SAA Orange Tail

December/Desember 1967

No. 48

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LUUKSE-GERIEF

Die S.A.L. handhaaf steeds sy reputasie, nl, dat die diens wat hy aanbied in alle opsigte gelyk staan met die aller­beste elders ter wêreld. So pas is altesaam nege nuwe busse in ontvangs geneem vir gebruik tussen lugstasies en stadseind­punte in die Republiek. Durban, Kaapstad en Windhoek her elk twee van die nuwe voertuie gekry, terwyl die ander drie by die Jan Smutslughawe gestasioneer is.

Hierdie 36-sitplek busse, deur die Mercedes-Benz-Maatskappy vervaardig, bet na verneem word, die eerste prys in hulle klas verower op ‘n motorskou wat onlangs oorsee gehou is.

Toegerus met lugreëling en vliegtuigtipe-sitplekke gee hulle glo aan voornemende lugreisigers reeds ‘n voorsmakie van Boeinggerief! Veral die ruim vensters wat ‘n onbelemmerde uitsig aan elke reisiger bied, maak dit ‘n ware genot om in pen van hierdie voertuie te reis.

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GEMSBOK IN DIE KALAHARI

Onder verskyn die eerste Viscount war die nuwe Upington­ lughawe op 1 November besoek het. Hierdie vliegtuie het die plek ingeneem van die Dakotas wat hierdie gebied so lank bedien het en sal heelwat verligting bring vir die snel-stygende verkeer. Heel toevallig dra die Viscount op die foto die naam “Gemsbok” wat ook die naam van die plaaslike koerant aldaar is.

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“BLACK BOXES”‘ FOR S.A.A.

South African Airways is to spend more than R200,000 for the installation of accident data recorders to its fleet of intercontinental Boeing 707′s and its domestic Boeing 727′s and Viscounts.

Mr. J. Adam. Deputy Chief Executive, one of the speakers on air safety at the annual congress of the Commercial Aviation Association, held recently in Johannesburg, said the electronic devices – which can survive crash impacts and severe heat u would be fitted in the tail sections of the “Flying Springbok” fleet. The programme would be completed during 1968.

They would record 24 different channels of information – about the aircraft’s speed, height, altitude, power settings and other data – on steel wire. In the event of an accident, the “little black box” would provide a comprehensive picture of the aircraft’s behaviour up to the time of the accident for crash investigators.

The recorders would take continuous readings for 35 hours of flying time, after which the recorded data would be erased so that a fresh cycle could be started. In fitting the recorders, S.A.A. is voluntarily ensuring that its safety equipment measures up to the recommendations by international aviation authorities. The recorders are to become compulsory equipment for several overseas airlines next year.

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HOOG IN DIE MODE

Almal van ons sal seker saamstem dat die nuwe voorkoms van die S.A.L. se langafstandstralers ‘n besliste stappie vorentoe is. Die nuwe moderne lettertipe steek baie mooi af en verleen ‘n besondere grasie aan die groot voëls. Daarbenewens is die kenmerkende swart „neusdop” ook iets van die verlede – dit is terloops waar die radarskerm gehuis word — en deftig uitgedos met hul oranjekleurige sterte en „witgepoeierde neusies” behoort ons Boeings ‘n sieraad vir die oog te wees waar hul ookal die trotse naam van die S.A.L, oor die wêreld dra.

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NEW AIR TERMINAL FOR PORT ELIZABETH

S.A.A.’s new air terminal in Port Elizabeth was officially opened by the Chief Executive, Mr. A. M. Conradie, on November 2.

In welcoming the guests, Mr. Conradie said that this function marked the fulfilment of a need of which both the public of Port Elizabeth and S.A.A. themselves had been conscious for a long time, viz. the need for the national air carrier to be more adequately and more smartly accommodated in this progressive city.

“Deur die iare heen het Port Elizabeth ‘n belangrike aandoen­punt op die S.A.L. se binnelandse roetenetwerk gebly, en vandag staan hy vierde op die lys war verkeersomvang betref, na Johan­nesburg, Kaapstad en Durban,” het mnr. Conradie bygevoer. Mnr. Conradie het ‘n kort oorsig oor die ontsaglike ontwikkeling van die lugverkeer daar geskets en verder gesê: „Gedurende die afgelope 5 jaar het die aantal passasiers wat by die plaaslike lughawe gehanteer is, gestyg van 64,510 in 1962 tot 122,940 verlede jaar, n vermeerdering van 90.6% Die vragsyfers vir dieselfde tydperk toon min of meer dieselfde neiging. Hier het die vragtonnemaat gestyg van 870 ton in 1962 tot 1,558 ton in 1966, ‘n vermeerdering van 79%. Terwyl die tempo van die groei heeltemal indrukwekkend is, meet erken word dat die werklike tonnemaat wat vervoer is, nie merkwaardig groot is vir n nywerheidstad met die status van Port Elizabeth nie.

Interior view of Port Elizabeth’s new city terminal. Behind the counters are Mr. U. Terblanche and receptionist Miss C. Fattrie.

“Soos u waarskynlik weet, het S.A.L. onlangs begin met ‘n grootskaalse opname om te bepaal wat die moontlikhede vir lugvragontwikkeling in die Republiek is, en vir watter ver­beterings van bestaande geriewe voorsiening gemaak sal moet word. Sover dit reeds voltooi is, het hierdie opname aan die lig gebring dat daar by baie mense en firmas nog nie ‘n behoor­like begrip bestaan van die voordele wat lugvrag vir die nyweraar of sakeman kan inhou, of van die geriewe wat alreeds aangebied word nie. Graag wil ek beklemtoon dat dit ons taak en begeerte is om u te help met hierdie baie belangrike aspek van die opvatting van algehele bemarking, en ek wil vertrou dat noudat die kantore vir beide aangestuurde en ontvange vrag so gerieflik geleë is, en binnekort in staat sal wees om my opmerkings, sover dit u stad betref, in hersiening te neem.”

Mr. Conradie mentioned that the Port Elizabeth airport was at the moment handling no fewer than 87 aircraft movements per week. This included the additional Viscount flight intro­duced with effect from November, 1967. He said that this city was unfortunately very much exposed to inclement weather, and during the past twelve months it had been necessary on a number of occasions to overfly Port Elizabeth or to delay flights because they could not land there on account of the weather. He said that when the Instrument Landing System (I.L.S.) was installed at Port Elizabeth, which he understood would be about the middle of next year, S.A.A. would be in a position to im­prove upon the regularity of its services to and from. Port Elizabeth.

Exterior view of Durban’s new freight office in Buckingham Court.

Mr. Conradie concluded by saying that he had sensed, as in the case of other cities, that there existed amongst the public of Port Elizabeth a growing feeling of pride in their national airline. He hoped that the opening of these attractive new premises would also bring about the disappearance of any inclination which the public of Port Elizabeth might have felt, in the past, to look the other way when passing S.A.A.’s town office.

Finally Mr. Conradie also thanked our colleagues on the Railway side, who had been concerned with the erection of the new building, and all municipal departments for their co-opera­tion in enabling the scheme to be successfully and smoothly accomplished.

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TO THE POINT

We make no excuses for publishing the following letter of appreciation. It comes from an Australian passenger who travelled S.A.A. for the first time – to Johannesburg on flight SA241 on 26th October, 1967. Here is our newly-won friend’s uncensored opinion:­

“People are quick to complain of poor service but reluctant to say thank you for good service. I think I have flown every major airline and am therefore qualified to comment on the excellent service on this flight. Congratulations on your choice of staff. I have never had more attractive and happily given service.”

We naturally welcome this type of talk – it should help us achieve our target of the one million passenger mark in 1968.

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AAN DIE SPITS IN MADRID

Mnr G. J. Craffert, senior passasiersamptenaar is sedert 1 Desember die S.A.L. se nuwe Bestuurder vir Spanje in Madrid. Hy volg mnr. W. J. J. Hurter op wat na Hoofkantoor oorplaas. Graag wil ons mnr. Craffert voor­spoed toewens in sy nuwe pos, en terselfdertyd mnr. Hurter hartlik terugverwelkom in sy tuisland.

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SPRINGBOKDIENS BREI UIT

Daar is onlangs bekend gemaak dat ons Boeing 707-inter­kontinentale stralerfrekwensies tussen Suid-Afrika en Europa- V.K, vanaf 1 April 1968 van die huidige tien na elf per week in beide rigtings vermeerder sal word.

Die bykomende vlug word tussen Johannesburg en Frankfurt ingestel, noordwaarts op Donderdae en suidwaarts op Vrydae. Dit is die voorneme om ‘n geskeduleerde tussenlanding op Windhoek in beide rigtings in te sluit.

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CARGO TOUR OF GERMANY

Cargo officers of S.A.A. on their departure at Jan Smuts Airport recently.

The four men were invited by Lufthansa on a cargo interline tour of Germany and besides the Airline’s cargo terminal at Frankfurt, the group visited Wiesbaden, went on a boat trip on the Rhine to Bad Niederbreisig and saw Bonn, Cologne and Dusseldorf.

From there they flew to Hamburg where they visited inter alia the D.L.H, cargo terminal and maintenance base.

The photograph shows from left to right: Mr. J. Prins, Mr. J. du Plessis, Mr. J. A. Botes, Mr. A. Rudman and Lufthansa’s Cargo Manager for Southern Africa, Mr. W. Seidel.

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CLOSER LINKS

In a bid to boost the advantages of air travel with the travelling public, S.A.A. has started the publication of two informative little news magazines. Suitably illustrated, they appear monthly in easily digestible form and are titled, aptly enough, “Air Partner” and “Air Contact” respectively.

“Air Partner” is designed, inter alia, to keep individual staff members of travel agencies up to date on all that South African Airways has to offer them and their clients. It tells of new services and new rates which are being offered to all S.A.A. travellers and explains how our offices can help travellers abroad. It contains features to interest the business people who enquire after overseas travel, details of the business calendar in Europe and elsewhere. “Air Partner” will also set the focus on pleasure for holiday travellers and highlight parti­cular new plans and services that can be offered over the travelling seasons. The publication has been very well received by the travel trade.

“Air Contact , on the other hand, is distributed to secretaries or other staff members who usually handle the travel arrange­ments for their respective organisations. This is not done indiscriminately or haphazardly we wrote to almost every firm, company and institution throughout the country, asking them to name tne person who would be interested in receiving such information. The response was fantastic – we already have a list of more than 10,000 names, including a large pro­portion of contacts” at managerial level.

They will be kept posted with news sheets, brochures, pamphlets and with everything that is new all around the world.

All this information they will pass on to the people in their firm who travel, as and when they need it.

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BIRMINGHAM BOUQUET

When S.A.A.’s U.K, staff recently celebrated the opening of their much improved office premises in Birmingham, they were joined by Alderman Harold Tyler, Deputy Mayor of Birmingham and Mrs. Tyler. On the occasion Mrs. Tyler was presented with a lovely boquet of flowers.

Left to right: Mr. C. B. Bailey, District Sales Manager, Birmingham; Mrs. H. M. Wild, Secretary/Receptionist, Alder­man and Mrs. A. H. Tyler and Mr. J. K. Rennie, Sales Manager, United Kingdom, London.

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IN THE CLOUDS

The latest group of hostesses to complete a training course at Jan Smuts Airport received their half wings at an informal ceremony in the lecture room on November 13, Seen with the group are their instructress, lady supervisor Tessa McKechnie and acting Cabin Services Manager, Coen Strydom. This is the first group to have had included in their training a newly developed comprehensive course on deportment as well as tuition in foreign languages. We are all anxious to judge the results.

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