24 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 351

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 351
South African Airways (SAA)


South Africa flag South Africa

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

It first flew on Monday, 22 December 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 and Technical Aeroparts


Photo of Viscount c/n 351
Orchid Wood Scrapyard


United Kingdom flag United Kingdom

Its final owner/operator was
Orchid Wood Scrapyard as G-AZNB.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by British Midland Airways (BMA) and finally stored at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England in May 1983. Sold to British Aerospace (BAe) as part of an ATP purchase deal 7 May 1986. Sold to Dowty Aerospace for spares recovery in June 1986. Sold to Technical Aeroparts for further spares recovery in July 1986. Broken up for scrap circa November 1986. Does anyone know the actual date? Details please to information@vickersviscount.net. Cut up sections noted in a small scrapyard opposite Orchid Wood, Sawley Road, near Draycott, Derbyshire, England in February 1987.


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

Country of Registration South Africa

January 1959 to February 1972

South African Airways (SAA)

ZS-CDY - c/n 351 - a V.813 series Viscount
South Africa registered

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

22 December 1958
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

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

2 January 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.

10 January 1959
Delivered to South African Airways (SAA) named as 'Gemsbok''.

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.

19 January 1959
Entered SAA service.

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

SAA 'orange tail' livery
Later SAA livery

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

Registration ZS-SBY 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 January 1972
Operated its last SAA service from Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, Upington and Kimberley to Johannesburg as SA742.

Withdrawn from SAA service and stored at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Total time 25,779 hours.

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


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1972 to February 1972

British Midland Airways (BMA)

G-AZLV - c/n 351 - 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 February 1972
Rolled out at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa in ex SAA livery with incorrect UK registration G-AZLV applied.

G-AZLV had already been issued to a Cessna 172 10 January 1972.

We don't know why this error happened. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

8 February 1972
Registered as G-AZNB to British Midland Airways (BMA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1972 to June 1975

British Midland Airways (BMA)

G-AZNB - c/n 351 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

8 February 1972
Registered to British Midland Airways (BMA).

11 February 1972
Rolled out at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa with the correct British registration applied to the basic South African Airways (SAA) livery minus titles and fin logo.

7 March 1972
Departed from Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa on delivery together with Viscount G-AZNA (C/N 350).

9 March 1972
Noted being refuelled at Cairo International Airport, Egypt together with G-AZNA (C/N 350).

10 March 1972
Arrived at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England together with G-AZNA (C/N 350).

8 May 1972
Full UK Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

9 May 1972
Entered service in full BMA livery from East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire, England to Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland.

8 April 1973
Became the first BMA 800 Series Viscount to visit Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales.

1 June 1975
Leased to Cyprus Airways.


Photo of Cyprus Airways Ltd Viscount G-AZNB

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1975 to September 1975

Cyprus Airways Ltd

G-AZNB - c/n 351 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 June 1975
Leased from British Midland Airways (BMA) in full BMA livery except for the logo on the tail.

September 1975
Returned to British Midland Airways (BMA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

September 1975 to May 1986

British Midland Airways (BMA)

G-AZNB - c/n 351 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

September 1975
Returned from Cyprus Airways lease and full livery restored.

15 November 1981
Withdrawn from service and stored at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.

September 1982
Returned to service.

8 April 1983
Withdrawn from service and stored at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.

8 May 1983
Certificate of Airworthiness expired.

22 May 1983
Ferried to Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England on a special one-off 'permit to fly' for further storage inside a hangar.

7 May 1986
Sold to British Aerospace PLC (BAe) as part of an ATP purchase deal.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1986 to June 1986

British Aerospace PLC (BAe)

G-AZNB - c/n 351 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

7 May 1986
Purchased from British Midland Airways (BMA) as part of an ATP purchase deal but it remained stored at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England.

June 1986
Sold to Dowty Aerospace presumably for the Propellers and Accessory Gearboxes.


Photo of Dowty Aerospace Viscount G-AZNB

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1986 to July 1986

Dowty Aerospace

G-AZNB - c/n 351 - 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 spares recovery.


Photo of Technical Aeroparts Viscount G-AZNB

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1986 to November 1986

Technical Aeroparts

G-AZNB - c/n 351 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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

It was then robbed of any remaining useful parts.

circa November 1986
Sold to a scrapyard near Orchid Wood, Sawley Road, near Draycott, Derbyshire, England for metal salvage.


Photo of Orchid Wood Scrapyard Viscount G-AZNB

Country of Registration United Kingdom

November 1986 to June 1987

Orchid Wood Scrapyard

G-AZNB - c/n 351 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

circa November 1986
Purchased from Technical Aeroparts for metal salvage.

The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

February 1987
Cut up sections noted in a small scrapyard opposite Orchid Wood, Sawley Road, near Draycott, Derbyshire, England.

Does anyone know the name of this scrapyard? It is now closed. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


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.