
January 1972 to April 1975
British Midland Airways (BMA)
G-AZLS - c/n 348 - 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).
7 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.
26 February 1972
Departed from Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa on delivery to the UK
28 February 1972
Arrived at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.
29 March 1972
UK Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued.
20 September 1972
After landing at Jersey Airport, Channel Islands all four Rolls-Royce Dart engine turbines were burnt out due to a propeller ground fine pitch selection problem.
All 41 passengers and 4 crew were evacuated down the port side emergency slides without injury.
Repaired and returned to service.
26 October 1972
Noted at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England undergoing spar boom change work with BMA.
4 April 1975
Leased to Cyprus Airways.
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