Vickers Viscount - performance issues.
Mooncrest; Good grief, "Ask for a leg ?" ! I was glad enough to be RHS and paid as FO whereas the Hamsters going to BEA would never get near the RHS as P2 for a long time. Gosh, I called everyone Sir.
And TRN. Fbbo. My rosters were full of the usual but up came a one=off TRN. I thought it might be Edinburgh Turnhouse and had to look it up. Told girlfriend of the time that I would be late home as I was now a long-haul pilot flying international routes.
Did the circling out of TRN to get height before tackling the alps. No, didn't get either leg. Captain Terry F must have felt guilty as hell because. thereafter he gave me leg for leg whenever we met up.
And TRN. Fbbo. My rosters were full of the usual but up came a one=off TRN. I thought it might be Edinburgh Turnhouse and had to look it up. Told girlfriend of the time that I would be late home as I was now a long-haul pilot flying international routes.
Did the circling out of TRN to get height before tackling the alps. No, didn't get either leg. Captain Terry F must have felt guilty as hell because. thereafter he gave me leg for leg whenever we met up.
Thread Starter
Gordo, I hope cockpit relations have changed for the better now. I took a jumpseat ride on a 757 a few years back and the FO flew both legs. I don't know if that was his choice or if the skipper just couldn't be arsed!
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Flew the 813,814 and 836 out of LBA for a few happy years and agree with a previous post. Never any performance issues. The only time I needed to give it some thought was on a 3 eng ferry to EMA. Second the comment about the wind and also remember that annoyingly low cloud base lifting over the threshold that allowed a good view of the runway during a missed approach!
The Viscount 800 was sold to Continental Airlines in the USA, in the days when they had a substantial local service network astride the Denver-Dallas alignment, which included some points at 5,000 feet elevation. South African Airways and the Central African/Air Zimbabwe operation regularly ran through lesser points at this sort of altitude as well, at summer temperatures rarely attained in the UK. Didn't hear of any issues.
IIRC the Viscount 800s had the RR Dart 515 and the 810s had the RR Dart 525. More power with Water Meth on the 525s.
I remember going out of Sana'a in Yemen in a SOAF Viscount that required 3 orbits to gain enough height to go north over the mountains, and the airport is over 7000ft up.
I remember going out of Sana'a in Yemen in a SOAF Viscount that required 3 orbits to gain enough height to go north over the mountains, and the airport is over 7000ft up.
Thread Starter
The 810 - 836, 839 etc. Viscounts flown by British Midland, Dan Air, Air Bridge, Alidair and anyone else shouldn't have experienced performance problems from LBA, JER, GCI or anywhere else. Their engines were more powerful than those of the 802 and 806 fitted to the legacy British Airways aeroplanes.
Thread Starter
The British Midland Viscounts certainly used RW28 for takeoff and landing in strong westerly winds. I don't remember British Airways or their predecessors doing so. Prior to 1965, when RW15/33 was commissioned, there was no choice!
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I recall landing R28 on a BMA Viscount flying in from LHR one morning. Would have been very early 80’s. Was noticeable by being different scenery below me on the approach.
Can't imagine the residents on the Harrogate Road being that thrilled though !
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
As DH106 says, the F-27 used it regularly. Of course, only when the wind was a strong westerly. Just a "little" turbulent. It was also used by the 146 at times. Them was the days.
Nope, never looked at R28 but, hey, we in our 806X's were big, heavy, pretty, four-engined bombers ! Watched the fire service zapping along 28 on regular practice drills though.
Oh and Mooncrest, since you comment on the handling bit; a Jordie Capt came down from NCL for a five leg day and at the start of Leg 1-LHR, he said, ;" Oh, which way would you like to fly it?". Dumbfounded, startled and not prepared he saved me from an answer and continued-" actually, you do ALL the flying today....I enjoy a good laugh......."! Beastly.
Oh and Mooncrest, since you comment on the handling bit; a Jordie Capt came down from NCL for a five leg day and at the start of Leg 1-LHR, he said, ;" Oh, which way would you like to fly it?". Dumbfounded, startled and not prepared he saved me from an answer and continued-" actually, you do ALL the flying today....I enjoy a good laugh......."! Beastly.
Thread Starter
Should have flown him to Newcastle and dumped him there, Gordomac.
Anyone who wanted the thrill of a Viscount taking off just a few feet overhead need only to have been in a Fire tender on RW15 on a foggy Saturday morning in November 1978😉.
Anyone who wanted the thrill of a Viscount taking off just a few feet overhead need only to have been in a Fire tender on RW15 on a foggy Saturday morning in November 1978😉.
I understand the captain's subsequent verbal exchange with ATC wasn't exactly to full & proper RT standards
Surprised about the 146. Though I likewise once got one on a departure off the old northern short runway at Dublin (26 ?), which came as a surprise as I'd never seen any airliner go off it before, let alone a jet. Although when I looked it up, it turned out it was actually longer TORA than London City at the time, which we were heading for !
Last edited by WHBM; 25th Apr 2023 at 13:04.
Thread Starter
Nearly. G-AOJF. There is an AAIB report out there which makes alarming reading. As we were also talking about Jersey, another of our airports prone to fog/low cloud/sea fret (delete as appropriate), it's a wonder there haven't been more incidents like this. We need the sun to come out and get rid of the fog to gin-clear skies and raise the temperature to the point where takeoff isn't permitted or possible, whichever it is!