The Vikings of Soesterberg

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Recent threads about Trek Airways Vikings and more recently the demise of a Caravelle Night Club put me in mind of the old Autair Vikings that were based at Templehof in the 1960s primarily carrying flowers to Berlin from Amsterdam each week day and occasionally operating passenger charters at the weekend. Berlin based skippers that come to mind were Captain 'Speedy' Williams who when experiencing a spectacular engine failure in The Berlin Corridor calmly lit his pipe and told the First Officer to "Sort it out!" and Captain Alex Imrie who was also a distinguished aviation historian. Years ago I had the excitement of a ride in one of these aircraft when it was air tested after maintenance. In Autair they were known as 'The Pigs' as they were a bit of a sod to land smoothly.The Vikings of Soesterberg

[oldchina]

It reminds me of how many V-Series Vickers planes were built before the One-Eleven took over.
While Vickers was selling passenger planes the rest of the British industry was selling how many commercial airliners?

[ian16th]

In Autair they were known as 'The Pigs' as they were a bit of a sod to land smoothly.The Vikings of Soesterberg

The military version of the Viking, the Vicker's Valetta, was universally known as The Pig, throughout the RAF.

I always understood that it got its name from its portly dimensions rather than it flying characteristics.

Interesting statistics:
Vikings produced 163
Valetta's produced 263

I do believe that 3 Vikings were bought by the RAF for Queens Flight.

With 160 Varsity's, Vickers probably made a fair profit on the series.

[Wander00]

Where did that number of Varsitys go - surely not all nav training and 115 flight checking

[tornadoken]

Brabazon's Committee chose the Interim Wellington Transport, funded 25/11/44, as $-sparing means of opening Continental routes asap. First flight was 22/6/45, inaugural with new BEAC, 1/9/46. But...Dakota. No-one foresaw in 1944 that Surplus would be offered at $50,000 (then £12,000) as is where is, and that where would be, well, everywhere. The Settlement of Lend/Lease included meeting requests by RAF and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, "owner" of {to be} BEAC for as is where is Daks within the 15/7/46 US Loan: 672 (72/civil, 600/RAF).

Cheap Daks constrained sales of Vikings to non-open-market Users (barter, Aid). BEA flew their Pionairs, latterly as Leopard freighters, long after unloading all Vikings. Valetta/Varsity were ordered simply to sustain Weybridge until Valiant entered production (Varsity was shifted into ex-BOAC sheds at Hurn).

[ian16th]

Where did that number of Varsitys go - surely not all nav training and 115 flight checking

90 Group/Signals Command used them as calibration a/c.
Bomber Command Bombing School used them.
Wasn't the Varsity the conversion trainer to multi-engine for pilots?

[Rossian]

Varsitys...

.....were the first RAF aircraft I flew during flying training at Topcliffe. AEOs and AEOps trained on them. Primarily as wireless operators but also as crew members with a variety of WO and SNCO instructors, pilots and navigators (some with interesting mitteleuropean accents).
Thanks to the wonderful folks at Newark Air Museum I was able, 50 years later, to take my son and my twin grandchildren into the very first Varsity I flew in.

The Ancient Mariner

[Herod]

Wasn't the Varsity the conversion trainer to multi-engine for pilots?

Yes, it was, and also as the refresher aircraft for those of us who had been doing other things for a while. The School of Refresher Flying was probably one of the RAF's best-kept secrets. A Gentlemen's Flying Club.

[Wander00]

Just 160 seemed quite a few, even with the various disparate tasks - sort of MRTA - Multi Role Training Aircraft

[ian16th]

Just 160 seemed quite a few, even with the various disparate tasks - sort of MRTA - Multi Role Training Aircraft

In the 50's we weren't into anagrams, we just called them Flying Classroom's.

Its full designation was the Varsity T1.

[Wander00]

I remember - I was at Watton when 115 Sqn were there

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by ian16th

In the 50's we weren't into anagrams, we just called them Flying Classroom's..

Just as well, otherwise you'd have ended up calling it the Star Ivy.

[Prangster]

Hi Mildly Eccentric Star driver I recall flying in the jump seat of a Varsity at your 'Gentlemans Flying Club' with an Air Commodore student and a grizzly not quite shaved today Master pilot instructor. We waffle round the circuit seemingly hanging on the edge of disaster. We crawl off the runway after a roller of sorts, the aircraft having visited both edges of the tarmac. Master pilot 'now I would like to see a normal circuit'........Air Commodore...'so would I son son would I' It creased me up then and still does, you possibly needed to be there to get the full flavour

PS his flying soon improved bless him