
June 1958 to December 1969
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)
G-APEX - c/n 381 - a V.806 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
January 1956
An order for eighteen Type 806 was placed by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).
The first (C/N 255) was not delivered as it was loaned to Vickers-Armstrongs for Type 810 development work.
15 August 1957
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).
13 June 1958
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.
It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.
20 June 1958
UK Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued.
24 June 1958
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A John Harrison'.
24 December 1958
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
29 January 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
28 February 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
March 1959
A new BEA 'Red Square' livery was adopted and aircraft were repainted during the early 1960s when they next went in for overhaul.
Sadly, after repainting, the aircraft no longer carried a name including the nameplate on the forward cabin bulkhead.
4 March 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
18 December 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
1961
Noted still painted in the BEA 'Red Stripe' livery.
15 October 1961
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
29 October 1961
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
4 December 1962
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
6 December 1962
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
1964
Converted to V.806X standard by Marshall's at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England.
This involved replacing the Dart RDa7 Mark 520 engines with RDa6 Mark 510 engines and installing a V.802 style cabin.
The RDa7 Mark 520 engines were returned to Rolls-Royce where some of them were converted to Mark 526 standard for use on the BEA Armstrong Whitworth 650 Argosy.
23 June 1965
Noted at Leeds / Bradford Airport, Yeadon, Yorkshire, England operating UK services on behalf of BKS Air Transport Ltd.
1965
Operated by BEA on behalf of 'The Malta Airlines'.
The aircraft was operated in the BEA 'Red Square' livery with the Maltese Cross and 'The Malta Airlines' logo applied to the fuselage cheatline squares instead of the BEA logo. Additionally, the red and white Maltese flag was applied to the port upper and starboard lower mainplane surfaces. It was operated by BEA flight crews with Malta Airlines trained cabin staff.
26 November 1965
Due to strong winds and rain a landing at Jersey Airport, Channels Islands was intentionally firm and everything seemed normal during the landing run but suddenly the nose undercarriage leg collapsed resulting in curled No.2 and No.3 propellers and shockloaded Rolls-Royce Dart engines.
There were no reported injuries to the 75 passengers and 4 crew on board.
16 August 1966
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a Heathrow Airport weather diversion.
28 August 1969
Withdrawn from service and stored at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England under the care of Marshall's.
29 December 1969
Sold to BKS Air Transport Ltd.
FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways
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