From the UK Airfield Guide.
On the 1st May 1963 Derby Airways flew their Canadair Argonaut G-ALHS into STAVERTON for a charter flight to Amsterdam, claimed to be the largest aircraft ever to land here. Derby Airways were hoping that this flight would prove the Argonaut could be used here for scheduled flights but the Air Ministry decided that reverse thrust on landing could not be used to calculate the landing distance required. This said it appears British Midland Airways (which Derby Airways became) operated Viscounts into Staverton (replacing their DC-3s) until 1969. It now appears that the last flight by BMA with a Viscount actually took place on the 19th September 1970. Having recently visited STAVERTON in 2012, and upon seeing the undulating main runway, I much admire any pilots prepared to land a Viscount here. As the next step in services required BAC 1-11s, for which needed the main runway had to be lengthened, (which wasn’t an option due to the cost understandably), these BMA services ceased.