Delivered new to BEA in April 1953. Sold in December 1963. Operated by Cambrian Airways from June 1966 and leased to Air France from April 1967 until March 1968. Retired in October 1970.

"Matthew Flinders" was delivered new to BEA in July 1955, serving until sale to VASP as |PP-SRR in August 1962. It is under maintenance in the 1939/40-built Hangar No. 6.

A wing flap bolt fractured on final approach to Ringway and the Viscount banked very steeply and crashed into the houses on the right.

This was the first production Viscount, delivered to BEA on 3 January 1953. It is making a courtesy visit to Ringway, when I was allowed to walk out onto the main apron for this photo which shows the 1939-built Hangar No.6 in the background. The aircraft crashed on finals to Ringway on 14 March 1957 - see other photo.

A cabin interior of the mid-1950's. BEA's Viscount 701 fleet had a mixture of forward and rear facing seats, as shown in this view looking rearwards down the cabin. Three seats on the port side and two seats on the starboard. Typical seating and net luggage racks with no doors. Ventilators in the cabin sides. All very period!

The first production Viscount, "RMA Discovery" of British European Airways, making the first visit to Ringway of a turboprop-powered aircraft - a demonstration to travel agents and other interested parties. Crashed Ringway 15th March 1957 - see other photo.

This aircraft was originally preserved at RAF Cosford. It is now stored in a dismantled state at the Scottish Museum of Flight