1966 – Maart Nuus

March/Maart

No. 27

1966

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RESERVATIONS CONTROL OFFICE IN ROME

On March 1, 1966, South African Airways opened a Reservations Control Office in Rome, the first of its kind outside the Republic of South Africa. The new office which falls under control of S.A.A.’s Manager for Italy, Mr. R. G. Brett, controls the southbound services of S.A.A. European terminators and is fully equipped for undertaking all aspects of reservations functions for passengers as well as freight. It is provided with the most modern equipment, amongst others, a “Tambour” booking desk. This desk is very versatile in that it is constructed in a manner which allows two revolving bases, one for control cards and the other for sales record cards, each base rotating independently and thereby permitting staff around the table to have access to all documents when required. Two telex circuits link the office with the S.I.T.A. network whilst the office can boast with a very modern installation of PABX telephone network in its organisation.

Members of the Rome office staff at the booking desk. Standing third from the right is Mr. R. G. Brett in conversation with S.A.A.’s Reservations Manager, Mr. A. S. Cronje. On the extreme right is Mr. E. P. Pattenden, Senior Reservations Officer, and second from the left Mr. W. T. Wilson, Assistant Manager for Italy.

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S.A.L. IN TURYN – EN ELDERS

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens het op 1 Maart 1966 nog ‘n buitelandse verkoopskantoor in die skilderagtige stad Turyn in Italië geopen. Dit bring die aantal S.A.L.-kantore in die buiteland op 26 te staan waarvan twee reeds in Italië, naamlik Rome en Milaan, gevestig is. Turyn met sy lang reguit strate, elegante tuine, boog­gange en pleine is in die Piedmontvallei geleë. Hierdie landstreek is ideaal vir somervakansies terwyl bergklim en wintersport gereeld beoefen word. Onder die vele besiens­waardighede tel daar pragtige landskappe, ou monumente en kastele. As gevolg van die ryk watertoevoer uit die Alpe besit hierdie streek heelwat hidro-elektriese installasies en is daar aansienlike landbou- en industriële aktiwiteit. Die motor­werke van Turyn veral is noemenswaardig. Ons verkoopsverteenwoordiger in Turyn is mnr. Piercarlo Minelli. Hy het jarelank ondervinding van lugvaartaangeleent­hede en is goed vertroud met die streek waarvoor by verantwoordelik is. Die nuwe S.A.L.-kantoor is to Via Arsenate 14 in die sentrale stadsgedeelte van Turyn, omring dent groot sake­ondernemings en reisagentskappe, gevestig. * Aan die roetes na Europa en die Verenigde Koninkryk het die S.A.L. tans kantore op die volgende sentrums: Salisbury, Luanda, Las Palmas, Lissabon, Madrid, Rome, Athene, Zurich, Frankfurt, Parys en Londen. * Ander S.A.L.-kantore in die buiteland is gevestig in: Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Amsterdam, Diisseldorf, Hamburg, Genëve, Milaan, Miinchen, Turyn, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Lourenco Marques en Beira.

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PADVEILIGHEID

In die Februarie-uitgawe van ons Personeelblad het ons oor padvervoeraangeleenthede gesels en melding daarvan gemaak dat bestuurders dikwels sertifikate vir veilige bestuur ontvang. Gedurende ‘n funksie wat op 7 Maart 1966 in die Vervoerkonferensiesaal te Johannesburg gehou is, het twee parsone spesiale toekennings ontvang in die vorm van goue lapolwapens en sertifikate, uitgereik deur die Nasionale Padveiligheidsraad van Suid-Afrika. Hulle is mnre. J. Schutte en A. B. Labuschagne wat elk kan spog met meer as 26 jaar ongeluksvrye bestuur in hulle amptelike hoedanig­heid as bestuurders van die Administrasie. Die toekennings is deur die Assistent-hoofbestuurder (Bedryf en Padvervoer), mnr. C. Rezelman, oorhandig. Mnr. J. Schutte is welbekend in Lugdienskringe, aan­gesien hy reeds jarelank optree as persoonlike bestuurder van die Bestuurshoof, mnr. J. G. Grovê. Ons wens hulle baie geluk met hul mooi prestasie en die voorbeeld wat hulle aan andere stel.

Mnr. C. Rezelman in gesprek met die twee bestuurders mnr. J. Schutte (links) en A. B. Labuschagne (regs).

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SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS SMALLBORE RIFLE CLUB

The past year has been a happy one for the South African Airways Smallbore Rifle Club. Under the capable guidance of the club captain, Mr. V. J. van der Merwe, the Club entered for the Transvaal Smallbore Rifle Association Leagues “C” and “D”, and won the “D” League, and was only beaten at the post in the “C” league. Considering the unremitting competition from the bigger clubs, South African Airways, with an active membership of only 11 can feel quite proud of its accomplishment. One of our members tied for first place in the Transvaal “C” class prone championships, but unfortunately lost on shoot-off. It is the intention in the coming year to again compete in the leagues mentioned, and judging by present form, the Club will be hard to beat.

Members of the staff interested in smallbore shooting are invited to come to the range at Avion Park on any Saturday afternoon to meet the South African Airways’ shottists.

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READING YOU LOUD AND CLEAR

Of  more recent years, with the introduction of advanced radio, radar and other air navigational aids, wireless telegraphy or the morse code has virtually become extinct. Nowadays, extensive use is being made of radio telephony and it can well be said that today’s aircraft are flown on the spoken word. With the sky routes of the world becoming more and more congested, constant radio communication between air­craft and control stations for the transmitting of vital information such as air traffic, weather, allocated flight levels, etc., is of prime importance. Equally important is clarity of speech especially when airline pilots are faced with the task of identifying their aircraft on a communications system which at times can cause a measure of distortion. Static has always been one of the greatest hurdles in radio communication and it is not always easy, for example, to distinguish between the letters F and S or for that matter B and D or M and N. In order to leave no doubt in the listener’s mind, a type of phonetic alphabet has been devised which pilots and others in airways communication services can use to spell out abbreviations or vital words.

The planning of this alphabet was in itself no easy task, as words had to be found which could be pronounced with ease by speakers who have widely differing national languages. An easily heard series of words has been brought into international use. When an S.A.A. pilot, for example, will be called upon to identify on his radio the registration of S.A.A.’s latest acquisition, the long-range Boeing 707-344B, ZS-DYL, he will reply ZULU, SIERRA, DELTA, YANKEE, LIMA.

The correct airmen’s alphabet recognised by the Inter­national Civil Aviation Organisation (LC.A.O.) is:

A

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ALFA

N

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NOVEMBER

B

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BRAVO

O

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OSCAR

C

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CHARLIE

P

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PAPA

D

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DELTA

Q

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QUEBEC

E

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ECHO

R

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ROMEO

F

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FOXTROT

S

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SIERRA

G

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GOLF

T

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TANGO

H

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HOTEL

U

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UNIFORM

I

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INDIA

V

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VICTOR

J

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JULIET

W

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WHISKEY

K

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KILO

X

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X-RAY

L

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LIMA

Y

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YANKEE

M

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MIKE

Z

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ZULU

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FROM BLUE SKIES TO BLUE WATERS

This month we say farewell to Senior Captain C. J. Rosslee who retired on pension on February 28, 1966, after serving the airline for 26 years.

Captain Rosslee joined the clerical ranks of the service on Octo­ber 1, 1939, at the Rand Airport, Germiston. Pre­viously, however, he had been very active as a private pilot. He enlisted with the S.A.A.F. as a reserve pilot and obtained his wings during March, 1939, in the meantime having qualified for his private and commercial pilots’ licences.

On the outbreak of war, Captain Rosslee was posted to Durban. He later flew with No. 12 S.A.A.F. Squadron in Abyssinia, using Junkers JU.86 aircraft. Returning to South Africa, he was attached to No. 5 Wing S.A.A.F. He also assisted in ferrying military aircraft to various parts in Africa and undertook coastal air reconnaissance with the S.A.A.F. Back in S.A.A., Captain Rosslee piloted Avro York aircraft during 1945 and subsequently flew every type of aircraft used by S.A.A. on the Springbok and Wallaby routes.

Chris Rosslee has approximately 20,000 flying hours and became a mileage millionaire at least four times.

He has very interesting plans for the future. He is shortly taking delivery of a 40-foot yacht in Holland, and with Mrs. Rosslee as his only crew member intends to navigate his way around the waterways of Europe and through the Mediterranean.

“My days of travelling the globe the quick way are over”, commented Captain Rosslee, “and I intend dropping at least the last two naughts from the speedometer and (weather permitting) travel the slow and carefree way.”

We salute Captain Rosslee on the captaincy of his own craft and wish him together with Mrs. Rosslee, the best of luck and plain sailing.

———- 707 – ? – 727 – 737

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens het sy eerste drie Boeing 707 ­vliegtuie gedurende 1960 in ontvangs geneem en minder as vyf jaar later die Boeing 727 in gebruik geneem. Met die Boeing 737 nou in produksie word die vraag dikwels gevra – Is daar ‘n Boeing 717?

Die antwoord op hierdie vraag is ja! Die Boeing 717 is die tegniese benaming vir die KC-135-tenkvliegtuig van die Amerikaanse Lugmag wat uit die basiese Boeing 707­ontwerp ontwikkel is. ‘n Totaal van 820 verskeie tipes KC en C-135′s is terloops reeds deur die Maatskappy ver­vaardig.

Die KC-135 is vandag ‘n bekende vliegtuig by strategiese lugmagbasisse oor die hele wêreld en word deur sommige as ‘n vlieënde brandstoftenk beskou. Onlangs het een van hierdie vliegtuie 60 agtereenvolgende vlugte binne 31 dae uitgevoer om bomwerpers van die Amerikaanse Lugmag in die lug van brandstof te voorsien, terwyl ‘n ander vliegtuig een miljoen gelling brandstof binne 100 vlugte vervoer het sonderteëspoed of vertragings.

Hierdie lugreus word ook ingespan in verband met proef­nemings op groot hoogtes,. vir langafstand lugfotografie en landmeting, verkenningsvlugte en so meer. Hy is in staat om vir meer as 15 uur op ‘n keer in die lug te bly.

———- STRICTLY FOR THE BIRDS

Since the beginning of time it has been man’s most cherished dream to be able to soar through the skies like an eagle. To this end, the actions of birds were studied closely by the early pioneers, and many actually attempted to give themselves wings – mostly with disastrous results.

Birdwatching can , therefore, be regarded as one of the oldest practices in the world and although the conquest of the air by man has become reality, ornithology has lived on, even as a hobby. Today, the object is not so much to study the flight characteristics but rather the various habits of these feathered creatures.

A keen supporter of this rare hobby is Mr. J. A. S. (Jas) Smith, Planning Assistant in the Engineering Section at Jan Smuts Airport.

As an amateur nature photographer, Mr. Smith’s first interest in birds was the challenge and the excitement of being able to capture a fleeting moment in the life of these highly mobile creatures. During the process of trying to get pictures, he began to notice many things about the birds that intrigued him; their approach to and behaviour around food; their grace, colouring, structure and melody of song. Soon he developed a great interest in their habits.

Mr. Smith tells us that birds need only a little encourage­ment to regularly visit a certain place. A shallow bird bath in one’s garden will soon bring a variety of species. An 18 inch plough disc, raised about two feet from the ground and a few feet from a tree, where birds can first land to make sure that it is safe to approach the bath, will be ideal. Once the “ablutions block” has been discovered, one is well rewarded by their appreciative output of song.

There are many sanctuaries in South Africa where a person can observe the larger birds, such as the Flamingo, Stanley Crane and various types of Heron, but these birds are generally of a timid nature and consequently observations should be made with the aid of binoculars and possibly a hide. Once settled down, the watcher can enjoy the peace and beauty of the birds’ kingdom.

———- SILVER SOUVENIR

The Riverdale Suite of Grosvenor House Hotel, London, was the venue recently for a farewell dinner given by B.O.A.C. for Mr. J. Grove, Chief Executive, South African Airways, on his last official visit to B.O.A.C. before going on leave on 5th April, prior to his retirement.

Mr. Keith Granville, Deputy Chairman, who presented Mr. Grove with a silver candelabra on behalf of B.O.A.C., referred, in his speech, to their happy friendship over many years which had meant so much to the pool partnership and wished Mr. Grove every happiness in his retirement.

———- GOED GEDAAN

Gedurende ‘n tentoonstelling wat onlangs in Parys, Frankryk, gehou is, het die vervaardigers van S.A.L. se Boeing 727-kombuise die eerste prys vir die beste vakman­skap verower.

Ons is trots daarop dat die S.A.L. met hierdie prestasie kon vereenselwig word. Wat die aangeleentheid egter van meer belang maak is die felt dat die 727-kombuise en ver­wante toerusting volgens S.A.L. se eie ontwerp en spesifi­kasies gebou is. Terselfdertyd toon dit dat die Suid­Afrikaanse Lugdiens se keuse vir die vervaardiging van sy benodigdhede alleenlik in die beste hande gelaat word.

‘n Kelner en reiswaardin besig in een van S.A.L. se netjiese Boeing 727-kombuise.

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IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START

The following has been extracted from two very similar letters recently received in this office, together with the accompanying photographs. Our youthful applicants’ ages were given as 10 years and almost 12!

“I would like to become an air hostess when I have passed my matric. I would like to know all about air hostesses and what they do. I am keen on travel­ling. I’ve been to Holland, England, Sweden, America, Cape Province, Transvaal, Natal and Rhodesia.

“My hobbies are cooking, drawing, collecting pic­tures of anything to do with flying. I also like children.

“If it is no trouble would you kindly send me some photos of an aeroplane, an air hostess and a picture of anything else connected with flying.” This part was easy, but not so the last question which read as follows:

“Could you please tell me what happens after each flight, because I was told that air hostesses get a few hours off duty after each flight?”

Our two youthful starters: Susan Elsdon (left) and Hilde Overweg. ———-

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