The Restaurant that never took off
This site does not require that you even stop your car and get out to see the two Vickers Viscounts mounted on their concrete plinths slap bang in the middle of the Central Park; Chegutu’s equivalent of New York’s Central Park, or London’s Hyde Park.
Someone around March 1997 managed to produce a business plan that convinced Chegutu’s Mayoral Council, Air Zimbabwe and the corporate sponsers Coca-Cola that their business proposition was viable and would attract diners from the surrounding area to dine at this unusually fashionable international venue.
It did not work and these relics from a marvellous former flying age (1959 and 1961) have been left as forlorn wrecks outside Chegutu town
It does not seem a fitting end for Vickers Viscount C/N 436 that was once used by the Shah of Iran and later flew HM the Queen Mother on her 1965 Royal tour of Australia.
Somehow I cannot see these aeroplanes getting back their Certificates of Airworthiness anytime soon.
From Chegutu (formerly Hartley) take the A5 national road west towards Kadoma (formerly Gatooma) The Vickers Viscounts are on the left hand side of the 200 metres after you leave the last of the main street shops.
GPS Reference: 18⁰08′16.34″S 30⁰08′29.18″E
Viscount C/N 436 V.816 series | ||
Date | No. |
|
Sep-59 | VH-TVS | first flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, this was the last Viscount built at the Hurn assembly plant |
Jan-61 | EP-MRS | converted to V.839 standard and sold to the Iranian Govt. for VIP use by the Shah of Persia |
Mar-63 | EP-MRS | leased to Iran National Airlines Corporation |
Sep-64 | EP-MRS | returned to Iranian Govt. |
Sep-64 | A6-436 | sold to Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) |
Apr-65 | A6-436 | used by HM the Queen Mother during Royal Australian tour |
Mar-69 | A6-436 | withdrawn with under 5,000 hours of airframe service |
Dec-69 | N4-0NB | sold to Alda Corporation (USA) |
Jan-70 | VH-EQQ | but retained RAAF livery |
Sep-70 | VH-EQQ | sold to Gates Aviation Turbine Propeller Sales |
Jun-71 | 502 | sold to Sultan of Oman Air Force (SOAF) |
Feb-78 | 502 | retired from SOAF |
Jul-78 | 3D-CAN | sold to Royal Swazi National Airways as "Ludvondvolo" |
Jan-79 | G-BGLC | sold to Air Bridge Carriers Ltd |
Apr-79 | G-BGLC | leased to Dan-Air London |
Oct-80 | G-BGLC | returned to Air Bridge Carriers Ltd |
Nov-80 | Z-WGB | sold to Air Zimbabwe |
Jan-85 | Z-WGB | returned to service with Air Zimbabwe after storage |
Nov-90 | Z-WGB | withdrawn from service |
Jun-96 | Z-WGB | noted in derelict condition |
Mar-97 | Z-WGB | dismantled and moved by road to Chegutu |
Viscount C/N 446 V.838 series | ||
Date | No. |
|
Nov-61 | 9G-AAU | first flight from Weybridge Airfield, Surrey |
Nov-61 | 9G-AAU | delivered to Ghana Airways |
Apr-75 | G-BCZR | sold to Field Aircraft Services |
May-75 | PK-RVN | lease to Mandala Airlines (Indonesia) not completed |
May-76 | G-BCZR | leased to British Midlands Airways |
Oct-76 | G-BCZR | returned to Field Aircraft Services |
Jan-77 | G-BCZR | leased to British Airways using British Midlands Airways crews |
Sep-77 | G-BCZR | not in service |
Feb-79 | G-BCZR | sold to Air Bridge Carriers Ltd |
Feb-79 | G-BCZR | leased to Dan Air London |
May-81 | VP-WGC | sold to Air Zimbabwe |
Jun-82 | VP-WGC | heavy maintenance as cockpit / gallery layouts unpopular |
Apr-85 | VP-WGC | in service |
Dec-90 | VP-WGC | withdrawn from service |
Jun-96 | VP-WGC | noted in derelict condition |
Mar-97 | VP-WGC | dismantled and moved to Chegutu |
The owners managed to persuade Coca-Cola to provide corporate sponsorship and the fuselage, tail and one wing on each aeroplane were painted in red and white Coca-Cola livery and the result was named the “Flying Pot Restaurant.” On VP-WGC the port wing and on VP-WGC the starboard wing was not refitted.
Thanks to the Vickers Viscount Network (www.vickersviscount.net) for providing the technical information from their operational records.
