C/n 856 - G-ASGF

Date
24 March 1965	First flight.
2 April 1965	Delivery to BOAC as G-ASGF.
2 May 1966	Registered to 'BOAC-Cunard'.
22 November 1966	Registration details changed, registered to BOAC.
October 1970	First ever carbon fibre floor panel fitted to G-ASGF.
1 April 1974	Ownership transferred to British Airways.
January 1979	First carbon fibre floor panel removed after 8 years and 3 months in service, including 31,124 flying hours and 7,836 braked landings.
3 June 1980	Operated from Heathrow to Cairo and Khartoum.
28 March 1981	Departed Heathrow for the final scheduled service.
29 March 1981	Carried out last scheduled service for the VC10. Flew from Dar-es-Salaam via Arusha (Kilimanjaro) and Larnaca to London Heathrow, arriving at 22:50. Crewed by Captain 'Sandy' Sanders, SFO Jim Rudd and SEO Bill Hughes on the last leg. Captain Mauleverer was in charge for the previous sectors.
1 April 1981	Ferried to RAF Brize Norton for storage as flight BA948P. Allocated serial ZD234. Later allocated maintenance serial 8700M. The nose section remained in use as it was used as the basis for the K3 tanker simulator.
September 1985	Remains on dump scrapped (according to W&R 10). The photos below show that they survived a bit longer.

1. G-ASGF was one of four Super VC10s that were registered to BOAC-Cunard, and it also carried the relevant titles.
2. The location of this photo is unknown, but it might well be in Switzerland based on the Swissair DC-8 in the background.
3. Judging by the British Airways titles on G-ASGF, this photo was taken after the merger into British Airways.
4. Taxiing at what is most likely London Heathrow in the interim BOAC/BA colours.

1. A pushback from the stand at London Heathrow on a gloomy day.
2. Super VC10 G-ASGF has just arrived from LHR at Blantyre, Malawi (via Cyprus and Tanzania) and the crew (including Std2 Geoff Hall) disembark for a few days on the town.
3. Taking off, the sleek profile of the Super VC10 is evident in this photo.
4. Parked at the maintenance base at Heathrow.

1. Geoff Hall took this photo of the centre console during a night sector. The Super VC10 is cruising at 38,000 feet at M0.84.
2. John Gordon cycled to Heathrow on 28 March 1981 so that he could catch the last departure of a VC10 on a scheduled service. Here is G-ASGF taxiing out for its departure to Larnaca, Arusha and Dar-es-Salaam. It would return the next day, closing off the type's career as a civil airliner.
3-4. Although Wrecks & Relics 10 states that the fuselage remains were scrapped in 1985, the 13th edition states that they were still on the dump and in a poor state in 1990. This photo is from 1987.

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. Initially carried 'BOAC-Cunard' titles.
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.