The Pan African deal had flopped by August 1977 and the UK agent which had been appointed to handle the purchase, Eurolatin, stepped-in themselves and bought those three ( + spares ) to be put on the Liberian register, with options on the other seven. They then started looking around for potential operators.
They approached Invicta at Manston, where the Belfasts were to be based on a special exemption, but eventually formed a 33 / 67% joint-venture with Cunard-Transmeridian called... TAC Heavylift.
But that's not the end! TAC Heavylift didn't have an AOC so the aircraft were to be flown by Transmeridian. Just around then, however, that airline merged with IAS to form British Cargo Airlines. The latter quickly failed and went into receivership in March 1980. So TAC Heavylift had to obtain its own AOC, operating the Belfasts under a CAA dispensation until they were fitted with a stick-pusher designed by Smiths and installed by Marshalls. Fortunately Shorts had done a lot of the preliminary work for a CofA back in the 1960s.
Meanwhile, when Eurolatin's purchase options on the other seven Belfasts lapsed in April 1978 those airframes were sold to Rolls-Royce for Tyne engine and parts recovery. Two were subsequently sold back to TAC Heavylift in 1980.
Maintenance of the Belfasts was done by British Air Ferries at Southend and Heavylift occupied the former Transmeridian office at Stansted.
One of the modifications by Heavylift was to half the bunking area to three beds and use the space to carry spare parts. Also once they had full CofA they were also able to fit 19 passenger seats in in the "minstrels' gallery", a section of upper decking aft of the cockpit.
