April 1959 to May 1966
Continental Airlines
N254V - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United States registered
December 1955
Continental Airlines placed an order for fifteen Type 812 aircraft, which were to be marketed by Continental as the 'Viscount II'.
Sales Order No. F14/94B.
1 February 1959
Noted in open storage at Weybridge, Surrey, England.
2 April 1959
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.
It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.
The test flying accumulated 8 hours and 20 minutes.
4 April 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out crew training and ILS approaches.
10 April 1959
Handed over to Continental Airlines fitted with integral front 'airsteps'.
The plush first class cabin, designed by Charles Butler & Associates was laid out in two plus two configuration with a capacity for 52 passengers, who enjoyed a sumptious meal en-route. A lounge area at the rear allowed for four people to sit on two curved side couches when the aircraft was cruising. A small window was added on each side.
10 April 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out a single ILS approach and overshoot.
11 April 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.
19 May 1966
Sold to Channel Airways.
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May 1966 to January 1967
Channel Airways
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
19 May 1966
Purchased from Continental Airlines and delivered to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England as N254V.
25 May 1966
Registered to Channel Airways.
27 May 1966
Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued.
The integral front 'airsteps' were removed in order to save some weight.
28 May 1966
Entered service from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to Jersey Airport, Channel Islands.
3 January 1967
Leased to Treffield International Airlines.
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January 1967 to June 1967
Treffield International Airlines
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
3 January 1967
Leased from Channel Airways and delivered to Treffield International Airlines at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England in full Treffield livery.
The company name is derived from Lord Trefgarne and Charles Masefield.
12 February 1967
Flown to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales to promote Hourmont Holidays, returning to East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England the same day.
February 1967
Crew training continued pending receipt of the Treffield International Airlines AOC - Air Operators Certificate.
April 1967
Inclusive tour flights operated by Channel Airways as the Treffield AOC had still not been obtained.
27 April 1967
Operated its first service for Treffield International Airlines from Lulsgate Airport, Bristol, England to Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France.
21 June 1967
Operated its last service for Treffield International Airlines from Perpignan Airport, France to Speke Airport, Liverpool, England.
24 June 1967
Returned to Channel Airways.
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June 1967 to September 1972
Channel Airways
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
24 June 1967
Returned from Treffield International Airlines lease and ferried from Speke Airport, Liverpool, England to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England and stored.
18 December 1967
Re-entered service with Channel Airways from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.
26 October 1969
Final service from Tegel Airport, Berlin, West Germany to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England then withdrawn from service and stored.
Total time 25,509 hours and 28,185 total landings.
26 May 1970
Certificate of Airworthiness expired.
29 February 1972
Channel Airways ceased all operations due to financial problems.
Late August / early September 1972
Broken up for scrap at the same time as G-AVHE (C/N 363) except for the forward fuselage section.
8 September 1972
Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from use.
The forward fuselage section was donated to the local Historic Aircraft Museum on this day as well, still in the Channel Airways livery.
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September 1972 to May 1983
Historic Aircraft Museum
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
8 September 1972
Forward fuselage donated by Channel Airways and put on display at the museum that was near to the airport. It was still in Channel Airways livery.
In certain publications it had been incorrectly identified as coming from G-AVHE (C/N 363) but a photo of the cockpit interior has recently appeared (Nov 2022), clearly showing the registration G-ATVE painted on each pilot's control yoke.
Also, subtle differences in the lower red cheatline below the cabin windows and the way it droops down differently at the front confirms that it is definitely from this aircraft.
October 1974
Forward fuselage section noted repainted in British Midland Airways (BMA) livery with public access to the interior through the front door.
Historic Aircraft Museum
27 March 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.
All the other museum aircraft were sold and moved on, except for the Blackburn B-101 Beverley C.1 XB261 (1004), which was eventually scrapped in May 1989.
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May 1983 to September 1985
Air Classik Museum
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
10 May 1983
Forward fuselage purchased during an auction organised by Phillips for an undisclosed sum.
July 1983
Forward fuselage moved to a site near Monchengladbach, Germany.
September 1985
The Viscount forward fuselage section was transferred to the Düsseldorf Airport Authority.
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September 1985 to January 1990
Düsseldorf Airport Authority
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
September 1985
Forward fuselage section transferred from the defunct Air Classik Museum and put on display 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-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa January 1990
Forward fuselage section acquired from the Dusseldorf Airport Authority and put on display on top of the terminal building spectator roof terrace area at Stuttgart Airport, Echterdingen, Germany.
It was repainted in a dark blue and white livery, presumably to represent the Lufthansa livery, which it never wore.
circa June 2014
Forward fuselage section transferred to the Schwabisches Bauern und Tecknik Museum.
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June 2014 to June 2016
Schwabisches Bauern und Tecknik Museum
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa June 2014
Forward fuselage section transferred from the Albatros Flugmuseum at Stuttgart Airport, Germany to Seifertshofen, Germany.
The museum owner was also an aircraft dealer, so aircraft would frequently come and go.
20 March 2015
Visible on Google Earth at co-ordinates 48 54 28.32 N 9 50 21.72 E.
Other aircraft noted are: - Nord 2501D Noratlas and an Antonov AN-26T as well as several jet fighters.
circa June 2016
Forward fuselage section sold to Morlock Motors.
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June 2016 to January 2018
Morlock Motors
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa June 2016
Forward fuselage section purchased from the Schwabisches Bauern und Tecknik Museum and moved to Peterslahr, 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.
circa January 2018
Forward fuselage section sold to Buccara Base.
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January 2018 to January 1900
Buccara Base
G-ATVE - c/n 366 - a V.812 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
circa January 2018
Forward fuselage section purchased from Morlock Motors and moved to Lohfelderstrasse 14, Bad Honnef, Germany.
It was put on external display along with other forms of transport such as double-decker buses.
10 March 2021
Noted in poor external condition.
30 March 2021
Google Earth co-ordinates 50.633124° N, 7.216180° E
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