C/n 867 - G-ASGR

Date
11 April 1963	Registration reserved.
12 February 1969	First flight.
31 May 1969	Delivery to BOAC as G-ASGR.
26 August 1969	Operated BA758/759 from London to Beirut and Dubai.
21 November 1969	Operated BA798 from Bombay to Colombo, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
11 February 1970	Operated BA023 from Entebbe to Johannesburg.
6 September 1971	Operated BA022 from Johannesburg to Nairobi.
5 January 1972	Operated BA591 from Honolulu to Nandi, Fiji.
25 January 1973	Operated BA910 from Hong Kong to Tokyo.
29 January 1974	Carried HM The Queen on a Pacific tour, initially to the Cook Islands so that she could open Rarotonga Airport the next day, after which HM continued to New Zealand for a visit to the Commonwealth Games. 'GR already carried the Negus scheme at this point. Returned to the UK on 8 February 1974.
1 April 1974	Ownership transferred to British Airways.
26/27 June 1974	Operated BA121/120 from Bermuda to Freeport, Bahamas, and back the next day.
28/29 June 1974	Operated BA121/120 from Bermuda to Mexico City and back the next day.
21 November 1974	Hijacked at Dubai, later flown to Tunis after refuelling at Tripoli. After four days, the murder of one passenger and several released prisoners (including the two men that hijacked G-ASGO), the hijackers surrendered.
13 June 1975	Operated BA098 from Cairo to London.
2 May 1980	Ferried to Prestwick for storage.
3 April 1981	Sold to the RAF, serial ZD243 allocated.
27 May 1981	Ferried from Prestwick to Abingdon, crewed by Bill Outram, Tony Luscombe and K. Brotherhood. Hours flown at time of retirement: 40841 hrs.
15 June 1981	Registration G-ASGR cancelled, 'To RAF'.
June 1992	Moved to Filton by road, having been disassembled into various sections.
September 1993	Sectioned remains removed from Filton by Hanningfield Metals after selected parts had been removed to study airframe deterioration.
1994/1995	Selected parts studied at Boscombe Down to look for corrosion in otherwise inaccessible areas. This study supported the conversion program for the K4s.

1. G-ASGR is the backdrop for this group photo at Wisley. Test pilot Bill Cairns is in the centre of the group. Although unverified, the gentleman on the right may be Stanley 'Ollie' Oliver.
2. Taxiing onto the runway at Wisley, the Super VC10 had to taxi to the end of the runway and turn around to take off heading west.
3. G-ASGR taking off from Wisley on its delivery flight to Heathrow.
4. Parked at Heathrow while in service with BOAC.

1. By November 1973 the aircraft already carried British Airways titles, as seen here at Oahu, Hawaii.
2. G-ASGR halfway during its transition to a British Airways colourscheme. The ELRAT has been dropped, either for maintenance purposes or so that the painters can reach everything.
3. G-ASGR landing.
4. A classic photo of a Super VC10 approaching the runway.

1. This period postcard features G-ASGR during an air-to-air photoshoot.
2. British Airways used G-ASGR for several air-to-air photos that featured in its promotional campaigns.
3. G-ASGR against a backdrop of clouds.
4. A colour photo of G-ASGR in the British Airways 'Negus' colourscheme while on approach.

1. G-ASGR on the tarmac at Tunis during the hijack.
2. In October 1975 G-ASGR was photographed at Manchester Airport. Ken Fielding had to climb on some engineering steps to avoid the period Transit van.
3. G-ASGR was initially stored at Prestwick but later joined the rest of the fleet at Abingdon.
4. Along with most of the stored Supers, G-ASGR/ZD243 would not fly again.

BOAC	Second version of BOAC 'Golden Speedbird' scheme, golden edge on cheatline removed and cheatline now arcs smoothly down towards the nose without the step of the previous scheme.
BOAC/BA	As above but with British Airways titles on the forward fuselage.
BA	First British Airways ('Negus') scheme, white over dark blue fuselage with grey wings. Top of fin and stabilizer in red with Union Jack section. British Airways titles and small Speedbird on front fuselage.