BEA Viscount V701 G-ANHF

[cyflyer]

I have an old photo of BEA Viscount V701 G-ANHF taken at Nicosia, between dates that I have narrowed down to between May 1959 and April 1961. Is there any way I can find out what specific dates 'HF was at Nicosia during that time ? Aircraft logbooks, Pilot's logbooks, old BEA pilots, any other listing that anyone might be aware of ? There's a camera crew in front, and ladies wearing overcoats, which tells me there was an event/a VIP departing, and it was not summer. Like to research the event. Thanks.

[edskarf]

The Duke of Gloucester made a brief flying visit to Nicosia 14 October 1960. This was an official visit so the aircraft used may have been RAF rather than civilian.

[cyflyer]

The Duke of Gloucester made a brief flying visit to Nicosia 14 October 1960. This was an official visit so the aircraft used may have been RAF rather than civilian.
edskarf, indeed this is so. Coincidentally, also I have a photo of him taking the salute with Makarios at Nicosia with many aircraft in the background. It seems he came and left by RAF Transport Command Comet. The caption details behind my photo have faded so can't read all the details. Any details you may have on this visit I would also welcome. You see, all these photos are part of my collection for a future book on the pictorial history of aircraft on Cyprus, so all details are welcome for accurate captioning. Thank you for mentioning this.

[Flightwatch]

It may be that the BEA "VIP" Viscount 701 was G-ANHF. My late father was co-pilot on the Queen's first royal flight in Europe not flown by the Royal Flight. The last time I was at the family home I found all the paperwork from it including the full brief, crew and pax lists, met briefing, flight plan etc. the flight was the return from a royal visit to Sweden in, I think, 1958. The aircraft was certainly G-ANH? and quite likely F. I will try to find it again when next visiting in the summer. Father was meticulous in keeping all the documents even down to a letter authorising him to collect a new uniform from the stores!

[WHBM]

By 1959 BEA had moved the longer-haul scheduled services, such as Nicosia, on to Viscount 800s, which were more suitable and efficient for the long range. BEA then changed over the London to Nicosia etc flights from Viscount 800s to Comets in Spring 1960. Cyprus Airways did not start the lease of two BEA Viscounts for regional services until some years after this. So for the period described there would be no scheduled Viscount 700 service there.

This adds credence to this being a VIP charter, with the aircraft having come all the way from London.

[Jamie-Southend]

Vickers Viscount Network - A Virtual Museum dedicated to the Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount (http://vickersviscount.net/)

Try asking us lot here, i`m a researcher with them, but away at present, one of our knowledgeable lot will help i`m sure.

Good luck

J

[cyflyer]

By 1959 BEA had moved the longer-haul scheduled services, such as Nicosia, on to Viscount 800s, which were more suitable and efficient for the long range. BEA then changed over the London to Nicosia etc flights from Viscount 800s to Comets in Spring 1960. Cyprus Airways did not start the lease of two BEA Viscounts for regional services until some years after this. So for the period described there would be no scheduled Viscount 700 service there.

WHBM, I have seen no reference anywhere as to when exactly the Viscount 700's were substituted by the Viscount 800's and on which routes. They seem to have been operated side by side on all routes. From May 1959 the V700's were upgraded in their seating capacity to 60 seats, same as the 800's, so would have carried the same amount of passengers. Even the BEA timetables just say 'Viscount' and don't distinguish between 700's and 800's so its difficult to say. Yes, from 1st April 1960 the Comets took over. How do I know the specific time frame mentioned ? When from May 1959 they began increasing the seat capacity of the V700's they added an extra small window on the port side behind the rear door, window which is clearly visible in my photo, and not in older photos of 'HF, so I know it has to be after May 1959, and from a photo I have in another BEA book, on 1st April 1960 'HF was wearing the new BEA red square scheme. So there were still, in all probability, still Viscount 700's along with Viscount 800's on the scheduled services during that time although its a bit of a grey area.
Jamie, thanks for the suggestion. Seen the website, very nice, thats where the info re the May 1959 modifications on the 700's came from. Will ask the question there in due course if I don't get an answer here.

[WHBM]

WHBM, I have seen no reference anywhere as to when exactly the Viscount 700's were substituted by the Viscount 800's and on which routes. They seem to have been operated side by side on all routes. From May 1959 the V700's were upgraded in their seating capacity to 60 seats, same as the 800's, so would have carried the same amount of passengers. Even the BEA timetables just say 'Viscount' and don't distinguish between 700's and 800's so its difficult to say. Yes, from 1st April 1960 the Comets took over. How do I know the specific time frame mentioned ? When from May 1959 they began increasing the seat capacity of the V700's they added an extra small window on the port side behind the rear door, window which is clearly visible in my photo, and not in older photos of 'HF, so I know it has to be after May 1959.
The BEA Viscount 806s (20 delivered in 1958) had more powerful Dart engines, and were used on the longer runs; Nicosia before the Comets was an obvious one. Meanwhile the Viscount 700 fleet modifications for more capacity were associated with revised interiors put on the aircraft used on the German Internal services. Having the same seating capacity on both 700s and 800s was an operating convenience, but as the 800s had a longer cabin they were more spacious. I do believe part of the 700 interior alterations included removing some galley equipment for seats, obviously not appropriate on the Nicosia run when Viscounts were still doing it. However once the Comets and Vanguards came along (and, again, Nicosia was the pioneer Comet route due to its length) everything shifted down a peg and the Viscount 700s were sold off, the last going in 1963.

I do believe that there would be spare Viscount 700s for special services, and a VIP charter would be a likely use for the aircraft in question. Presumably the charter was somewhat off-route as otherwise the VIP would surely have preferred First Class on the new Comet schedule. It's the same as the chartered Elizabethan involved in the Munich accident, which came just a couple of months before the final Elizabethan scheduled flight - a Viscount would have been a better choice for the quite lengthy flight but there were Elizabethans spare.

The more powerful Dart engines were later taken off the Viscount 806s and exchanged with those on the Argosy freighter, but this happened quite some years later by the time that Viscounts had become confined to the shorter services.

[cyflyer]

Ok, photo mystery solved. After pouring over dozens of on-line Pathe news and Movietone news clips until a bleary eyed 3 am, thinking its bound to show up on some newsclip, I found a clip about Turkish Cypriot vice president Dr Faisel Kuchuk arrives in snowy London on 15/1/1960. The aircraft he comes down from is clearly visible as RMS Mathew Flinders, aka G-ANHF. No doubt a regular BEA service, as opposed to a VIP flight.

[WHBM]

clearly visible as RMS Mathew Flinders, aka G-ANHF
Is it in daylight ? The scheduled arrival from Cyprus on Friday in January 1960 is evening in darkness.

[cyflyer]

Is it in daylight ? The scheduled arrival from Cyprus on Friday in January 1960 is evening in darkness.Oh yes, pitch darkness. With the same train of thought as you, I tried to find the specific BEA timetable for that date, for confirmation, but cannot find it.
Here's the clip, hope you can see it:
MovieTone : Player (http://www.movietone.com/N_POPUP_Player.cfm?action=playVideo&assetno=125023)

PS. Some good timetables available here, but not that specific one:
BEA - British European Airways (http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/be.htm)

[cyflyer]

Incidentally, Jamie-Southend, whilst browsing your website and looking at the books about BEA page, I noticed some omissions from the list, important ones:
"An illustrated history of BEA" - Phil Lo Bao, (very analytical on a year by year basis, probably the most important one I've seen), and "The Challenge of BEA" - Garry May. Also on the Viscount book page you have "Classic Civil Aircraft- Vickers Viscount" - Alan J Wright, and " Viscount , Comet, and Concord"- Stewart Wilson.