SAA Orange Tail

March/Maart 1968

No. 51

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

Tuesday, February 6, 1968, marked the 11th birthday of the S.A.A. Women’s Association. The occasion was fittingly celebrated by way of a very successfuF party held at Avion Park, Jan Smuts Airport, and attended by a large number of members. Guests of honour included Mrs. Conradie, wife of our Chief Executive, Mrs. Matheson, Chairlady of the Railways Women’s Association and ladies from other Airline clubs.

The S.A.A. Women’s Association was started in 1957 by Mrs. Vera Louw, wife of the late Col. J. D. T. Louw, and, whilst the original aim of promoting comradeship between wives of Airways personnel has been well achieved, the sub­sequent function of undertaking charitable and welfare work all along the Reef has earned for this worthy “club” nothing but respect and admiration. Apart from its general activities such as assisting the blind, spastics, needy, old age homes, etc., these ladies, ever sensitive to human needs, take a special interest in cases where Airways staff or their families may need “a helping hand”. To mention but one example­an educational fund has been established to aid persons requiring financial assistance in order to further their studies. This holds good for adults as well as children.

But the biggest praise for the Association which never publicises its activities lies therein that all funds required for the good work are raised by its own members, be it by way of a cake sale, hobbies fair or their annual dance.

The Executive Committee of the S.A.A. Women’s Association (front row) Mesdames L. van der Merwe, Secretary; G. Adam, Chairlady; E. Mileham, Treasurer; (Back row) Mesdames I. Wustrow (Group Leader, Kempton Park); M. Truter (Commit­tee Member, Benoni); G. East, (Group Leader, Benoni), and R. Guest (Group Leader, Germiston).

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SWISSAIR KOM NA SUID-AFRIKA

Daar is so pas aangekondig dat Swissair, die Switserse karweier, ‘n nuwe weeklikse lugdiens tussen Switserland en Suid-Afrika gedurende April vanjaar gaan instel en dat dit in poelvennootskap met die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens geëks­pioiteer sal word.

Die Swissairdiens met DC-8 vliegtuie sal van Zurich of op Donderdae en van die Lughawe Jan Smuts op Vrydae ver­trek. Die roete is oor Dar-es-Salaam en Nairobi, met Genêve as ‘n ekstra aandoenplek op suidwaartse vlugte. Die eerste vlugte word vir April 11/12 beplan.

Die S.A.L. bled alreeds ‘n weeklikse diens tussen Johan­nesburg en Zurich aan, tans noordwaarts op Donderdae en suidwaarts op Vrydae. Met ingang 1 April sal die dae waar­op gevlieg word egter verskuif na onderskeidelik Maandae en Dinsdae.

Die twee lugrederye is oortuig dat die poelooreenkoms tot die koordinasie van die lugdienste wat tussen hulle onderskeie lande aangebied word, sal hydra. Op die wyse sal die mak­sirnum fasiliteite en geriewe tot die beskikking van die reis­ende publiek gestel word.

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VLIEGTUIGBRANDSTOF

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens het tenders vir die verskaffing van vliegtuigbrandstof vir die volgende drie jaar van vier oliemaatskappye aangeneem. Die totale koste beloop ongeveer R19-miljoen.

Shell en B.P. Suid-Afrika (Edms.) Bpk., sal die vernaamste verskaffers wees; bestellings is ook by die Mobil Olie Suide­like Afrika (Edms.) Bpk., Total Olieprodukte (Edms.) Bpk., en Chevron International Oil Co. Ltd., (Caltex) geplaas.

Afgesien van die brandstofinneemplekke op die S.A.L. se roetes in die Republiek, Suidwes-Afrika en die naburige gebiede, sal die S.A.L. se vliegtuie brandstof inneem by sulke afgeleë plekke soos Athene, Frankfurt, Las Palmas, Lissabon, Londen, Luanda, Mauritius, Parys, Perth, Rome, Ilha do Sal, Sydney en Zurich. Alternatiewe lughawens sluit Nova Lisboa en Sao Tome in.

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LES FEMME

At present 27 Travel Hostesses and 23 Receptionists are being “groomed” for their future duties in the various training departments at Jan Smuts Airport. This training pro­gramme, as a point of interest, provides for no less than 117 Receptionists, and is believed to be the biggest single call as yet for this category of staff in the history of S.A.A.

During a recent visit to the classroom where the first group of Receptionists was receiving tuition in traffic matters our cameraman captured in happy mood:

(Front) Misses A. Vlok, B. Harvey, S. Mollegren, A. van Breda, Y, van Niekerk and M. Venter. (Middle) H. Page, U. Truter, P. Christie, L. Teunissen, A. Rahmer, J. van den Berg, B. Good. (Back) G. Kannemeyer, W. Eaton, J. Liversage, M. Weeks, Mr. W. Viljoen (Instructor), G. Langley, B. Owen, B. Hoare, H. Montjoie, I. Marais, I. Victor.

On the other side of the house our fledgling Travel Hostesses have been equally busy with their share of the training programme. One of the highlights of their course was the day when the girls were taken for a “dip” – that is to say to receive practical training in ditching procedures and the handling of life-saving equipment.

The weather and water temperatures were favourable and right at the outset one gained the impression that this was all some sort of “S.A.A. girl of the year” contest with cos­tume-clad beauties adorning the Kempton Park Municipal swimming bath.

Even when the package containing the 26-man liferaft was tossed into the water and it inflated exactly according to the textbook, confident smiles could be observed all round. But alas! – as our dignified girls got themselves comfortably seated in the raft for a real “ocean cruise”, the inevitable happened. The textbook does not make mention of old, dilapidated practice rafts which can give notice at any moment – and thAs is exactly what happened when it collapsed with a loud bang. Mild pandemonium broke loose and as can be seen in our picture, les femme, amid shrieks and screams, took to the “shark infested waters”. Sharks? No not really. There were however a fairly large number of male spectators watching the girls enjoy their swim.

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OPNAME

Hoe dikwels en vir welke redes reis Suid-Afrikaners per lug en wie is die gereelde en potensiële kliënte?

Antwoorde op hierdie vrae is vanselfsprekend van die uiterste belang vir doelmatige beplanning en moderne ver­koops- en bevorderingstegnieke en, ten einde hierdie probleem op ‘n positiewe wyse aan te pak, het die S.A.L, onlangs be­gin met ‘n opname, deur middel van kaarte wat passasiers gedurende vlugte versoek word om te voltooi. Inligting wat verlang word sluit die naam en besigheidsadres in, of die reis vir sake- of vakansieredes of miskien ‘n kombinasie van die twee onderneem word, en in gevalle waar hulle oorsese reise onderneem, hoe dikwels dit geskied.

Afsonderlike kaarte word op binnelandse en oorsese vlugte gebruik.

Ontleding van die inligting wat op dië wyse bekom word, sal nie alleen dien ter aanvulling van bestaande verspreidings­lyste nie maar sal die lugredery help om potensiële markte te ontwikkel deur middel van media soos regstreekse ver­koopsbevordering en reklame.

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REKORD OP NOORD-ATIANTIESE ROETES

Ledelugrederye van die Internasionale Lugvervoervereni­ging, het op hulle geskeduleerde vlugte gedurende 1967 ‘n rekordgetal van 4,987,400 passasiers oor die Noord-Atlan­tiese roetes vervoer, vergeleke met 4,197,550 in 1966.

Passasiers- en lugvragverkeer het onderskeidelik met 18.8 en 14.8 persent vermeerder, en die totale aantal geskeduleerdP vlugte met 21.4 persent.

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ON TOUR

Relaxing for a moment, this group of overseas contract staff recently undertook a 14-day familiarisation tour of South Africa.

Seen here with Miss R. Brits (seated) of Johannesburg in the Reservations “Front Line” office at Airways Centre, Johannesburg, are – from left to right: Miss P. Bencini (Milan); Miss M. Parize (Paris); Mrs. B. Shrieves (London); Mrs. L. Sabatucci (Rome) and Miss G. Steiner (Munich).

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IATA NEWS

Subject to approval by interested governments, fares world­wide have been agreed upon from March 1, 1968. This is the culmination of a recent successful mail vote by member airlines of I.A.T.A. in order to close the last open area in the world – long haul fares between North and South America. The worldwide standard fare pattern will remain effective until March 31, 1969.

Fares applicable from April 1, 1969, will be negotiated in Cannes in September, 1968, by the Association’s Passenger Traffic Conference.

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ELF

Ons Boeing 707-interkontinentale stralerfrekwensies tussen Suid-Afrika en Europa/Verenigde Koninkryk, word met in­gang 1 April 1968 van die huidige tien na elf per week in beide rigtings vermeerder.

Die bykomende vlug word tussen Johannesburg en Frank­furt ingestel, noordwaarts op Donderdae en suidwaarts op Vrydae, ‘n Geskeduleerde tussen-landing op Windhoek sal in beide rigtings ingesluit word.

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HELLO TIME

The average employee accumulates a week’s holiday every year in total time spent on private phone calls made during working hours, it was revealed by a series of surveys in American business. Food for thought, what?

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OLD SMOKY

For many a winter South African Airways’ “Queen Mary” – the boiler house which earned this appellation of its in­satiable hunger for coal and its consequent smoke stack of no mean proportions has been happily smoking away in its unrelenting efforts to work up steam for the central heating of the technical base at Jan Smuts Airport. Its concerted sense of duty was however not always appreciated since, as one chap put it: “One hardly recognised oneself in the mirror after having passed nearby.”

But when the mercury dips again towards the zero mark this year, our “ship” should be able to prove her worth in more dignified fashion, now as an oil-cum-gas burner. Almost completely rejuvenated, it can already boast brand new boilers and glittering valves, meters, regulators etc.-all incorporated with a view to ease of operation and cleanliness which will no doubt make of it a boiler house second to none.

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‘N STUDIE IN TEENSTRYDIGHEDE . . . LANDINGSKOSTE

Die betaling van landingskoste is maar net een van die faktore wat bydra tot die geweldige uitgawerekening van ‘n lugredery-iets waarvan weinig van die reisende publiek enige benul het.

Die owerhede by die menigte lughawens dwarsoor die wêreld is verantwoordelik vir die bepaling van die koste wat geëis word wanneer ‘n vliegtuig by hul besondere lughawe neerstryk. Hooffaktor by die vasstelling van landingsgeld is die opstyggewig van vliegtuie. Dit kan egter ook, soos by baie lughawens die geval is, verskeie ander fasiliteite insluit wal bydra tot die groot verskille in koste. By Detroit beloop dit vir ‘n Boeing 707 byvoorbeeld R14, New York R76, Chicago R32, Darwin R668, Khartoum R594, London R530-48 en Jan Smutslughawe R206-75.

In die V.S.A. word landingsfooie hoofsaaklik verhaal deur die heffing van ‘n geringe vervoerbelasting op reiskaartjies; vandaar die betreklike lae koste wat die lugrederye moet betaal.

Die landingsfooi in Suid-Afrika dek die volgende fasiliteite:

(a) Navigasiehulpmiddels. (b) Lugverkeer en vlieggegewens. (c) Meteorologiese inligting. (d) Telekommunikasies. (e) Die hantering van goedere tussen vliegtuie en lug­hawegebou. (f) Brandweerdienste. (g) Gesondheidsdienste. (h) Doeanedienste. (i) Paspoortbeheerdienste. (j) Die gebruik van die lughawegeboufasiliteite deur pas­sasiers en bemanningslede.

Vir lugrederye wat van Londen se Heathrowlughawe ge­bruik maak het die nuus dat landingsfooie aldaar van 1 April af met een-sesde en die koste vir navigasiehulpmiddels met 121/₂persent verhoog gaan word, as ‘n ontnugtering gekom en die Internasionale Lugvervoervereniging (LA.T.A.) het reeds namens sy lede protes aangeteken teen die stap. Die rede wat vir die verhoging aangegee is, naamlik dat dit nodig is as gevolg van die devaluering van die pond sterling, word kwaai gekritiseer, en daar word op gewys dat koste by die betrokke lughawe in die Verenigde Koninkryk beloop en in sterling in rekening gebring word. Bowendien het hierdie lughawe ‘n mooi wins om ten opsigte van sy bedrywighede aan te toon.

Daar word met belangstelling gewag op die lughawe-owerheid se reaksie.

Interessantheidshalwe kan genoem word dat die S.A.L. se onkoste vir landing en parkering by London gedurencle die boekjaar 1966/67 altesaam R157,935.11 beloop het.

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TO HANDLE THE SMALL . . .

What would be the quickest way to take an infant from one country over a stretch of ocean and a distance of thousands of miles to another country?

“Fly it there, of course”, would be the natural answer.

Agreed! But when the child is but only a few hours old and requires full-time medical attention and is dependent upon exact measures of oxygen and temperature in order to stay alive, then this whole matter of conveyance could become a problem.

The answer has been provided by aviation medical experts who developed an incubator for use by airlines in exactly such cases.

S.A.A. owns two of these items which measure approxi­mately 34 by 16 by 20 inches. When required, as already had been the case, the incubator containing the child operates from its own battery system and when placed on board the aircraft it draws power direct from the aircraft mains. It also has its own oxygen supply which is regenerated from the main aircraft oxygen system. Other features include a temperature gauge. thermometer, an alarm system against overheating and an ice box to keep it cool.

The “incubator” for the conveyance of infants over long distances.

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HOT JET ROD

Heard of the story of the racing car developed by S.A.A. Technicians for an attempt on the world land speed record? It is powered by an 18,OOOIb. thrust Pratt & Whitney 1T-3D Turbo (Fan) jet engine and the anticipated speed is in the region of 850 miles per hour.

Closer scrutiny of our picture, however, will reveal that this was only a bit of trick photography.

What we see here is in reality a complete shell or in airline jargon a “pod” in which a complete jet engine can be conveyed. The Boeing 707 nose, wheels and crash helmet were added purely for fun.

By means of this unique system the “pod” containing a spare engine is attached to the aircraft wing between number 2 engine and the fuselage, providing the semblance of a fifth engine. This permits of the transportation of a spare engine without sacrifice of payload capacity.

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. . . AND THE BIG

From our Engineering neck of the woods we managed to obtain a photo of yet another brand new but much larger piece of equipment, capable of handling items weighing up to 15 tons.

This is the biggest capacity forklift truck ever owned by South African Airways and will no doubt be of immense value in the handling of bulky pieces of cargo and equipment. It has been equipped with extra sensitive controls which make it easy to operate and, apart from the normal up and down manoeuvres of a forklifter, it can carry out tip and tilt and sideshift movements. Over and above all this, it can also be used as a crane when a special boom, which alone weighs a ton, is fitted to the operating gear.

S.A.A.’s new giant forklift truck photographed during demon­strations recently held at Jan Smuts Airport.

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