Air Rhodesia

Infobox_Airline
airline=Air Rhodesia
logo=Air Rhodesia logo.gif
logo_size=159
fleet_size=13
destinations=Domestic, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique
IATA=RH
ICAO=N/A
callsign=Rhodesia
founded=September 1, 1967
headquarters=Salisbury, Rhodesia
key_people=Mervin Eyatt, Ken Greager
hubs=Salisbury
focus_cities=Bulawayo, Kariba
website=

Air Rhodesia was the national airline of Rhodesia. It was originally formed as a subsidiary of Central African Airways in June 1964, but became an independent corporation on September 1, 1967. Air Rhodesia flew internal routes to Buffalo Range, Bulawayo, Fort Victoria, Kariba, and Victoria Falls. During the 1970s the airline had international flights to Johannesburg and Durban in South Africa, Beira, Vilanculos and Lourenço Marques in Mozambique, and Blantyre in Malawi.

Its mainstay aircraft were Vickers Viscount 700D and the Boeing 720-025, three of which were successfully purchased in April 1973 in spite of sanctions against the Rhodesian government. Following the renaming of the country, it became known as Air Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979, and then reformed as Air Zimbabwe in 1980.

Aircraft

* Douglas C-47 - VP-YKP, VP-YNH
* Vickers Viscount 748D - VP-YNB, VP-YNC, VP-YND
* Vickers Viscount 754D - VP-YTE (2), VP-WAR
* Vickers Viscount 756D - VP-YNI
* Vickers Viscount 782D - VP-WAS, VP-WAT
* Boeing 720-025A - VP-YNL, VP-YNM, VP-YNN

Incidents and accidents

* Vickers Viscount, Flight RH825, 3 September, 1978 - shot by down Strela missile near Kariba Dam. 18 of the 56 passengers survived the crash, but ten of them were executed on the ground by ZIPRA guerrillas. [cite book|title=Selous Scouts: Top Secret War|author=Ron Reid Daly, Peter Stiff|isbn=0620057718|publisher=Galago|date=1982]
* Vickers Viscount, Flight RH827, 12th February, 1979 - shot by down Strela missile near Kariba Dam; all 59 people on board killed.

References

* Peter Bridger "et al", "Encyclopaedia Rhodesia" (College Press Pvt Ltd, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1973), p. 20