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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1142.PDF
508 FLIGHT, 25 April 1952 The Comet's first visit to Johannesburg, in July, 1951. HERALDING A NEW ERA G-ALVG made no further flights abroad until October 1st, 1950, when it flew from London to Berlin and back. Fifteen passengers were carried, including senior members of the Board of Trade, Ministry of Supply and Foreign Office, who were visiting the opening of the German Industrial Exhibition. Meanwhile the second prototype Comet (registered G-ALZK) had made its maiden flight—exactly one year after the first. B.O.A.C. was planning a series of overseas tours due to begin when this aircraft became available for route-proving trials; at Hatfield the nucleus of the Comet Unit was familiarizing itself with the new aircraft. Pending the delivery of the first production machine later in the year, the Ministry of Supply handed over G-ALZK to B.O.A.C. on March 22nd, 1951. After some prehminary training flights at Hatfield it was flown to London Airport on April 2nd. Soon the Comet Unit was ready for its first overseas flight—to Nicosia, Cyprus, via Rome and Cairo, taking-off on May 24th and returning four days later after completing nearly 6,000 miles. During the next three weeks B.O.A.C.'s "borrowed" Comet made four more flights abroad, in the course of which it logged nearly 16,000 miles and visited Rome, Cairo, Fayid, Nice, Malta and Milan. On June 29th it took off again, this time for a visit to the new terminal of Entebbe, Uganda, whence it flew via Cairo, Wadi Haifa, Khartoum and Juba. The aircraft had covered 9,270 miles during this tour when it returned to London Airport on July 9th. (Above) While briefly based at Palmietfontein (Johannesburg) in July, 1951, tbe Comet visited the Rhodesian airport of Lusaka. (Below) The new terminal at Livingstone is the scene of this air-to-ground view of the Comet in company with other visiting aircraft.
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