England.

The first Southern International operation was on mercy charter flights for the Red Cross organisation into Eritrea, Africa.

19 November 1979
Operated a charter flight from Alpes–Isère Airport, Grenoble, France to Ringway Airport, Manchester, England.

It later retrurned to Gatwick Airport, Surrey.

January 1980
Withdrawn from service and stored at Eastleigh Airport, Southampton, Hampshire, England.

May 1980
Reported as sold to Royal American Airways (RA).


Photo of Royal American Airways (RA) Viscount N140RA *

Country of Registration United States

May 1980 to December 1980

Royal American Airways (RA)

N140RA * - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
United States registered

May 1980
Reported as purchased from Southern International Air Transport Ltd with reserved US registration N140RA.

September 1980
Noted at Eastleigh Airport, Southampton, Hampshire, England painted up in Royal American Airways (RA) livery but with no registration applied.

22 December 1980
The sale to Royal American Airways (RA) was not completed and the aircraft was ferried to Stansted Airport, Essex, England with the UK registration taped on.

This registration was later used on Viscount C/N 191.


Photo of Southern International Air Transport Ltd Viscount G-CSZA

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1980 to August 1982

Southern International Air Transport Ltd

G-CSZA - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

22 December 1980
The sale to Royal American Airways (RA) was not completed and the aircraft was ferried to Stansted Airport, Essex, England with the UK registration taped on.

25 May 1981
Noted stored at Stansted Airport, Essex, England still painted up in Royal American Airways (RA) livery.

April 1982
Noted with three of the four Rolls-Royce Dart engines removed.

August 1982
Broken up for scrap after spares recovery by GB Airways to support their Viscount operation.

The forward fuselage section was transferred to the nearby aviation fire training school.

4 October 1982
Registration cancelled as aircraft destroyed.


Photo of Stansted Airport Fire School Viscount G-CSZA

Country of Registration United Kingdom

August 1982 to August 1985

Stansted Airport Fire School

G-CSZA - c/n 282 - a V.807 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

August 1982
Forward fuselage section donated by Southern International Air Transport Ltd.

The CAA approved aviation fire training school used it for destructive use by cutting or hacking through the fuselage skin.

16 May 1984
The forward fuselage section was still noted lying on the ground in the fire training school compound.

circa August 1985
Finally disposed of for scrap. Does anyone know the actual date or year?


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.


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