November 1958 to February 1967
Continental Airlines
N251V - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United States registered
December 1955
Continental Airlines placed an order for fifteen V.812 aircraft, which were to be marketed by Continental as the 'Viscount II'.
Sales Order No. F11/94B.
13 October 1958
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.
It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.
5 November 1958
Delivered to Continental Airlines fitted with integral front 'airsteps'.
24 March 1966
While landing at Peterson Field, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, USA at 06:52 on a scheduled flight the aircraft suffered substantial damage when the undercarriage collapsed after a hard landing caused by the pilot levelling off too late.
There were no reported injuries to the 9 passengers and 4 crew on board.
Repaired locally and returned to service.
13 December 1966
Sold to Channel Airways but immediately leased back for a short period.
12 February 1967
Delivered to Channel Airways still marked as N251V.
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February 1967 to January 1968
Channel Airways
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
13 February 1967
Departed on delivery to Channel Airways at Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England still marked as N251V.
20 February 1967
Re-registered G-AVHE.
Registration G-AVGY had been allotted to Channel Airways but was not taken up and was subsequently re-issued to a Cessna 182K.
14 March 1967
UK Certificate of Airworthiness issued.
The integral front 'airsteps' were not removed from this aircraft (or C/N 359 and 360), unlike others in the fleet from Continental Airlines.
17 March 1967
Entered service from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to Zestienhoven Airport, Rotterdam, Netherlands after an abortive flight for technical reasons the previous day.
11 January 1968
Lease to Air Ferry Ltd.
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January 1968 to October 1968
Air Ferry Ltd
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
11 January 1968
Leased from Channel Airways and delivered to Manston Airport, Kent, England where it was re-painted in Air Ferry Ltd. livery.
It was used on general charter work, Inclusive Tour (IT) flights and B.O.A.R. (British Army of the Rhine) trooping contracts between the UK and West Germany.
22 March 1968
Operated a charter flight for Welsh rugby supporters from Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales to Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France.
27 October 1968
Air Ferry ceased operating due to changes within the parent company of Air Holdings.
31 October 1968
Returned to Channel Airways.
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October 1968 to May 1970
Channel Airways
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
31 October 1968
Returned from Air Ferry Ltd lease to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England from Manston Airport, Kent, England and initially stored.
1 April 1969
Re-entered service after maintenance and repainting in full Channel Airways livery.
14 April 1969
Noted operating a charter flight to Lohausen Airport, Düsseldorf, West Germany.
May 1969
'Scottish Flyer' titles applied for a service from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to Dyce Airport, Aberdeen and Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, Scotland.
February 1970
Noted with Channel Airways titles restored.
18 March 1970
Noted at Middelkirke Airport, Ostend, Belgium on a training flight.
13 May 1970
Leased to Rousseau Aviation.
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May 1970 to May 1970
Rousseau Aviation
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
13 May 1970
Leased from Channel Airways and delivered from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to Dinard Airport, Pluertuit, France with Rousseau Aviation logos applied to the fuselage.
19 May 1970
Returned to Channel Airways.
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May 1970 to October 1972
Channel Airways
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
19 May 1970
Returned from Rousseau Aviation lease at Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England from Dinard Airport, Pluertuit, France.
20 May 1970
Re-entered service with Channel Airways.
30 May 1970
Final service from Riem Airport, Munich, West Germany to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England and withdrawn from service due to wing main spar cracking.
Total time 28,142 hours and 31,061 total landings.
Donated to the
Historic Aircraft Museum
29 February 1972
Channel Airways ceased all operations due to financial problems.
April 1972
Noted with all four propellers removed.
circa October 1972
Scrapping commenced. The forward fuselage was saved and donated to the Historic Aircraft Museum, Southend, Essex, England which was located near to the airport.
14 February 1973
Registration cancelled by the UK CAA based on the permanent withdrawal of the aircraft from service and subsequent destruction.
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October 1972 to May 1983
Historic Aircraft Museum
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa October 1972
Forward fuselage donated by Channel Airways and put on display at the museum that was near to Rochford airport, Southend, Essex, England. It was incorrectly identified as being ex G-ATVE (C/N 366).
October 1974
Forward fuselage section noted repainted in British Midland Airways (BMA) livery with public access to the interior through the front door. It was now correctly identified as being from this aircraft.
1983
The Historic Aircraft Museum closed and went into receivership due to financial problems.
10 May 1983
Forward fuselage section purchased by Air Classik Museum during an auction organised by Phillips. A lot of the other aircraft were scrapped on site.
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May 1983 to September 1985
Air Classik Museum
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
10 May 1983
Forward fuselage purchased during an auction organised by Phillips and moved to a site adjacent to Lohausen Airport, Dusseldorf, West Germany.
September 1985
The museum area was taken over as an additional airport car park was needed and the museum was closed and the aircraft transferred elsewhere. The Viscount forward fuselage section was transferred to the Dusseldorf Airport Authority who displayed it on top of the terminal building in a public viewing area.
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September 1985 to January 1990
Dusseldorf Airport Authority
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
September 1985
Forward fuselage section transferred from the defunct Air Classik Museum and displayed on top of the terminal building in a public viewing area.
circa January 1990
Forward fuselage section transferred to the Albatros Flugmuseum at Stuttgart Airport, West Germany.
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January 1990 to June 2014
Albatros Flugmuseum
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa January 1990
Forward fuselage section acquired from the Dusseldorf Airport Authority and remained displayed on top of the terminal building spectator roof terrace area at Stuttgart Airport, Echterdingen, Germany after repainting in a dark blue and white livery, presumably to represent the Lufthansa livery.
June 2011
Noted still in existence.
circa June 2014
Forward fuselage section transferred to the Kiemele Museum at Seifertshofen, near Eschach, Germany.
The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
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June 2014 to June 2016
Kiemele Museum
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa June 2014
Forward fuselage section transferred from Albatros Flugmuseum at Stuttgart Airport, Germany to Seifertshofen, near Eschach, Germany.
The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
20 March 2015
Visible on Google Earth.
circa June 2016
Forward fuselage section sold to Morlock Motors of Peterslahr, Germany.
The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
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June 2016 to January 2019
Morlock Motors
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa June 2016
Forward fuselage section purchased from the Kiemele Museum of Seifertshofen, near Eschach, Germany.
The sale was reported on German television.
The owner of Morlock Motors is Mike 'the Greek' who deals in surplus military vehicles and equipment and is also an owner-pilot of an Antonov AN-2.
The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
circa January 2019
Forward fuselage section sold to Buccara Base, Lohfelderstrasse 14, Bad Honnef, a spa town in the Rhein-Sieg district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
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January 2019 to
Buccara Base
G-AVHE - c/n 363 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa January 2019
Forward fuselage section purchased from Morlock Motors.
It was then moved to Lohfelderstrasse 14, Bad Honnef, Germany.
Google Earth Coordinates 50.633124° N, 7.216180° E
The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
It is on external display along with other forms of transport such as double-decker buses.
10 March 2021
Noted in poor external condition.
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