SAA Orange Tail

1970 A CHALLENGE FOR WORLD AIRLINES

The year 1970 will be one of challenge for the world’s scheduled airlines according to Mr. Knut Hammerskjold, Director General of I.A.T.A. For I.A.T.A. Member airlines, which carry more than 90 per cent of the world’s scheduled air traffic, the number of passengers flown should reach about 273 million, and total passenger traffic attain some 355 thousand million passenger-kilometres (or 220 billion passenger-miles) in 1970. This expected 14 per cent increase represents a slightly improved rate of growth in passenger traffic compared with last year. Another statistically good year is expected for Member airlines’ freight traffic, which should increase by about 24 per cent over 1969 to 11,700­million tonne-kilometres (8,000 million ton-miles) in 1970. However, the airline industry is entering a critical phase. In 1970 certain airlines will introduce the Boeing 747 – the largest commercial passenger aircraft ever pro­duced. If the increase in total capacity offered in 1970 con­tinues to exceed traffic growth, then load factors will inevitably continue their present downward trend. Thus, unless traffic growth exceeds expectations the airline indus­try’s economic results are unlikely to be satisfactory in view of present trends of rising costs and declining yields and the massive airline re-equipment and extension pro­grammes. In the coming year (and for years thereafter), the airlines will have to pursue their never-ending search for new ways of reducing costs, both in their own interest and that of the travelling public. They also have to continue their common efforts in a wide variety of fields, such as insurance and security, where co-operation can result in many benifits for the world airlines industry and its custo­mers. Furthermore, the airlines must not relent in their quest for rationalization and standardization of approaches to other cost elements over which they have little or no uontrol. Government charges represent a prime example of this sort of element. It is, therefore, necessary that a major effort also be made on the part of governments in order to achieve co­ordinated and rational policies which will complement rather than work against the airlines’ efforts to reduce travelling costs for the mass public of the 70′s. ———- END OF AN ERA The end of the era of propeller-driven aircraft on South African Airways will be taken a step nearer when the popular and reliable turbo-prop Viscounts which were first introduced in 1958, are withdrawn from all domestic routes with effect from May 1, 1970. Viscount services will, in the meantime continue to operate to South West Africa and the neighbouring States until such time as these services are also operated by all­jet aircraft. This step will be made possible by the introduction early this year of three more of the versatile twinjet Boeing 737′s primarily for use on the shorter internal sectors. In addition to these aircraft, an order for two more Boeing 7270C versions was recently announced by the Minister of Transport, Mr. B. J. Schoeman, which will bring S.A.A.’s Boeing fleet in service and on order to a total of 26. ———- CERTIFICATION FOR 747 The world’s largest commercial jetliner, the Boeing 747, of which South African Airways has three on order, has been fully certified for passenger service by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.). The certificate has been awarded 32 years after the Boeing Company announced its intention to build the 350 to 490 passenger aircraft. On a recent demonstration flight the 747 flew from Seattle to New York City in 4 hours and 5 minutes, at one point reaching a ground speed of 720 miles per hour. S.A.A.’s three 747′s on order for late 1971, will have a seating configuration of 358 passengers – 53 first and 305 economy class. P.S. Since going to press the gleaming silver aircraft, Clipper Young America, has begun regular service across the Atlantic. ———- OUR PILOTS FLY THE 747 Senior Captains J. A. (Bert) Rademan and S. (Pi) Pienaar, S.A.A.’s Chief Fleet Captain and Fleet Captain (Overseas Services) respectively, both have had the dis­tinction of having flown the giant Boeing 747 on a training flight during a recent visit to the U.S.A. Captain Rademan who made some take-offs and land­ings remarked that it was a very beautiful plane with handling characteristics similar to other members of the Boeing family. He said that it was very light on the controls and wonderful to fly and that while in the cockpit there was no impression of the tremendous size of the aircraft. S.A.A.’s three 747′s are due for delivery towards the end of next year and will be placed in service early in 1972. ———- MUTUAL HELP An excellent agreement which operates to mutual benefit exists between S.A.A. and the Springbok Flying Club (founded by S.A.A. staff members). S.A.A, apprentices seeking the opportunity of gaining first hand technical knowledge on modern light aircraft as part of their training are eagerly performing all maintenance and servicing to the aircraft of the Springbok Flying Club which in turn only has to pay for spares and material used. The aircraft are flown to Jan Smuts Airport at 50 and 100 hour inspection intervals and maintenance is carried out under supervision of instructors and licenced aircraft tech­nicians.

A Piper Cherokee of the Springbok Flying Club undergoing inspection in the S.A.A. Apprentice Training School.

All this serves as an added advantage for the saving in maintenance charges and enables the Club to offer flying tuition to S.A.A. staff at reduced rates. The Springbok Flying Club is growing from strength to strength and with an active membership of about 60 members it owns three aircraft consisting of two Cherokee Piper 140′s and one Piper Arrow 200 fitted with retractable undercarriage, fuel injection and constant speed propeller. The latter aircraft, fitted with VOR and ADF, is mainly used for advanced navigational and instrument flying. This machine alone costs approximately R28,000. The club has thus far succeeded in training two pilots for S.A.A. who are at present First-Officers. A further five members are now undergoing advanced training for com­mercial licences and three of them have already written the technical examination. Since advanced training is conducted by S.A.A. First Officers the pupils are trained according to high airline standards. Chief Flying Instructor is Mr. Kurt Bonow and the man to contact is Chairman Mr. Lee Swartz on telephone Jan Smuts extension 5408. By the way, The club is contemplating buying a twin­engined aircraft like a Piper Aztec! Formation flying with a beautiful cloud backdrop. The photo’, taken from the Piper Arrow 200 shows that the colour scheme of the Springbok Flying Club is almost identical to that of S.A.A.’s fleet. ———- GEREED VIR HUL TAAK Nog ‘n kursus vir die opleiding van vlugskelners wat oor ‘n tydperk van ses weke gestrek het, het onlangs ten einde geloop. Tydens die seremonie ter afsluiting van die kursus het die vyftien kelners hul vlerkies ontvang en is groot lof deur hul instrukteurs toegeswaai vir die geesdrif wat daar geheers het. ‘n Laaste woord van dank is deur mnr. Chris Heyns, die klaskaptein, teenoor mnr. Vosloo, die instrukteur en sy medewerkers agter die skerms, uitgespreek. Oor ‘n koppie tee is die verloop van die kursus later breedvoerig onder mekaar bespreek. Waar voornemende kelners ses weke vroeër nog heeltemal onkundig was oor sake betreffende eerstehulp en die skink van drankies, is hulle nou, danksy die bekwame onderrig deur mense soos mnre. Vosloo en Muller, bedrewe in alle pligte wat van die vlugskelner vereis mag word. Ses weke van skoolgaan laat sy merk op vyftien on­geduldige kelners. Om hierdie rede sal geeneen van hulle seker daardie eerste vlug vergeet nie.

Saam met die opgewekte vyftiental nuwe vlugskelners is mnre. A. Vosloo, instrukteur (links) en J.J. Muller van die St. Johns­ ambulansbrigade in die gemaklike eersteklassitplekke van die Boeing­ kajuitrepIika.

———-

S.A.A. TO BUY TEST EQUIPMENT

South African Airways plans to buy highly sophisti­cated test equipment to cut delays to a negligible figure. The airline’s technical staff under Engineering Direc­tor A. O. M. Vialls, are evaluating several types of ATE – automatic test equipment – which can pinpoint developing snags that are not detectable in the normal maintenance checks, thorough as they are. The testing equipment, which is based on a computer, is able to detect immediately incipient failure in an aircraft’s hydraulic, electrical, pneumatic, fuel and other systems. In most cases no dismantling of systems is necessary for such faults to be found. Even though present maintenance methods are extre­mely thorough and are based on the prevention of faults before they occur, it is still possible for one of the highly complex machines to undergo an extensive check – only to have a snag show up soon afterwards. The new equipment will enable technicians to do much more testing of the aircraft in the hangars so that when it is released for operations, the likelihood of snags developing will be greatly reduced. ———- MILLIONAIRE Our girl of the month is attractive Travel Hostess Dalene Basson. Dalene joined S.A.A. in March 1963 and qualified for the overseas services the following year and has since logged more than 5,000 flying hours – a record for S.A.A. Travel Hostesses. This achievement also makes her a mile­age millionaire – perhaps doubly ! Congratulations Dalene ! Before joining the Airline, Dalene was a nurse who had been travelling extensively abroad. She, inter alia, served for 22 years at various hospitals in England. Dalene speaks English, Afrikaans and Italian fluently and can also say at least “Hallo” and “Goodbye” in just about every other tongue. When off duty, she plays ten­nis and is an avid reader. She still loves flying and to put it in her own words: “Flying is incredibly varied and therefore always remains exciting. I adore every coun­try that I travel to – espe­cially London for shopping and the theatre!” Dalene has flown with many VIP’s and various world re­nowned celebrities. ———- OUR MAN IN COPENHAGEN Hans Boëtius, S.A.A.’s distinguished-looking District Sales Manager in Copenhagen, has demonstrated a keen sense of humour during his recent participation in a sales seminar held in Johannesburg. During the course of the seminar the affable Dane delivered a most amusing talk on the Scandinavian countries. Elaborating on Scandinavia’s geographical location, Hans had this to say: “Scandinayia is located in a corner of the world, just north of Europe, and being thus off the centre, we of course have to shout louder than the rest in order to be heard”. Of his own country and countrymen, the speaker made this observation : “Denmark is flat. As flat as they come. The highest spot is 900 feet and is rather presumptuously called Sky Mountain. However, living in a flat country gives the people a broader outlook on life”. It must also help to foster a sense of humour.                , The individual countries which go to make up Scandi­navia were then examined in turn. Norway was deemed a country eminently suitable for salmon fishing, skiing and subsequent broken legs. The speaker seemed a little distressed by the fact that in the north “The sun never sets in the summertime which rules out the possibilities for several popular nocturnal pursuits.” In spite of his Danish background, Mr. Boëtius conce­ded that of the three Scandinavian countries, Sweden offers the highest standard of living. “Just everybody seems to be well-dressed,” he main­tained, “except certain groups of the younger people, and even here they seem to be more well-dressed, badly, than anywhere else”. For this witty observation and his quaint, but, never­theless, expressive turn of phrase, we feel that Mr. Boëtius deserves our congratulations. ———- SILENCE IS A VIRTUE The beginning of a new year always brings with it a long list of soon-forgotten resolutions. Leaves are turned over briefly only to settle back into their former, more com­fortable positions. However, there is one resolution which we urge you all to make and to keep. This concerns a matter of discretion. Perhaps the resolution should take the simple form of : “I shall not make thoughtless and careless statements regarding the affairs of our Airline”. How often in the past has the airline been faced with awkward situations and press confrontations due to the rash, misguided remarks which have been made by a single individual? A mere passing comment made during a private conversation has often had serious repercussions. Official appeals have been made in the past regar­ding this matter of discretion, but once again the time has come to draw attention to the seriousness of the matter. It is the duty of every member to refrain from discussing with outsiders matters affecting the service. The whole­hearted support and loyalty of the staff in this connection is earnestly enjoined. ———-

TOT U DIENS

Tydens ‘n aangename geselligheid onlangs in die kajuitdienstegebou op die Jan Smutslughawe het nege sjar­mante dametjies hul by die geledere van ons reiswaardinne geskaar. Die uitpasseringsfunksie is deur senior lede van die personeel bygewoon en onder die vele ouers en vriende was mevr. Matty Reid en mnr. J. J. Muller ook teenwoordig wat die dames onderskeidelik in houdingsleer, grimering en eerstehulp onderrig het. (Agter van links na regs) Mej. D. Taute; toesighoudster en instruktrise van die groep, mevr. Matty Reid, mnr. J. J. Muller, Meji. I. Barnard, P. Greyling, A. Haupt, C. Hofert en S. Verheem, mnre. M. M. Louw, personeelbestuurder en W. W. Sly, kajuitdiensbestuurder. (Voor) Mejj. J. Smith, C. Kies, C. de Wilsen en H. Liversage. Mejj. P. Greyling en A. Haupt wat kop-aan-kop die hoogste punte in eerstehulp behaal het, het elk ‘n stel ewe­pragtige silwer servetringe van mnr. J. J. Muller, distrik­sekretaris van die Wes-Transvaalse St. Johnsambulansbri­gade ontvang. Ons wens al ons nuwe reiswaardinne en vlugskelners ‘n baie aangename loopbaan in die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens toe. ‘n Baie aangename verrassing vir toesighoudster mej. Dina Taute (regs) toe haar klasdames ‘n pragtige ruiker aan haar oorhandig het. ———- S.A.A. OFFICERS HONOURED Great honour has been bestowed on two senior S.A.A. officers when they were recently elected as Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society. They are Mr. J. Adam, Deputy Chief Executive and Mr. A. O. M. Vialls, Engineering Direc­tor, who is immediate past-president of the Society’s Southern Africa Division. Mr. A.O.M. Vialls                              Mr. J. Adam ———-

DIANA SETS PACE IN TIP-TO-TOP TRIAL RUN

Diana Dunn, one o f S.A.A.’s senior Air Hostes­ses, this month set the pace for competitors in one of the four sections of the Argus R12,000 Tip-to-Top Challenge. The Challenge is being organised by the Argus Group to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the es­tablishment of the South African Air Force and of the first London to Cape Town flight. It will be held from March 9 to March 21 and the course is from the tip of the FM tower in Johan­nesburg to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town via a check-point in Durban.

Leaving the Brixton Tower in a fast­ Sports Car.

Delayed in Johannesburg by a soaking rain, slowed by a head-wind on the flight to Durban, held up by a massive traffic jam on the South Coast road caused by an accident and faced with a howling south easter in Cape Town, Diana com­pleted the run in a total travelling time of 3 hours 16 minutes 49 seconds.

Diana rushes up the aircraft steps at Louis Botha Airport seconds before take-off.

———-