SAA Orange Tail

October/Oktober 1966

No.34

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NUWE VOERTUIE

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens het onlangs ses 20-sitplek luukse Bedford-,,Duple”-busse, vir diens tussen die lughawe Jan Smuts en die eindpunte in Pretoria en Johannesburg, in gebruik geneem. Agtien sit­plekke is van die verstelbare tipe, soos diê in vliegtuie, ter­wyl die voorste twee vas is.

Gemak en ruimte is die grondtoon. Daar is groot bagasieruime agter in die busse, terwyl rakke ook bokant die sitplekke vir ligte artikels aangebring is. Bokant elke sit­plek is ‘n ventilasieklep wat individueel beheer kan word.

Soortgelyke voertuie sal in die nabye toekoms ook in ander sentrums in die Repu­bliek in gebruik gestel word.

Feitlik saam met die nuwe busse, is ook drie Landrovers, wat onlangs aangekoop is, afgelewer en in gebruik geneem op Jan Smuts.

Hierdie geharde voertuig is in staat om ‘n Viscount to kan sleep, maar sal ook vir ander doeleindes ingespan word.

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HORATIO HORNBLOWER RETIRES

Senior Captain Theodore Edmond Purchase (Theo), retired from the service recently on attaining the retiring age limit. Theo started his flying career during 1938 as pupil pilot with the S.A.A.F. Prior to this, however, he did some gliding with the old German Gliding Club in the Cape.

When war broke out in 1939, he enlisted and served as an instructor for three years, before going up north where he was attached to the R.A.F. He later served in Burma, South East Asia and was decorated with the A.F.C. (Royal Air Force Cross).

He joined S.A.A. on August 23, 1946, and flew every type of S.A.A. aircraft in service since then – from Yorks to Boeing 707′s. Together with Captain Pie Pienaar, he was responsible for the flight training of air crews for the Boeing 707.

He has more than 17,000 flying hours to his credit and was affectionately nicknamed Horatio Hornblower because of his great love for the sea and things “nautical”.

Although he has seen many cities of the world, no one holds for him so much charm and dignity as Cape Town and its surroundings. No wonder he has chosen to settle at St. James where he will keep fit by climbing the 120 steps from the beach to his house called “Bally Hi”, daily.

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WELKOM IN ONS MIDDE

Ons verwelkom die nege-en-dertig nuwe ontvangsdames wat onlangs aangestel is, sommige waarvan reeds met hulle opleiding by Jan Smutslughawe begin het.

Saam met die ontvangsdames hat ook die volgende sewentien aspirant kelners met hulle opleiding begin: D. J. Bailey, D. M. Cohen, F. J. Griesel, R. M. Tredoux, G. C. Morton, E. D. Stander, J. R. Bernhardt, T. I. Ferreira, C. J. Vorster, M. Morini, J. C. J. Esterhuizen, P. J. Benade, L. R. Erasmus, E. S. du Toit, J. W. Jesson, C. G. Visagie en B. Pienaar.

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FLYING FOR FUN

During the latter part of 1963, a few men of the South African Airway’s Engineering Section at Jan Smuts Airport started a venture of which they can be very proud today. At that time, the men heard that an aircraft was to be auctioned at the Rand Airport, Germiston. They clubbed together and when their modest tender was accepted they became the joint owners of a very dilapidated old DH 82A Tiger Moth biplane. To behold an aircraft in such a poor condition was simply too much for skilled aircraft technicians. They immediately set to work to restore this old “kite” to a flightworthy condition. Taking advantage of every spare moment, coupled with modern aviation technology there emerged, 18 months later, probably one of the finest Tiger Moth’s in existence. It has been modified, inter alia, to incorporate full flying panels in both the front and rear cockpits and a transistorised intercommunication system whilst radio is in the process of being incorporated.

Pride of the Flying Springbok Aero Club, their Tiger Moth ZS-BYM.

Eager to “taste” the fruit of their labour and to take their “masterpiece” for flights they applied to have the modifications approved, and registered the aircraft with the Department of Civil Aviation. Also wanting to add a bit of the S.A.A. prestige to their undertaking they approached the Management for consent to paint their aircraft similar to those of S.A.A. This was granted, with slight variations, and so was born the Flying Springbok Aero Club. The present committee comprise Messrs. H. Stewart, Chairman; E. Smith, Secretary; L. Swartz, “Director of Maintenance” and K. Bonow, Chief Flying Instructor. Mr. Bonow, as a point of interest, an ex wartime fighter pilot, had all his licences renewed and is having his hands full with the training of very-anxious-to-fly pupil pilots.

In June, of this year, the Club acquired a second air­craft – a Cessna 172 four-seater, capable of night-flying – whilst the purchase of a third aircraft is in the offing. Up to now, four members have already obtained private pilots’ licences by way of their own club.

From a few founder members, the club has expanded to boast a membership of 24, a well decorated clubhouse situated at the Rand Airport, its own badge and colours and even wings on the flight overalls of its pilots. This well established club, which has earned a Government subsidy for the training of pilots, must be congratulated on its fine achievement.

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OP DIE SPORTFRONT

TENNIS

Avionpark se tennisspelers net vier spanne (die meeste ooit) in die gemengde Iiga vir 1966, ingeskryf. Almal het baie goed gevaar en die derdespan het hulle afdeling gewen sonder die vlag ‘n enkele keer te stryk. Coen Brand en sy span word hartlik met hierdie prestasie gelukgewens. Vir die eerste keer sedert die klub se ontstaan is ook ‘n span vir die Dames se Woensdagliga ingeskryf. Die span, onder leiding van mev. Jane Steenkamp, het hulle uitmuntend van hul taak gekwyt en net een wedstryd verloor – met n enkele stel, en dit teen die uiteindelike ligawenners, Simmer and Jack Baie knap gedaan – almal van u.

Damespan

Groot entoesiasme heers nou op die tennisfront en neem steeds toe. Met die sosiale byeenkomste Woensdagmiddae is die bane almal deur die skoner geslag beset. As dit so aanhou sal dit oorweeg moet word om twee damespanne volgende jaar in te skryf.

Gemengdespan

Die jaarlikse tennisdans word op 5 November gehou en Roy Martin se orkes sal die musiek verskaf. Almal word baie hartlik uitgenooi om saam te kom dans of tennis te speel – of albei.

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ONS ORGANISASIE: VERKEERSBEDRYF

Die onderafdeling verkeersbedryf wat die werklike bedryfsfunksies van die handelsaktiwiteite in die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens beheer, het in 1964 tot stand gekom, met kantore te Jan Smutslughawe. Dit is onder beheer van mnr. D. Kirkwood, Bestuurder, Verkeersbedryf. Die afdeling se funksies is menigvuldig.

Daaglikse moeilikhede wat by lugstasies opduik in ver­band met passasiers, bagasie, vrag en pos word ondersoek met die doel om nuwe metodes in werking te stel. Ver­tragings in verband met geskeduleerde dienste word direk deur hierdie afdeling beheer. Dit sluit ook die herroeteer van vliegtuie in wat deur slegte weer nadelig getref word, handels- en tegniese vertragings.

Hierdie kantoor hanteer ook alle vliegdokumente, konsep­instruksies vir die laai en hantering van vrag en die beveiliging van bagasie, vrag en pos.

Verkeersinspekteurs wat gedurig ‘n wakende oog oar die aktiwiteite op buitestasies hou, help om die werk te ko-ordi­neer en nuwe metodes sover dit die werk aanbetref voor te stel, ressorteer ook onder hierdie afdeling.

Kortliks kan gesê word dat dit die Verkeersbedryf se oogmerk is om die werk te vereenvoudig, onnodige werk en onproduktiwiteit uit te skakel en handels- en bedryfsnavorsing en ontwikkeling te onderneem.

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CRAFTMANSHIP

Attractive recep­tionist Jean van Rensburg, admiring an equaIIy attractive floating trophy pre­sented by South African Airways to the Brabant Golf Club for the Mauritius Golf Championships.

The trophy was designed and made by the men of S.A.A. in our own workshops at Jan Smuts Airport. The Flying Springbok emblem mounted on the trophy was part of the cabin decora­tion of the Douglas DG-7B aircraft with which S.A.A. introduced the Wallaby Service through Mauritius on May 25, 1957.

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