Viscount c/n 334 Operational Record
Lloyd Aereo Colombiano (LAC)
Colombia
This V.786D series Viscount was built for Lloyd Aereo Colombiano (LAC) as HK-947X
During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Go Group Unlimited Inc
United States
Its final owner/operator was Go Group Unlimited Inc as XA-MOS.Its fate:-
Lloyd Aereo Colombiano (LAC)
HK-947X - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
August 1957
They were concerned that Lloyd Aereo Colombiano (LAC) would not be able to make payments as they were linked to the military Colombian Government that had just collapsed.
Sold to Lineas Aereas De Nicaragua S.A. (LANICA)
Lineas Aereas De Nicaragua S.A. (LANICA)
AN-AKQ - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
Purchased as new from the Kaysam Investment Corporation via Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd retaining the Type 786D specification.
"Rubén Darío"
19 January 1958
The test flying accumulated 12 hours.
28 February 1958
Félix Rubén García Sarmiento, known as 'Rubén Darío', (18 Jan 1867 to 6 Feb 1916) was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-American literary movement known as modernismo that flourished at the end of the 19th century. Darío had a great and lasting influence on 20th century Spanish literature and journalism.
19 April 1958
February 1959
Mrs Marjorie Merriweather Post
N200Q - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
One of the salons
February 1959
Converted by Aero Trader Inc of New York to a luxurious 22 seat VIP interior and also fitted with extended range 'slipper' fuel tanks.
This was the private aircraft of the Postum Cereal Company heiress which later became General Foods Inc. She used the aircraft to shuttle herself and her guests between Palm Beach, Florida and her various fashionable estates and mansions in Connecticut and Massachusetts. She was known for her lavish but meticulous lifestyle. Her estate in Palm Beach, was named 'Mar a Lago' and later became the permanent home of Donald J Trump.
A famous photo article about the heiress was published in a 1965 edition of Life Magazine that illustrated various aspects of her lifestyle including the exhausting and exacting preparations for a formal dinner party. Setting the formal dinner table alone, for instance, took a full day in which every piece included in each place setting was carefully measured by hand for placement. She died in September 1973 age 86.
The aircraft was often flown by pilots seconded from Capital Airlines. Marjorie would regularly have the aircraft flown to Florida just to pick up fresh flowers!
When Marjorie was on board the callsign was November 200 Queen. Without her on board the call sign was November 200 Quebec.
13 June 1960
5 July 1960
After refuelling it departed to Keflavik, Iceland on its return to the USA.
1967
Mrs Herbert P May
N200Q - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
1967
The aircraft was operated from Washington, DC, USA and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
December 1973
E-Systems Inc
N200Q - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
December 1973
September 1975
An assessment of the port fuel system confirmed that one of the fuel bladder tanks had ruptured. After draining the remaining fuel from the port wing into 55 gallon drums and spending four days trying to fix the defect it was decided that it was not possible to repair it in Puerto Rico. The ruptured fuel tank was isolated and fuel was uplifted into the remaining tanks. Some of the salesmen continued on to Brasil on a scheduled flight to complete the sales trip and others including Claude Eans, who represented Watkins-Johnson Company returned to the USA on another scheduled service.
Claude was very impressed with the luxurious interior of the aircraft which was still using the monogrammed dishes, silverware and napkins from the Merriweather Post days.
The aircraft was ferried by the flight crew only to Hobby Field, Houston, Texas via Miami International Airport, Florida and New Orleans Airport, Louisiana, USA where a replacement bladder tank was fitted and the aircraft returned to service.
February 1977
Servicios Aereos Nacionales (SAN)
HC-BDL - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
SAN - Servicios Aereos
February 1977
Converted back to full passenger configuration.
circa October 1977
June 1981
Go Group Unlimited Inc
HC-BDL - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
June 1981
27 November 1981
March 1982
Aerolineas Republica
XA-MOS - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
March 1982
Aerolineas Republica was a small regional airline that operated between Mexico City Airport and Morelia, Uruapan and Lazaro Cardenas in the State of Michoacan, Mexico and used two Vickers Viscount V.745D leased from the Go Group. The other one was XA-MIJ (C/N 117) which was operated between November 1981 and May 1982.
circa October 1982
Go Group Unlimited Inc
XA-MOS - c/n 334 - a V.786D series Viscount
circa October 1982
circa April 1993
The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
11 June 1993
It made a very brief background appearance in the movie Con Air which was released in June 1997, so was probably still there in 1996.
A cockpit tiller steering wheel tagged as coming from this aircraft appeared on eBay and was purchased by Brian Burrage (Website Co-founder) and shipped to the UK and forms part of his Viscount collection.
