
January 1972 to July 1973
British Midland Airways (BMA)
G-AZLP - c/n 346 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
November 1971
BMA Managing Director Michael Bishop discovered that the SAA Viscount fleet was for sale by reading an advertisement in a Flight International weekly magazine during a business trip to Tel Aviv, Israel.
He quickly travelled to Johannesburg with the intention of buying two of the aircraft but was dismayed to find out that SAA were only interested in selling the complete fleet of seven aircraft together with a spares package.
Mike discussed this situation with SAA and made an offer of £98,000 for the aircraft and £37,000 for the spares package.
To his surprise this offer was accepted. He subsequently purchased their Viscount simulator for a further £5,000.
December 1971
Chief Buyer George Morrell, Chief Inspector Tony Topps and Planning Manager Mike Baker travelled out to Johannesburg together with Air Registration Board representative Ray Atwood to finalise things and review the fleet.
4 January 1972
Registered to British Midland Airways (BMA).
East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England
6 January 1972
Rolled out at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa with the British registration applied to the basic South African Airways (SAA) livery minus titles and fin logo.
18 January 1972
Departed from Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa on delivery to the UK in company with sister Viscount G-AZLR (C/N 347) (ex SAA ZS-CDU).
Both aircraft stopped at Blantyre, Malawi - Nairobi, Kenya - Khartoum, Sudan - Cairo, Egypt - Benina (Benghazi), Libya - Nice, France en route.
The aircraft was flown by BMA Captain Court.
20 January 1972
Arrived at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.
9 March 1972
Noted in service at Collinstown Airport, Dublin, Ireland painted in a modified British Midland Airways (BMA) livery.
9 April 1972
Noted at Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England painted in full British Midland Airways (BMA) livery.
16 July 1973
Leased to Air Anglia.
|