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C/n 801/2 - Test Specimen
C/n 803 - G-ARTA
C/n 804 - G-ARVA - 5N-ABD
C/n 805 - G-ARVB
C/n 806 - G-ARVC - ZA144
C/n 807 - G-ARVE
C/n 808 - G-ARVF
C/n 809 - G-ARVG - ZA141
C/n 810 - G-ARVH
C/n 811 - G-ARVI - ZA142
C/n 812 - G-ARVJ - ZD493
C/n 813 - G-ARVK - ZA143
C/n 814 - G-ARVL - ZA140
C/n 815 - G-ARVM
C/n 819 - G-ASIW - 7Q-YKH
C/n 820 - G-ASIX - A4O-AB
C/n 823 - 9G-ABO
C/n 824 - 9G-ABP
C/n 825 - G-ATDJ - XX914
C/n 826 - XR806
C/n 827 - XR807
C/n 828 - XR808
C/n 829 - XR809
C/n 830 - XR810
C/n 831 - XV101
C/n 832 - XV102
C/n 833 - XV103
C/n 834 - XV104
C/n 835 - XV105
C/n 836 - XV106
C/n 837 - XV107
C/n 838 - XV108
C/n 839 - XV109
C/n 851 - G-ASGA - ZD230
C/n 852 - G-ASGB
C/n 853 - G-ASGC
C/n 854 - G-ASGD
C/n 855 - G-ASGE
C/n 856 - G-ASGF
C/n 857 - G-ASGG - ZD235
C/n 858 - G-ASGH
C/n 859 - G-ASGI
C/n 860 - G-ASGJ
C/n 861 - G-ASGK
C/n 862 - G-ASGL - ZD240
C/n 863 - G-ASGM - ZD241
C/n 864 - G-ASGN
C/n 865 - G-ASGO
C/n 866 - G-ASGP - ZD242
C/n 867 - G-ASGR
C/n 881 - 5X-UVA
C/n 882 - 5H-MMT - ZA147
C/n 883 - 5Y-ADA - ZA148
C/n 884 - 5X-UVJ - ZA149
C/n 885 - 5H-MOG - ZA150

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C/n 883 - 5X-UVJ - ZA149

Timeline

Date  

19 April 1969

First flight from Brooklands to Wisley.
30 April 1969 Delivery to EAA as 5X-UVJ, registered in Uganda. Aircraft left London in the evening for Nairobi.
31 July 1969 Modified with a special compartment in the cargo area for Pope Paul VI. Carried the Pope from Rome to Entebbe on the first visit to Africa of a reigning pontiff. Crewed by Captain G. Mitchell, Captain Ian Ainscow, F/O David Dempster, Flight Navigator D.J. Griffiths, E/O Tim Nightingale.
2 August 1969 Carried Pope Paul VI back to Rome from Entebbe.
19 August 1970 During a night flight from Entebbe to Frankfurt a cat walked out from behind the Flight engineers panel. A search at Frankfurt and later at London did not reveal its whereabouts at first but when it was found it was thought that it had been living in the aircraft for some two weeks.
7 July 1973 The Super VC10 was chartered to fly 110 members of the Peace Corps from London Gatwick to Bujumbara, Zaire. After an intermediate stop and departure at Entebbe the aircraft was ordered to return to Entebbe by Idi Amin. After 27 hours on the ground the aircraft and crew were allowed to leave for Nairobi, without the passengers.
7 July 1974 After a night flight to Frankfurt from Nairobi the no.4 engine was damaged by a catering truck which was lodged underneath it. After parking it at a different spot a set of steps was also towed into the left wingtip. After some patching a three engined ferry to London followed where the damage was repaired.
28 January 1977 VC10s parked up at Embakasi airport upon collapse of EAA.
26 July 1977 Ferried to Filton from Nairobi by Captain Eddie MacNamara, BAC Pilot John Cochran, N/O Claude Scott, F/E Denis Akery and supernumerary F/E Alan Hayward.
30 September 1978 Sold to RAF for conversion to tanker.
25 March 1985 First flight from Filton as a K3 tanker.
14 May 1985 Delivery to 101 Squadron as ZA149, letter 'H' on the fin.
21 January 1987 First air-to-air refuelling of a full passenger aircraft when fuel was offloaded to a 10 Squadron VC10 C1 carrying 129 troops of the 5th airborne brigade to Oman.
13 March 1991 Returned to RAF Brize Norton in formation with ZA141, ZA142 and ZA143 after 101 Squadron's detachment to Riyadh. Flew from Riyadh to Palermo, refuelling Tornado F3s along the way and then to Brize Norton. Carried commemorative covers.
July 1992 While at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, crews decide to commemorate the Squadron's 75th anniversary and add special markings to ZA149's tail.
Early 1994 Left for Chateauroux, France for a repaint. Returning in all over blue-grey with a light blue 'go-faster' stripe and white Royal Air Force titling, the scheme was not approved by 101 Squadron personnel.
June 1994 Repainted into the final grey colourscheme according to most accounts. See photos below for more about this.
August 1995 Flown to Waterkloof, South Africa, by Wing Commander Ollis for the first joint RAF/SAAF AAR training exercise.
July 1999 Named after Lt. Dougie Anderson, last surviving WWI 101 Squadron member, who passed away aged 99 on 10th July 1999.
January 2001 Name 'Edward Mannock VC' transferred due to retirement of XV103.
February 2011 Flown to Toulouse for Airbus A400M AAR trials. Only dry contacts were made.
1 November 2011 Returned from Trapani, Sicily, to RAF Brize Norton. This was the end of the Op DEFERENCE/ELLAMY detachment for 101 Sqn.
February 2012 Name 'James Nicolson VC' transferred due to retirement of XV107.
18 March 2013 Final flight. Flew from RAF Brize Norton to Bruntingthorpe, landing after several gear up passes and one low approach at 13:30.
   
23 March 2016 After conversion into a Gulf Air scheme and interior, the forward fuselage of ZA149 leaves Bruntingthorpe for a long sea and road journey to the Al Mahatta museum in Sharjah, UAE.
30 April 2016 Front fuselage is unloaded at Khor Fakkan and is driven to the Al Mahatta museum overnight.
26 May 2016 Installation at the museum is finished, all the building work is complete and the VC10 is ready to receive visitors.

Photos


Photo T. Russell


Photo S. Fitzgerald

Photo collection J. Hieminga via C. Knott

1. 5X-UVJ being prepared for a flight in 1975.
2. On this photo a steady can be seen beneath the tail to prevent the aircraft from tipping back.
3. 5X-UVJ in the North pen of TBA at Heathrow, having just been fitted with a fifth engine pod.
4. July 1985, a recently delivered ZA149 on a dreary day.


Photo Gareth Horne

Photo copyright J. Kyte

Photo Crown Copyright / RAF Brize Norton

Photo collection J. Hieminga via C. Knott

1. After conversion to a K3 tanker, the VC10 was repainted in 101 Squadron's hemp colourscheme. The aircraft is shown here with two Tornados during a flypast at what was then (in 1990) RAF Finningley.
2. The commemorative tail markings were designed by WO Bridges and Cpl Skinner, Sgt Seeger painted it onto the tail of ZA149 in 1992.
3. ZA149 in the short-lived 'modern' scheme that it received early in 1994. As the crews were not a fan of this scheme it was changed to the overall grey version.
4. Most accounts state that the 'modern' scheme was changed to the all-over grey scheme within months. Yet this photo was taken on 23 July 1995 at Fairford, which would indicate that it stayed on ZA149 for a while longer.


Photo collection J. Hieminga via C. Knott

Photo Crown Copyright / RAF Brize Norton

Photo M. Franks

Photo John Hannavy

1. This photo shows the two grey options next to each other with ZA148 in front. The notes with this image state that it is from May 1996, but I cannot be sure of that date. ZA148 didn't get its grey colours until July 1995, so the 'modern' scheme on ZA149 was still around by then.
2. In comparison, this air-to-air photo shows the changed scheme. The white titling was changed to dark grey and the blue cheatline became grey as well.
3. ZA149 seen from another VC10 during a formation flight.
4. John Hannavy took this photo of ZA149 winding out its central hose on 23rd February 2010.


Photo John Hannavy

Photo John Hannavy

Photo Crown Copyright / RAF Brize Norton

Photo Alan Kelly, AirForces Monthly

1-2. John was a guest on board a RAF C-130J that plugged in for some fuel during a training mission. The photos were used for an article about life at RAF Lyneham.
3. And this is what it looks like on the outside, with XV104 acting as a receiver.
4. Upon arriving at Bruntingthorpe, ZA149 performed several flypasts before landing.


Photo C. Sandham-Bailey

Photo J. Hieminga

Photo J. Hieminga

Photo J. Hieminga

1. Final landing of K3 ZA149.
2-3. June 2015: The front fuselage of ZA149 being repainted into Gulf Air colours for the Al Mahatta museum in Sharjah, UAE.
4. By March 2016 the long conversion has been finished and ZA149 is complete in the Gulf Air 'Golden Falcon' scheme.


Photo W. Rodwell

Photo M. Slater

Photo M. Slater

Photo M. Slater

1. Wayne Rodwell spotted ZA149 as it was being transported through Southampton on its way to the UAE.
2-3. ZA149 after unloading at the Khor Fakkan port and being lifted onto the trailer for the journey to Sharjah.
4. The front fuselage installed against the outer wall of the museum.


Photo M. Slater

Photo M. Slater

Photo M. Slater

Photo M. Slater

1. From the inside the custom window that fits against the fuselage, and the walkway allowing entrance to the VC10 can be seen.
2. Looking into the museum building from the inside of the VC10, showing a DC-3, Dove, Heron and Anson.
3. The Heron has been pulled forward temporarily to allow the VC10 and the surrounding windows to be installed. The resident Comet nose is also visible.
4. Walking into the museum, the VC10 is hard to miss.


Photo J. Hieminga

Photo J. Hieminga

Photo J. Hieminga

Photo J. Hieminga

1. In November 2018 I was able to visit ZA149's nose section in Sharjah.
2. The nose section is positioned against the hangar, between a corner of the old resthouse and the control tower (on the left).
3. The walkway allows access into the VC10 and continues to the Comet 2 nose in the background.
4. Below the walkway, a section of the underfloor area can be inspected, including some avionics boxes removed from two C1Ks according to the labels.


Photo J. Hieminga

Photo J. Hieminga

Photo J. Hieminga

Photo J. Hieminga

1. Inside, the seats are covered with protective covers and sport Gulf Air headrest covers.
2. Beyond the seats, there is an open area with two benches. The hatch to the avionics bay is open and covered with plexiglass.
3. The FE's station has been slightly modified so that there is no military equipment visible.
4. LED lights have been installed under the glareshield. The colouring is more due to the camera than the lights itself.

 

This Pathe News special shows Pope Paul VI arriving in Uganda on board 5X-UVJ

Colourschemes

EAA White fuselage top, grey tailplane and fuselage bottom. Four colour cheatline in black, red, yellow and green, broadening towards the rear. Sun logo on white fin with flags of three EAA parter nations, country of registration at top. East African in light blue above windows.
RAF First RAF 101 Sqn 'Hemp' scheme. Grey undersides with hemp colours on top and fuselage sides. Toned down markings and large letter on fin. Briefly carried '75 years' markings on tail, showing a large number 75.
RAF All over blue-grey scheme with large light-blue lightning flash down the side of the fuselage. White titles, toned down roundels and fin flashes, code letter on fin.
RAF All over grey scheme with large lightning flash down the side of the fuselage. Toned down roundels and fin flashes, code letter on fin. In later years the cockpit area and fuselage spine were painted with a different, lighter coloured, undercoat, to lower the temperature inside.


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