26 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 352

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 352
South African Airways (SAA)


South Africa flag South Africa

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

It first flew on Thursday, 15 January 1959 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), British Aerospace PLC (BAe), Dowty Aerospace and Technical Aeroparts


Photo of Viscount c/n 352
Tees Valley Airport Fire Service


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
Tees Valley Airport Fire Service as G-AZNC.

Its fate:-
Fuselage used for non-destructive training by the airport fire service at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England. Airport renamed Tees Valley Airport in 2004. Noted chopped up into sections in May 2011. The forward fuselage section was still noted in existence in December 2013.


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

Country of Registration South Africa

January 1959 to February 1972

South African Airways (SAA)

ZS-CDZ - c/n 352 - a V.813 series Viscount
South Africa registered

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

15 January 1959
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

29 January 1959
Delivered to South African Airways (SAA) named as 'Hartbees'.

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.

20 February 1959
Entered SAA service.

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

22 April1964
Suffered a nose undercarriage leg collapse after landing at Louis Botha International Airport, Durban, South Africa.

This resulted in flattened nose undercarriage doors, curled inner propellers and shockloaded Rolls-Royce Dart engines.

There were no reported injuries to the passengers and crew on board.

Repaired and returned to service.

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

Registration ZS-SBZ 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.

30 January 1972
Operated its last SAA service from Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, Upington and Kimberley to Johannesburg as SA746.

Withdrawn from SAA service and stored at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Total time 24,468 hours.

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


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1972 to February 1972

British Midland Airways (BMA)

G-AZLW - c/n 352 - 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.

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

10 February 1972
Rolled out at Jan Smuts Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa in ex SAA livery with incorrect registration G-AZLW applied.

G-AZLW had already been issued to a de Havilland DH106 Comet 4 10 January 1972.

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


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1972 to May 1986

British Midland Airways (BMA)

G-AZNC - c/n 352 - 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.

22 March 1972
Departed Jan Smuts Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa on delivery in ex South African Airways (SAA) livery with the correct UK registration applied.

25 March 1972
Arrived at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.

18 April 1972
UK Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued.

20 May 1972
First British Midland Airways (BMA) service from East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England to Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man.

August 1975
Departed on temporary deployment to Cyrus Airways in full BMA livery to cover one of the leased aircraft that had returned to the UK for maintenance.

20 October 1980
Withdrawn from service and stored at Jersey Airport, Channel Islands.

27 March 1981
Returned to service after major overhaul on a service from East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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

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

18 May 1983
Certificate of Airworthiness expired.

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


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1986 to June 1986

British Aerospace PLC (BAe)

G-AZNC - c/n 352 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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

1986
Sold to Dowty Aerospace.


Photo of Dowty Aerospace Viscount G-AZNC

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1986 to July 1986

Dowty Aerospace

G-AZNC - c/n 352 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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.

1986
Sold to Technical Aeroparts.


Photo of Technical Aeroparts Viscount G-AZNC

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1986 to August 1986

Technical Aeroparts

G-AZNC - c/n 352 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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

circa August 1986
Fuselage donated to the Teesside International Airport Fire Service at Darlington, County Durham, England.


Photo of Teesside International Airport Fire Service Viscount G-AZNC

Country of Registration United Kingdom

August 1986 to January 2004

Teesside International Airport Fire Service

G-AZNC - c/n 352 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

circa August 1986
Fuselage donated by Technical Aeroparts for non-destructive (i.e. not burnt) fire and rescue training at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, County Durham, England.

May 1993
Noted painted up in olive drab livery.

2004
Airport renamed as Tees Valley Airport.


Photo of Tees Valley Airport Fire Service Viscount G-AZNC

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 2004 to

Tees Valley Airport Fire Service

G-AZNC - c/n 352 - a V.813 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

2004
Airport renamed as Tees Valley Airport.

19 May 2011
Fuselage noted with the forward section chopped off.

December 2013
Forward fuselage section still noted in existence.

1 September 2023
Main fuselage section still noted in existence.


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.


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