VP-YIR
Vickers 714 Viking 1B
(c/n
141)

Here are two stunning CAA shots of one of the
ex-BEA Vikings. Top, "Luangwa"
in front of the
rather imposing Salisbury air terminal building in April 1957, and
lower about to depart from the
same airport
with DC-3 VP-YKM "Angoni" in the
background. This Viking was formerly
G-AHPH,
although, when
acquired by CAA, had been owned by Suidair International as ZS-BSB
for a
short time in early 1957. Just why they off-loaded it to
CAA
almost immediately is not clear.
After its
stint with Central African it returned to South Africa in
1950 as ZS-DEP (The Union was
one of those
countries, like New Zealand,
which did not revert a
previously registered aircraft to its
former
registration) before
being repatriated back to
the UK, where, of course, it reverted to
G-AHPH,
for Eagle Aviation.
