09 May 2024
This website is regularly archived by the British Library who selectively archive websites with research values that are representative of British social history and cultural heritage.

Museum search


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.

Viscount history


Discover the history of the Viscount with film, video, contemporary reports from the pages of Flight Magazine, our newsletters, and aircraft operational records and photos from our database.


Share your photos and stories


Our 'Live Magazine' is used by members and non-members to share their Viscount photos and stories with fellow enthusiasts located throughout the world in real time.

You are able to send in your photos, stories and comments by Facebook, Twitter or email and we will post them for all to enjoy.

Contact us


Join the Vickers Viscount Network
for FREE


Featured pages

Our website contains over 20,000 pages of photos and information that can all be accessed from the menu at the top of every page. Here are a few to get you started.



This website does not use cookies or capture your details


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

Viscount c/n 348

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 348
South African Airways (SAA)


South Africa flag South Africa

This V.813 series Viscount was built for
South African Airways (SAA) as ZS-CDV

It first flew on Friday, 7 November 1958 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 525 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
British Midland Airways (BMA), Cyprus Airways, British Aerospace PLC (BAe), Dowty Aerospace, Technical Aeroparts and Civil Aviation Authority Fire Training School


Photo of Viscount c/n 348
International Fire Training Centre (IFTC)


United Kingdom flag United Kingdom

Its final owner/operator was
International Fire Training Centre (IFTC) as G-AZLS.

Its fate:-
Donated by Technical Aeroparts to Civil Aviation Authority Fire Training School and fuselage used by the fire training school at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England 1 August 1986. Noted as a fuselage only in August 1991. Airport renamed Tees Valley Airport 21 September 2004. Noted still in existence on Google Earth 23 May 2023.


Operational record
Photo of South African Airways (SAA) Viscount ZS-CDV

Country of Registration South Africa

November 1958 to January 1972

South African Airways (SAA)

ZS-CDV - c/n 348 - a V.813 series Viscount
South Africa registered

November 1956
Registered to South African Airways (SAA) / Suid Afrikaanse Lugdiens.

7 November 1958
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

12 November 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England during the test flight period.

21 November 1958
Handed over to South African Airways (SAA) named as 'Waterbok'.

Originally it had SAA titles in Afrikaans on the starboard side and English on the port side but this was later changed to various combinations.

22 November 1958
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out a single ILS approach and overshoot.

Do it then start its journey to South Africa?

9 December 1958
Entered service with SAA.

David Carter illustration of South African Airways Viscount ZS-CDV

Viscount illustrations by David Carter


from 1962
Painted in the new SAA 'orange tail' livery which was first introduced on the Boeing 707 in 1960.

January 1969
SAA changed its registration policy and was allocated registration blocks in the ZS-S** range.

Registration ZS-SBV was not taken up as the South African DCA would not allow SAA to change the registrations on its existing Viscount fleet.

This policy was later changed, but came too late for the Viscount fleet as it was nearly time for them to be disposed of.

29 September 1971
Withdrawn from SAA service and stored at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Total time 25,740 hours.

1 January 1972
Sold to British Midland Airways (BMA).


Photo of British Midland Airways (BMA) Viscount G-AZLS

Country of Registration United Kingdom

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.


Photo of Cyprus Airways Ltd Viscount G-AZLS

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1975 to June 1975

Cyprus Airways Ltd

G-AZLS - c/n 348 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

4 April 1975
Leased from British Midland Airways (BMA).

3 June 1975
Returned to British Midland Airways (BMA).


Photo of British Midland Airways (BMA) Viscount G-AZLS

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1975 to May 1986

British Midland Airways (BMA)

G-AZLS - c/n 348 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

3 June 1975
Returned from Cyprus Airways lease.

26 August 1975
Noted at Brussels National Airport, Zaventem, Belgium back in service with BMA but still carrying Cyprus Airways titles and tail logo.

27 August 1975
Noted at Rhein-Main Airport, Frankfurt, West Germany back in service with BMA but still carrying Cyprus Airways titles and tail logo.

14 February 1976
Noted at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France, now back in full BMA livery.

26 March 1977
Operated a special charter with 'Rye Airlines' titles applied to the British Midland Airways (BMA) livery. Graham Rye won a TV Times competition to take 40 friends and family to Paris for the day. The flight operated from Heathrow Airport, London, England to Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France.

Graham Rye won a TV Times competition to take 40 friends and family to Paris for the day.
Frank and Ruby Rye
Operated a special charter with 'Rye Airlines' titles applied to the British Midland Airways (BMA) livery.
Rye Airlines

24 March 1982
Withdrawn from service and stored at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.

10 June 1982
Returned to BMA service.

November 1982
Ferried to Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England for further storage.

9 June 1983
Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) expired.

7 May 1986
Sold to British Aerospace PLC (Bae).


Photo of British Aerospace PLC (BAe) Viscount G-AZLS

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1986 to June 1986

British Aerospace PLC (BAe)

G-AZLS - c/n 348 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

7 May 1986
Purchased from British Midland Airways (BMA) but it remained stored at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England.

June 1986
Sold to Dowty Aerospace.


Photo of Dowty Aerospace Viscount G-AZLS

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1986 to July 1986

Dowty Aerospace

G-AZLS - c/n 348 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

June 1986
Purchased from British Aerospace PLC (BAe) presumably for the Propellers and Accessory Gearboxes but it remained stored at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England.

July 1986
Sold to Technical Aeroparts for further parts recovery.


Photo of Technical Aeroparts Viscount G-AZLS

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1986 to August 1986

Technical Aeroparts

G-AZLS - c/n 348 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

July 1986
Purchased from Dowty Aerospace for further parts recovery but it remained stored at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England.

August 1986
Fuselage donated to the Civil Aviation Authority Fire Training School at the same airport.


Photo of Civil Aviation Authority Fire Training School Viscount G-AZLS

Country of Registration United Kingdom

August 1986 to January 2010

Civil Aviation Authority Fire Training School

G-AZLS - c/n 348 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 August 1986
Donated by Technical Aeroparts for use by the fire training school at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England.

August 1991
Noted with the fuselage only propped up on a steel frame to simulate a crash position.

21 September 2004
Airport renamed Tees Valley Airport.

circa January 2010
Training facilities transferred to International Fire Training Centre (IFTC).


Photo of International Fire Training Centre (IFTC) Viscount G-AZLS

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 2010 to January 1900

International Fire Training Centre (IFTC)

G-AZLS - c/n 348 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

circa Jan 2010
Training facilities taken over from the Civil Aviation Authority Fire Training School.

IFTS are part of the Serco Group.

23 May 2023
Fuselage noted still in existence on Google Earth in a faded 'British Midland' livery.

Location details are: - 54 degrees 30 minutes 45.09 North / 1 degree 24 minutes 27.00 West


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.


Click here for more details about the Vickers Viscount Network

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