Photo thread - Vickers Viscount

[Peter Lewis]

With the DC-3 firmly established as the airliner of choice for the regional routes of NAC, planning could begin on the selection of a post-war airliner for the Auckland-Wellington-Christchurch-Dunedin main trunk route.

The Vickers Viscount had intially been flown as a 32 seat aircraft in 1948, but further development had increased capacity to 53 seats.

Viscount G-AMAV competed in the 1953 London-Christchurch air race in British European Airways colours as competitor number 23, and was placed second to the KLM DC-6A PH-TGA in the Transport Handicap Section.

G-AMAV, believed to be at Paraparaumu





This was an impressive performace, and after further study of TAA Viscount operations in Australia three 65-seat V.807 Viscounts were ordered for delivery in 1958.

Initial registration allocations were ZK-BRA ZK-BRB and ZK-BRC. However, NAC executives found this lettering slightly embarrassing, so the three Viscounts became ZK-BRD ZK-BRE and ZK-BRF.

Viscount ZK-BRD c/n 281 arrived at Whenuapai on 10Jan1958, and bore the tile 'City of Wellington'. Despite this name, it was initially used on the Auckland-Christchurch route as the upgrade of Wellington Airport meant Viscount operations could not be carried out there until the airport reopened in 1959. It was painted up in a livery that clearly emphasized it was a 'Jet Prop'

ZK-BRD at Whenuapai 8Jul1963



In 1968, ZK-BRD was repainted into the godwit NAC livery

ZK-BRD at Mangere 27Apr1968



Replaced by Boeing 737s, the Viscount fleet was sold in 1974/75. ZK-BRD was bought by British Airways for lease to Gibralter Airways Ltd. It left Christchurch on 3Jan74 having flown 35477.50hrs and became G-BBVH on on 9Jan1974.

As G-BBVH it aquaplaned off the runway and ran into ditch at Tangier 23Nov88. Damaged beyond repair, the registration was cancelled on 7Feb89.

If you visit the small but interesting aviation museum at Paraparaumu airfield, you can see a nice large-scale model of ZK-BRD. Pity about the inaccurate colour scheme.

[phil82]

One went off the end of the runway at Wellington...1963?


I can recall flying in them...quite noisy I thought and that high-pitched RR Dart whine never quite disappeared!

[Gary.]

Very cool photos check out the old Fuel truck in the top photo with some guy just wondering around on top of the wing. Qwick phone OSH.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

I flew in a Viscount once in 1968 during the August school holidays (I was 14 at the time) enroute from Napier to Christchurch (F.27 Napier to Wellington, then Viscount from Wellington to Christchurch).

I wouldn't have a clue which of NAC's Viscounts it was, but I can remember it was noiser than the Friendship.

[pjw4118]

Nice pictures, theres a suprising number of senior NAC captains who still pick the Viscount as the nicest of any airliner to fly, and that includes the Boeings

[Tony]

I only had one flight in a Viscount - dammit.
This was 1973 Christchurch - Wellington.
I sat at the rear of the aircraft and loved the whistling of the wind passed the rear door.
The seats were spacious - they reminded me of the 1sr class railway carriages of the era - and legroon was not measured in inches that's for sure.
I loved that flight and realised that it may be the only ever time I would get to fly in one.

The original (Jet-prop- scheme) was my favourite.

ZK-BWO (City of Dunedin) was the one that slid of Wellington's runway.


Those models were made at the time of order and reflected the current scheme of that time.

And the amount of time I spent on the observation deck @ Wellington being deafened by four Darts.......
From memory the best I had was 2 Viscounts and a Friendship starting at the same time.

Here is a fantastic NAC Viscount link:
www.vickersviscount.net/Pages_News/News0705NACBook.aspx

[Peter Lewis]

The second NAC Viscount to arrive was ZK-BRE c/n 282, which landed at Christchurch on 10Feb1959. It bore the name 'City of Auckland'.

As with its older sister, it flew on the Christchurch-Auckland route until the revamped Wellington Airport opened in July of that year.

The godwit livery was also applied to this aircraft in 1968.

ZK-BRE landing at Rongotai early 1974



The aircraft finished its NAC service in July 1974, and was parked up at Christchurch awaiting a sale

ZK-BRE resting at Christchurch, September 1974



Sold to aircraft dealer Shackleton Aviation Ltd., London, ZK-BRE left New Zealand on 29Nov1974 for onsale to Montgomery Corp., of Nassau, Bahamas.

Operated as VP-LKA by Air Caribbean, and later as VP-LAU by Atlas Air System, this Viscount finally returned to the UK in early 1978 to become G-CSZA in the hands of Southern International Air Transport Ltd., Southhampton.

The registration N140RA was reserved for a sale to Royal American Airways, but this sale did not proceed and the aircraft stayed in the UK and was eventually broken up at Stanstead Jul/Aug 1982. The UK registration was cancelled on 4Oct82.

[oj]

In 1965 when I was at No.2 TTS Wigram, a few of us used to go across to Harewood (Christchurch International) at the odd weekend when it was blowing hard. We would park on the public road at the end of the main approach runway (Western end), just outside the fence as it was then (like Hamilton today).
This was to watch the Viscount crew-training flights for cross-wind landings. Multiple "circuits and bumps" (to use an ancient term).
This was asymmetric-approach flying at it's best, with no passenger POB and often a strong cross-wind.
Sometimes they came in with two feathered, then they would windmill them up again, relight and take off for another round. It really was impressive to see, and they came in with some very large amounts of yaw before straightening for the flare. And some dancing from leg to leg.
This would go on for an hour or so. Of course there were no simulators for type in NZ then so it all had to be live training. Very memorable and kept us out of the pub at that age.

[oj]

Later, in 1974, after attending an engineers' meeting one Saturday at Ch Ch Airport I flew as the sole non-aircrew passenger on an empty Viscount from Ch Ch to Palmerston North (there was an off-duty crew travelling as well).
This was a non-revenue "positioning flight" which was done quite often back then for various reasons when some glitch meant there was no scheduled returning aircraft automatically available for the next morning's first scheduled flight.
Can you imagine the bean-counters allowing such a luxury as a "positioning flight" today.
"Sorry Ma'am we will have to take you by bus due to an engineering technicality causing the non-arrival of yesterday afternoon's aeroplane".

[chinapilot]

Great colour photo of the overrun at Wellington.
A teenager at the time living where I had a view of two thirds of the runway I saw the Viscount, er...land and as it went out of sight realized that something was up so jumped on my push bike and got some photos ( only B&W Brownie )
Remember the photographer (Evening Post/ Dominion ??) in the Hawaiian shirt as that was fairly unusual those days.

[avagwhiz]

gee chinapilot we must have been on our bikes together!
I was brought up in Hobart Street.Heard the Viscount land too far in on a wet runway,jumped on my bike and went thru the fire station and off down the runway!Couldnt do that today!
From memory the Viscount ran on kero which was fortunate as several people lit up cigarettes
after the "dust had settled" and fuel leaked from the wing.I was told to move on eventually and in my haste to see what happened had forgotten my camera.Hence missed out on photos.
I remember the Mustang CCG arrived a couple of years? later and I shot a roll of film(slides) of that one.Have also found a RAF Argosy and a civil Starlifter that Lockheed brought out to Wellington both 62-63 ish.This was before I went onto ag photos only.

[chinapilot]

A small world. I'll try and find the Viscount photos.
(many taken of the other types you mention but mostly all lost over the years.)

[agile]

The father-in-law of one of my colleagues was an NAC Viscount FO then F27/737 Captain. On a visit to see ZK-BRF a few weeks ago he described the Viscount as like 'flying a mailbox' on account of the lack of visibility from the cockpit. In particular he singled out the lack of 'eyebrow' windows a la 737. I got the feeling the 73 was his favourite.

[Dave Homewood]

I have never thought the Viscount was an attractive aircraft. Functional perhaps but not pretty. But it looks much nicer in the Godwit scheme than the older colours.

I note on the later Godwit scheme the aircraft carry the NZ flag and the words New Zealand. Did they do overseas flights on occasions? Seems odd for main trunk national ops only, in those days at least.

[Peter Lewis]

The third Viscount for NAC was c/n 283, which became ZK-BRF.
Carrying the name 'City of Christchurch' this aircraft arrived at Harewood on 23Mar1959.

ZK-BRF in 'Jet Prop' colours at Whenuapai 8Jun1963



Again at Whenuapai, 25Jan1965



Following some years of uneventful service, it was repainted into godwit colours in early 1968

ZK-BRF at Mangere 27Apr1968





ZK-BRF in its final colours with 'The Nations Air Carrier' titles taxiing in at Rongotai March 1974



Following replacement of the Viscounts by 737s, ZK-BRF was withdrawn from NAC service on 15Jul1974 @ 35795hrs and stored at Christchurch.
It remained there until the registration was cancelled on 29Jan1975 and the airframe was then presented to the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society on 9Apr75. Transported to their display area at the Ferrymead Heritage Park, Christchurch, it remained there in outside storage for some years.

ZK-BRF at Ferrymead 25Jun1976



ZK-BRF was then returned to the Air New Zealand base at Harewood in late 2000 for restoration work to be carried out prior to a move undercover at Ferrymead in 2001.
The aircraft has now been restored back into the early 'Jet Prop' livery and is on public display.

Under cover at Ferrymead 30Dec2010

[Gary.]

Thanks Peter another really interesting thread

[Peter Lewis]

With the buildup of mainline traffic, NAC realized that the three Viscounts were insufficient to handle an expanded schedule.
A fourth Viscount was therefore ordered, and this arrived at Christchurch on 29May1961 as ZK-BWO, c/n 428 'City of Dunedin'.

Entering scheduled service on the 2nd June, this Viscount made news headlines when it over-ran the end of RW16 while landing at Rongotai 17Feb1963 (see above postings). Surprisingly, the damage was minimal and the aircraft was flown out three days later out to Christchurch for permanent repair.

ZK-BWO at Whenuapai 27Aug1964





As with the rest of the Viscount fleet, ZK-BWO was repainted in godwit colours during 1968.

ZK-BWO carried out the last NZNAC scheduled Viscount flight Palmerston North-Christchurch 28Sep75 and was then placed in storage at their Christchurch base.

Ownership of ZK-BWO was transferred to Australian Aircraft Sales (NSW) Pty.Ltd. of Sydney on 12Dec1975, and the aircraft left New Zealand on the 16th bound for Sydney.

ZK-BWO in AAS colours at Sydney December 1975



The Viscount was then ferried to Seletar, Singapore with prospects of a sale to Pearl Air as VP-LAU, but this did not eventuate.
Further sales also fell through, and although at one stage the UK registration G-CSZC was reserved, the aircraft never left Seletar and was eventually scrapped there some time in the 1980s

[Peter Lewis]

By the mid-1960s NAC found that even four aircraft were not enough to carry the expected traffic when both Dunedin and Palmerston North were added to the Viscount network.

At this time Viscount production had ended, so acquiring a second-hand aircraft was the only available option.

Viscount c/n 248 had been built as a V.804 version and had entered service with Transair Ltd. as G-AOXU in September 1957. Transair became part of British United Airlines in mid-1960.

G-AOXU was sold to the Polish airline LOT - Polskie Linie Lotnicze in November 1962 and flew with them as SP-LVC.

NZNAC bought the aircraft from LOT in December 1966. It returned to the UK where it was presumably upgraded to V.807B standard (rather than the upgrade work being carried out at Harewood) prior to a delivery flight to New Zealand in LOT colours but carrying its new identity of ZK-NAI. The aircraft arrived at Christchurch on 6Feb1967.

ZK-NAI in the UK January 1967, prior to delivery



Before entering NAC service, ZK-NAI was repainted into 'Jet Prop' colours and went on line on the 5th June carrying the name 'City of Palmerston North'.

As with the other NAC Viscounts, ZK-NAI was repainted into the godwit livery during 1968.

ZK-NAI at Milson passenger terminal, Palmerston North, 26Dec1974



Airborne at Palmerston North 10Apr1975



The aircraft had accumulated 27,125hrs as at 28Sep72.

ZK-NAI was withdrawn from NAC service with the rundown of the Viscount fleet, and departed Christchurch on 1Jul1975 after a sale to Pearl Air International, Grenada. The registration ZK-NAI was cancelled on the 5th July, and its new identity was VQ-GAB.

After service in Africa under this ownership, it was sold to Southern International Air Transport Ltd., Southhampton and became G-CSZB on 12May1978. Following several further ownership changes and leasing arrangements under this registration it arrived at Southend, Essex on 15Oct1996 having clocked up 46,220hrs and remained there until broken up during October 1998. The nose section alone is reportedly preserved at a UK aviation museum.

[Peter Lewis]

Matt Thompson was a businessman who had founded the successful Car Haulaways Transport Group. Frustrated by problems with the Cook Strait ferries, he then proceeded to set up Nationwide Air which utilized two ATL.98 Carvairs on freight work from the late 1970s.

He also envisaged engaging in passenger transport, but at that time all New Zealand aerial transport was governed by the Air Services Licensing Authority. To gain a license to operate from the Authority you had to prove unmet demand, and any application for such a license would obviously be strenuously opposed by Air New Zealand.

As with all such restrictions, there were loopholes and much midnight oil and legal dandruff was expended in exploiting these gaps in the rules. One such work-around was that members of a club or association could band together and charter an aircraft from an organization that already held a charter license.

Therefore Matt Thompson formed the Aqua Avia Society in 1980 and proceeded to arrange for the charter of a suitable aircraft.

V.802 Viscount c/n 168 had entered service with British European Airways as G-AOHT in July 1957. Following the merger of BEA with BOAC in mid-1972, ownership changed to British Airways Board, London, and then the aircraft was sold to British Air Ferries Ltd., Southend on 15Jun1981.

Aqua Avia the arranged a wet-lease of G-AOHT, and the Skybus livery was applied in the UK

G-AOHT as a Skybus at Southend 30Aug1981



The aircraft was then ferried to New Zealand, arriving at Auckland on 23Sep1981. Registered as ZK-SKY on 20Oct1981, the owner of record being the tiny Piako Aero Club so that their existing charter license could be utilized. Theoretically you could then go to Matamata and get a rating on a four-engined turbine aircraft! This has got to be the largest and heaviest aircraft ever registered to a New Zealand aero club, even surpassing Marlborough's ownership of a Bristol Freighter.

Proving flights took place over the proposed routes, and the Viscount appeared at Wellington and Christchurch.
Records do state that no passenger flights were actually flown, but my memory does tell me that one paying-passenger flight did take place.

ZK-SKY at Mangere November 1981



At the domestic terminal, Mangere, 13Nov1981. This may have been the day of the passenger flight



This was all too much for the Government of the day and their 100%-owned airline. The screws were applied in every way possible, and the scheme founded. Aqua Avia became insolvent, and the Viscount reverted to BAF ownership, still as ZK-SKY, on 30Nov1981.

A lease to Bouraq Indonesian Airlines reverting to G-AOHT was arranged, and ZK-SKY was cancelled on 8Dec1981.

The aircraft returned to the UK later in 1982 and was leased to various operating companies during the 1980s

G-AOHT in Virgin Airways colours June 1985



When the CofA eventually expired the aircraft was withdrawn from use and stored at Rochford, Southend, from July 1987 and eventually scrapped there in March 1991.

Some normally unreliable sources have indicated that Aqu Avia leased two Viscounts.
That may have been the plan if things went well, but they didn't.
I have never seen any proof if this, or any ID for the second aircraft.

[Peter Lewis]

If you have any personal memories of involvement with the New Zealand Viscounts or any photos of them to add, please do so.


I acknowledge the Vickers Viscount Network and its New Zealand editor Peter Layne for information additional to my own records in compiling this thread.

For all you ever wanted to know about each and every Viscount:

www.vickersviscount.net/Default.aspx