Historic Letter
HRH Prince Philip's message to BWA - British World Airlines
Mike Sessions treasured letter from HRH Prince Philip.
BWA - British World Airlines
Viscount G-APEY
Mike Sessions of BWA - British World Airlines received this letter from HRH Prince Philip in February 1996 to acknowledge the forthcoming special retirement celebration at Heathrow,
London, England that was to mark the withdrawal of the Viscount from passenger use in the United Kingdom.
On the 18 April 1996 BWA - British World Airlines Viscount G-APEY participated in this special retirement celebration at Heathrow. In attendance was Sir George Edwards, Sir Peter
Masefield, Lord King, Ralph Robins (Rolls-Royce), Captain Jock Bryce (Viscount test pilot), the chairman of Vickers-Armstrongs, plus lots of invited guests. The MC for the event
was Raymond Baxter. The guests were taken for a flight from Heathrow on board G-APEY.
BWA - British World Airlines
Viscount G-AOHM
It had been originally planned to use Viscount G-AOHM for the celebration but one of the engineers preparing the aircraft for departure at Stansted, Essex, England taxied the aircraft
into a wire fence and cut the outer wing. G-APEY was brought down from Aberdeen, Scotland at short notice to participate in the celebrations.
Viscounts finally retired from service in the United Kingdom in January 1998.
Chris Hatton wrote in a UK newspaper
BWA - British World Airlines
Viscount G-AOHM
It was the end of an era. One of Britain's most successful airliners made its final touch down at Southend Airport as tearful staff said their final goodbyes. The British World
Airlines plane G-AOHM - the last one in operation in the UK - made a low pass over the airport to celebrate its last flight from Belfast.
The Captain of the landmark flight was Ray Hill who has flown Viscounts for 29 years, with Paul Henty as his co-pilot. This was Ray last flight as he will be taking retirement with
his aircraft.
Malcolm Ginsberg, spokesman for British World Airlines, which owned the Viscount, said: "Over the years, the Viscount fleet has reduced as each aircraft has reached the end of its
airframe life. The last three remaining in the UK have been operating twice nightly from Belfast and Edinburgh to Coventry moving the nation's parcels."
History and photos of Viscount c/n 162 G-AOHM
History and photos of Viscount c/n 382 G-APEY