BEA and Northeast Viscount 800s
We certainly got away from Northeast Viscount 800s pretty quickly ! I suspect there was an element of passing the aircraft back and forth short term, BEA had a pretty long tradition of this with their various offshoots, who each seemed to be the first port of call for one another, leading to things like Comets on BEA services well after the official last flight (this was of course ones passed to Airtours, brought back to Heathrow during yet another Trident shortage). Cambrian One-Elevens, which often seemed to not have a lot to do, operating BEA internal German services out of Berlin, was another. Viscount 800s loaned to Cyprus Airways as cover for their dedicated two ... the list probably goes on.
These Viscount 800s probably had some sort of record for different airline names, and liveries, carried in short order. From the BEA Red Square scheme, I don't know if any went into the Speedjack scheme before going to BKS and the globe logo, followed by the Northeast yellow rebranding, then the BAS scheme which some had, and then back into British Airways initial colours, and on into Channel Islands or whatever. I make that seven names/liveries in about the same number of years. I haven't done the detail but likely someone can.
Cardiff was the Cambrian maintenance base, and in time became the all-BA Viscount centre, and where they were all stored as withdrawn. I wonder if any of the most senior 777 engineers there nowadays started on Viscounts.
These Viscount 800s probably had some sort of record for different airline names, and liveries, carried in short order. From the BEA Red Square scheme, I don't know if any went into the Speedjack scheme before going to BKS and the globe logo, followed by the Northeast yellow rebranding, then the BAS scheme which some had, and then back into British Airways initial colours, and on into Channel Islands or whatever. I make that seven names/liveries in about the same number of years. I haven't done the detail but likely someone can.
Cardiff was the Cambrian maintenance base, and in time became the all-BA Viscount centre, and where they were all stored as withdrawn. I wonder if any of the most senior 777 engineers there nowadays started on Viscounts.
Can't read my own writing (I transcribed both entries from another log book and obviously got them mixed up); yes it was GAWZL outbound and GAVFA inbound.
Just a one day trip on an ATCO familiarisation flight from RAE Farnborough; co-incidentally an ATCO from RAE Bedford was on the same flight.
Just a one day trip on an ATCO familiarisation flight from RAE Farnborough; co-incidentally an ATCO from RAE Bedford was on the same flight.
The BKS/Northeast Viscount 800s were all ex-BEA mainstream fleet I believe, unlike their predecessor Viscount 700s, which BKS had picked up round and about on the secondhand market. Ultimately they were merged back in, with the ones which had stayed in the mainline fleet all along, into the BA fleet, and lasted there into the early 1980s, when they were finally withdrawn, and then sold as a job lot to British Air Ferries at Southend, where they put in further work for the best part of another 10 years.
It was in the early-1980s that I had a business trip (non-aviation) for a week in Southend, and stayed in the hotel right by the runway 06 threshold. Each afternoon that week a different one of these Viscounts, just the BA name painted out, would turn up, ferrying in from Cardiff. I guess the crew must have spent each morning going by train or taxi over to Cardiff, getting the aircraft ready, and bringing each one back.
In an unusual coincidence, these aircraft were associated with the same aviation entrepreneur twice. BKS originally was Barnaby, Keegan and Stevens, a 1950s secondary airline, and although long associated with the North-east of England, were originally based at Southend (one of their first routes was a low frequency Southend to Newcastle). The Keegan was Mike Keegan, who ran various enterprises over the years from Southend and Stansted, and eventually bought up the British United elements which became British Air Ferries, and still owned BAF when the Viscount 800s were bought from BA. I believe it was Keegan who, after the BKS ownership had been sold to BEA, made an issue of them still having his initial in the name, and after some legal intervention led to the change to Northeast.
It was in the early-1980s that I had a business trip (non-aviation) for a week in Southend, and stayed in the hotel right by the runway 06 threshold. Each afternoon that week a different one of these Viscounts, just the BA name painted out, would turn up, ferrying in from Cardiff. I guess the crew must have spent each morning going by train or taxi over to Cardiff, getting the aircraft ready, and bringing each one back.
In an unusual coincidence, these aircraft were associated with the same aviation entrepreneur twice. BKS originally was Barnaby, Keegan and Stevens, a 1950s secondary airline, and although long associated with the North-east of England, were originally based at Southend (one of their first routes was a low frequency Southend to Newcastle). The Keegan was Mike Keegan, who ran various enterprises over the years from Southend and Stansted, and eventually bought up the British United elements which became British Air Ferries, and still owned BAF when the Viscount 800s were bought from BA. I believe it was Keegan who, after the BKS ownership had been sold to BEA, made an issue of them still having his initial in the name, and after some legal intervention led to the change to Northeast.
Last edited by WHBM; 28th Aug 2022 at 10:42.
Edit, another example, this one at LBA on stand 3.
https://www.airteamimages.com/vicker...619_large.html
Last edited by Airbanda; 28th Aug 2022 at 09:24.
The BKS/Northeast Viscount 800s were all ex-BEA mainstream fleet I believe, unlike their predecessor Viscount 700s, which BKS had picked up round and about on the secondhand market. Ultimately they were merged back in, with the ones which had stayed in the mainline fleet all along, into the BA fleet, and lasted there into the early 1980s, when they were finally withdrawn, and then sold as a job lot to British Air Ferries at Southend, where they put in further work for the best part of another 10 years.
It was in the early-1980s that I had a business trip (non-aviation) for a week in Southend, and stayed in the hotel right by the runway 06 threshold. Each afternoon that week a different one of these Viscounts, just the BA name painted out, would turn up, ferrying in from Cardiff. I guess the crew must have spent each morning going by train or taxi over to Cardiff, getting the aircraft ready, and bringing each one back.
It was in the early-1980s that I had a business trip (non-aviation) for a week in Southend, and stayed in the hotel right by the runway 06 threshold. Each afternoon that week a different one of these Viscounts, just the BA name painted out, would turn up, ferrying in from Cardiff. I guess the crew must have spent each morning going by train or taxi over to Cardiff, getting the aircraft ready, and bringing each one back.
I do remember 2 or 3 trips in the GB Airways Viscount from Tangier to Gib (complete with kids standing in front of their parents) however from '81 to '87.
I also remember that on the Rotterdam flight, having done several trips in Tridents and 737s, what luxury it was to sit next to one of those huge oval windows of a Viscount compared to jet airfliners. .
Last edited by chevvron; 28th Aug 2022 at 12:26.
Must have been about 1992. My regular Air UK 146 Stansted to Edinburgh, we got a rejected take off and returned to stand. Time rolled on, there were messages that an alternative aircraft was being sought. There was a BAF Viscount idle on the next stand. I was hoping, I was really hoping ...
.Alas not.
Originally Posted by chevvron
I did a Gatwick - Rotterdam trip with BAF in a Viscount but I failed to note the date however it must have been later than '81 (possbly even late '80s)
Viscount c/n 266 operational record (vickersviscount.net)
Last edited by WHBM; 29th Aug 2022 at 18:32.
So far as I can see the presenting question was about the presence of a BEA 'Red Square' liveried Viscount at LBA in 1971. I can certainly remember seeing them in the relatively early days of the 15/33 runway.
One possibility is Manchester diversions. Another some swapping of machines between BAS and its parent to cover tech etc issues. I'm fairly sure we saw the odd Cambrian V806 at Leeds as well; similar livery but red instead of yellow and a stylised dragon on place of the NE compass point.
I stick by my original assertion that I've read somewhere that the V806 machines were for a time either leased to BKS or operated on their behalf by BEA including some augmentation of LBA ground crews.
FWIW the G INFO register shows several of the V806 series machines with BKS/Northeast as Charterers.
One possibility is Manchester diversions. Another some swapping of machines between BAS and its parent to cover tech etc issues. I'm fairly sure we saw the odd Cambrian V806 at Leeds as well; similar livery but red instead of yellow and a stylised dragon on place of the NE compass point.
I stick by my original assertion that I've read somewhere that the V806 machines were for a time either leased to BKS or operated on their behalf by BEA including some augmentation of LBA ground crews.
FWIW the G INFO register shows several of the V806 series machines with BKS/Northeast as Charterers.
Last edited by bean; 2nd Sep 2022 at 13:48.
I believe it did. Channel ordered it, one of their five Tridents, frame numbers 2135-9, registration allocations G-AVYA to E. At some stage before delivery they didn't have the funds, and only took two, 'YB and 'YE. Air Ceylon took 'YA, which never wore UK marks and went straight onto the Ceylon register. BKS then took 'YC and 'YD, and as the frames had already been allocated UK marks, that was what they got. When Channel went under their two came to Northeast as well
Getting the one that spent the last year of Channel's existence being stripped for spares at Stansted to keep the other going, when Hawker Siddeley put Channel on 'cash with order', must have been an interesting job. Ostensibly it went to BEA first, for 18 months, but I wonder if it ever actually ran a BEA flight (being a unique 1E model there), that being just the time the BEA engineers took to make it airworthy again.
Getting the one that spent the last year of Channel's existence being stripped for spares at Stansted to keep the other going, when Hawker Siddeley put Channel on 'cash with order', must have been an interesting job. Ostensibly it went to BEA first, for 18 months, but I wonder if it ever actually ran a BEA flight (being a unique 1E model there), that being just the time the BEA engineers took to make it airworthy again.
No.BKS haf been operating 700 series since 1966. All that was required was a differences course to put them on the AOC. Look up posts by user Flightwatch who flew 748s and series 700s and 800 Viscounts for BKS. Yes BEA would have provided the necessary training. Thr same applied when Cambrian converted from 701 Viscounts to 806 Viscounts in 1971. Related in a excellent article by Ken Wakefield a very senior Cambrian Captain
No.BKS haf been operating 700 series since 1966. All that was required was a differences course to put them on the AOC. Look up posts by user Flightwatch who flew 748s and series 700s and 800 Viscounts for BKS. Yes BEA would have provided the necessary training. Thr same applied when Cambrian converted from 701 Viscounts to 806 Viscounts in 1971. Related in a excellent article by Ken Wakefield a very senior Cambrian Captain
I'm quite happy to accept that flight crew qualified on V700 series could add the V800 with only low key training.
Maybe some other reason why this mode of operation was instigated.
Yet another livery to add was the initial Northeast one, the new lowercase title font but still with the BKS red/white fuselage and the "northeast-pointing circle" logo done in black and white on the tail instead of the later yellow version.
The yellow livery concept was shared with Cambrian, who moved to the same overall arrangement for the white and grey, but with orangey-red instead of the yellow. In passing I wonder what the mainstream USA Northeast Airlines, still around at the time before being bought out by Delta, with their very well known Yellowbird fleet livery, thought of this somewhat-imitation by a UK minor airline.
The yellow livery concept was shared with Cambrian, who moved to the same overall arrangement for the white and grey, but with orangey-red instead of the yellow. In passing I wonder what the mainstream USA Northeast Airlines, still around at the time before being bought out by Delta, with their very well known Yellowbird fleet livery, thought of this somewhat-imitation by a UK minor airline.
