SAA Orange Tail

November 1968

No. 59

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BIG ROLL OUT

When the world’s newest and largest commercial jet airliner, the Boeing 747, was rolled out of the Boeing factory at Everett, Washing­ton, on September 30, 1968, – one day ahead of the manufacturing schedule set for at more than 2, years ago, it heralded a new era in air transportation.

During roll-out of the first of the new generation of large jet transports, the aircraft dwarfed its specially designed 32-ton towing tractor. The aircraft was positioned alongside a two-storey stand from which 26 airline hostesses dedicated the superjet by simultaneously break­ing champagne bottles along the nose. The girls represented the air­lines which have purchased a total of 158 Boeing 747′s to date. A crowd of several thousand people including airline executives, government of­ficials, 747 programme suppliers, representatives of news media throughout the world and Boeing employees viewed the roll-out ceremony. S.A.A. was represented by Senior Captain S. Pienaar.

The first 747′s maiden flight is scheduled before the end of the year. The aircraft is one of five which will undergo an intensive 10­month flight test programme.

Cathy Christensen who is attached to the staff of S.A.A.’s Resident Representative at the Boeing Company, holds the bottle of champagne she bashed on behalf of S.A.A. at the roll-out ceremony. She is perched com­fortably in the nine-foot intake of the massive Pratt and Whitney engine.

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WORLD AIRLINE GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

The third annual world airline golf championship was staged during September at the Canyon Country Club, Palm Springs, California.

Messrs. M. McLean, a first officer, and C. R. Tait, a flight engineer (second and third from left, respectively), of S.A.A., made up a team which finished in a two-way tie for 11th place. In a field of 47 teams, their 36-hole best-ball total was 153.

Seeing them off at first tee are Ernie Sherman (left), manager of interline sales, American Airlines, and Jack O’Leary, assistant publisher, Air Transport World magazine, the companies which co-sponsored the event. T.W.A. was the winner, succeeding Aer Lingus as champion.

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“MOND-OP-MOND”

Gedurende ‘n kursus wat onlangs op die Jan Smutslughawe vir toekomstige reiswaardinne ge­hou is, het die dames onder andere ook die gewone onderrig in noodhulp ontvang.

Kunsmatige opwekking is ‘n uiters belangrike aspek van die opleiding en daar word veral klem gelê op die mond-op-mond metode wat algemeen bekend staan as „die soen van die lewe” en as die maklikste en doeltreffendste geag word.

‘n Plastiekpop word gebruik om die regte prosedure aan die reiswaardinne te leer. Kortliks blaas die toediener lug in die slagoffer se longe om sodoende asemhaling by die pasiënt teweeg te bring.

Die metode word hier gedemonstreer onder toesig van die noodhulpinstrukteur. Die dames is (van links na regs) Mejj. Brands Weyers, Rita Kriek, Jenny Mowat, Liesje Franx (besig met die „pasiënt’), Rosa Human en Ruth Rosenbrock.

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SPOTTER SCOUT

This photograph shows Mr. O. J. van Heerden, District Sales Manager for S.A.A. in Durban recently presenting the South African Airways Trophy to the 11th Durban Air Scouts after they won the annual Natal Air Spotting Competition. From left to right are Andrew McWalter, Richard Cookson, Guy Harker and Craig Buck.

Nine teams participated and the standard was very high. Cookson and Buck tied for the individual championship spotting all aircraft 100%. S.A.A. takes a keen interest in the Air Scouts of Natal and the winning teams received prizes kindly donated by the Durban office of S.A.A. Every member participating, received airline badges supplied by most Airline Companies operating in South Africa.

This is the seventh year that the trophy has been competed for and is one of the main competitions for Air Scouts in Natal. Next year Air Scouts will be invited from Johannesburg and East London to try their skill against the Natalians.

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HEALTHY IMPROVEMENT

The tastefully furnished reception room of the Aviation Medi­ cine Section at Jan Smuts Airport.

Oops! Sorry wrong room! is what many a person said on entering the Aviation Medical Section of S.A.A. at Jan Smuts Airport lately. But a second look proved that they were right in the first place for, almost overnight, the interior of this Section underwent a complete metamorphosis.

Staff visiting the Medical Section are now received in a neat and tastefully furnished waiting room for their medical appoint­ments where proper facilities for the completion of medical forms etc., have also been provided. The change, however, reaches further. The various consulting, examination and dressing rooms etc., where separate facilities for both men and women exist, are now equally well fitted out and is strikingly hygienic.

Together with the growth of S.A.A. and in pace with the jet age, aviation medicine has become more and more important and its service to personnel more sophisticated.

With the Airline’s health in their hands this Section of S.A.A. no doubt deserves the “face-lift” in accommodation and more!

The new examination and dressing rooms.

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CHEERIO!

A large gathering of aircrew and ground staff colleagues headed by Mr. J. Adam, Deputy Chief Executive formed a Guard of Honour on September 12, 1968, to wish Navigation Officer F. W. B. S. (Scotty) Hancock farewell, having hung his sextant for the last time after thirty-three years service, as he stepped off South African Airways’ newest Boeing 707-344C aircraft ZS-EUX.

Scotty joined imperial Airways as a clerk in 1933, when the old Empire Class Flying Boats were flying between the Vaaldam and Southampton. In 1935 he moved to South African Airways as a storeman and having obtained his P.M.G. certificates joined the S.A.A.F. as a Radio Opera­tor in 1939. During hostili­ties he was awarded the Air Force Medal for ser­vices as Signals Officer with 28 Transport Squadron in North Africa. After the war he be­came a Radio Officer in South African Airways re­mustering as Navigation Officer in 1953. This was the first occasion on which a non-Air Force trained navigator was accepted – his long experience as a Radio Officer standing him in good stead. He has flown in every type of South African Airways air­craft used since 1939 including delivery flights of Viscount and B.727′s and during this period amassed a total of 21,000 flying hours. The high esteem in which he was held by his colleagues will not soon be forgotten and they wish him and his wife Myra many years of happy retirement and good health. The very same wishes and a firm handshake to Flight Engineer Officer H. P. (Harry) Joynt who on the following day i.e. September 13, after more than 30 years of service with S.A.A., wrote “Happy Landings” in his logbook before retiring with pension on reaching the age limit. Harry joined S.A.A. at Rand Airport, Germiston, in 1938, and initially flew JU.52′s before being seconded into the S.A.A.F. During the War, he was stationed at Roseiros on the Blue Nile serving in 51 Flight. Later he acted with 16 Squadron at Beng­hazi flying Beauforts to Beaufighters. He was recalled in 1944 after also serving in North Africa and Italy. Harry’s logbook reflects something like 17,500 flying hours and the distance covered by him in the air alone is in the region of 3 million miles. As a point of interest he can remi­nisce about the days when he played 1st team rugby for Garrison together with Dr. Danie Craven, General (Harry) Martin and Captain J. de V. Rademan. The highlight of his sports career was no doubt the day when, at the West End Country Club, playing golf with the late Jimmy Boyd, he won the Day Cup donated by the Mechanical Engineer for the Railways. Old? “My foot”! answered Harry when asked how he felt and then with a twinkle in his eye referred to his baby daughter Ronell of 15 months old.

Happy touring Harry, and once again, best wishes to you and the family.

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IT PAYS TO THINK

A number of S.A.A. staff members stationed at Jan Smuts Airport distinguished themselves by submitting prize-winning suggestions to the Administration. Top honours went to Aviation Technician (radio) L C. Nic­holls who was awarded R50.00 for his suggestion of an auxiliary power unit system for the Boeing 727 simulator.

Mr. Ramsay

During a ceremony re­cently held in the simulator hall at Jan Smuts Airport Mr. A. M. Conradie, Chief Execu­tive, personally handed the cheque together with a cer­tificate of appreciation to Mr. Nicholls. Addressing the audi­ence which included Messrs. J. Adam, Deputy Chief Execu­tive, J. A. Bosch, Deputy Engi­neering Director and D. B. Forsythe, Manager Flight Ad­ministration. Mr. Conradie particularly praised Mr. Nich­olls for his unrelenting efforts over the past number of months, during which period he experimented by trial and error, to sucessfully complete his “brain-child” which, in the true sense of the word is more of an invention than a suggestion.

Mr. L C. Nicholls

Also well up on the list of high awards are Aviation Technician R. D. Ramsay who was awarded R45.00 for a sug­gestion to modify the 1st Stage Turbine blades of the JT4A-12 jet engine and Avia­tion Technician A. J. S. van der Bank (Welder), awarded R30.00 for a suggested repair scheme on the Stator As­sembly of the same type of engine.

Mr. van der Bank

Together with the above gentlemen we wish to con­gratulate three more men who received lesser awards but who were nevertheless mentioned in despatches. They are: Mr. P. J. Slabbert, Aviation Technician for a sug­gested alteration to the air­craft galley hot cups; Mr. C. M. du Plessis, Aviation Tech­nician for a modification to the Cabin Pressure Automatic Controller Altitude Selector and last but not least Mr. S. D. Badenhorst, Clerk Grade 1, Cabin Services Sec­tion for an improved requisi­tion form US.237.

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“OEFENLOPIE”

Om vertroud te raak met die hantering van „igloe”-vrag­houers vir gebruik in die Boeing 727 “QC” het die vragpersoneel onlangs ‘n oefenlopie in die Boeing 727-loods op Jan Smuts­lughawe onderneem.

Verskeie personeellede wat gemoeid is met die hantering van vrag op buitestasies was ook teenwoordig. Die demonstrasie het vlot verloop.

Hier verskyn ‘n „igloe”-vraghouer op ‘n skêrhyser gereed om in die Boeing 727 “QC”-vliegtuig ingeskuif te word.

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“KOUE VLUG VIR ‘N WARM STRYD”

Die 90,000 ton Noorweegse tenkskip „Symra wat onlangs naby die Groenpuntse vuurtoring vasgeanker het, het ‘n nood­sein uitgesiuur vir droë ys om brand blusuitrusting aan to vul na ‘n brand wat in die skip se woonkwartier uitgebreek het. Die S.A. Lugdiens is genader vir vragruimte op sy Johannesburg/ Kaapstad-vlugte en het onmiddellik gereageer met die gevolg dat altesaam 8 ton droë ys op twee agtereenvolgende Boeing 727­vlugte vervoer is.

Droë ys wat saamgeperste koolsuurgas (CO,) is, is besonder geskik vir die bestryding van smeulende brande.

‘n Gedeelte van die besending droë ys word hier gelaai vir versending na Kaapstad.

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KLEIN REISIGERS

Weens die probleme wat in die verlede by lugstasies onder­vind is om rekenskap to gee van baba’s wat aan boord geneem word sonder die medewete van die verkeerspersoneel, het die S.A.L. onlangs die gebruik van baba-instapkaarte ingestel.

Hierdie kaarte verskil wesenlik van die gewone instapkaarte en word by aanmelding uitgereik aan persone wat baba’s aan boord wil neem. Die getal insapkaarte wat net voor die passasiers aan boord gaan ingesamel word, saam met die teenkantstrokies van die gewone instapkaarte, behoort dan te klop met die hoof­delike telling van persone aan boord.

Die baba-instapkaarte is netiies in duursame plastiese houers gelamelleer, kan herhaaldelik gebruik word en word aan die ver­keerspersoneel, na balansering van die vlug terugbesorg. Instelling van hierdie instapkaarte verseker beter sitplektoewysing en be­heer oor passasiers.

Die netjiese baba-instapkaart wat tans gebruik word.

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INTRODUCING

Senior Captain J.A. (Bert) Rademan pre­viously Fleet Captain Internal and Regional Services who is now S.A.A.’s Fleet Captain Overseas Services.

Senior Captain P.B. (Pat) Pattison who now wears the extra button on the sleeve as Fleet Captain Internal and Regional Services for S.A.A.

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