Lydd airshow – Vickers Viscount

Spent many hours in the back of Viscounts travelling between Aberdeen and Sumburgh on oil charter flights back in the 90’s.

Somehow always felt safe and secure on them, and as Rob 68 remarked, those huge windows rewarded you with fine views on a clear day.

Good fun on a ( Sumburgh ) runway 33 arrival or 15 departure as well !!! 😀

Yes, I know time moves on, but i much preferred the Viscount to it’s successor the ATR 72, which – although I may be looking through the old rose-tinteds here – seemed to break down more often !

Flew on pleasure flight from Birmingham in G APEY before she went to South Africa, huge windows!!

For anyone missing the sounds of the Dart, you should have been at Southend Saturday!

Whilst everyone was on the otherside of the airfield looking at the Qantas 707, ( & very nice she was too ) another Aussie was turning and burning both Darts.

748 VH-AYS had a short engine run on Saturday Afternoon.

🙂

I seem to recollect that it was a classic airliner show however nothing much turned up apart from the 3 above aircraft if my memory serves me well.

I would love to be at an airshow with an airworthy viscount and a Bristol Freighter!
I remember that I tried to go to this show, as it was only a short drive from the channel tunnel but I couldn’t make it in the end. And then they crashed the Freighter 2 weeks after that 😡

It’s a fantastic dvd! Money well spent! Certainly sparks off the childhood memories!!!!! 🙂

Thanks Albert Ross! Will order a copy.

I was involved with making a DVD with Avion Video entitled “Vickers props farewell”, which you can purchase here:

http://www.avionvideo.com/products.asp?action=display&ch=dvd&sel=W032&id=Current%20Programme

It features footage of Viscount G-APEY at that Lydd Air Show and you can relive all that lovely whistling sound once again.

Spey111, would love to see the pictures some time, Thanks!

The Mayfair Dove G-OPLC was in attendance. The South Coast DC3 was G-DAKK, Viscount G-APEY, Heron G-AORG, Bristol Freighter C-FDFC and Air Atlantique Rapide G-AIDL. I have some pictures from the day which need finding.

A good show but could have been a whole lot better.

Thanks for this chaps, I too had the pleasure of flying on her as well, most unusual having a Viscount doing pleasure flights. I seem to recollect that it was a classic airliner show however nothing much turned up apart from the 3 above aircraft if my memory serves me well.

I’m glad to say that I attended this years airshow at Lydd after a long absence of the airfield staging anything and it a was much better turn out of aircraft, abeit military.

The thing I liked most about the Viscount was that when it first arrived, it taxied in on all four engines which was a wonderful sight and sound. Viscounts traditionally shut two engines down the minute they leave the runway.

As regards classic airliners there was also the Air Atlantique Dragon Rapide and the South Coast Airways Dakota both in attendance. I can’t remember if there was a Dove there or not!

Thanks for this chaps, I too had the pleasure of flying on her as well, most unusual having a Viscount doing pleasure flights. I seem to recollect that it was a classic airliner show however nothing much turned up apart from the 3 above aircraft if my memory serves me well.

I’m glad to say that I attended this years airshow at Lydd after a long absence of the airfield staging anything and it a was much better turn out of aircraft, abeit military.

There is a an airport postcard of the G-APEY at CARL McQUAIDE AVIATION POSTCARDS,
http://members.aol.com/speedbird707/series1.htm

Back in approx 1996 there was an airshow at Lydd airport, by chance can any one remember the registration number of the British World Airlines Viscount which was doing pleasure flights from the airport over that weekend? In addition I don’t suppose anyone would have any photos of that event? I seem to recollect that it was a 1950’s theme and I remember a DH Heron attending and a Bristol 170F ? Many Thanks!

The Viscount was G-APEY. I was there and went on a pleasure flight aboard the aircraft. I also took some camcorder footage from both inside and outside the Viscount together with some flying shots of the Freighter. I must have some photographs somewhere but can’t lay my hands on them at the moment.