SAA Orange Tail

November 1970

No. 83

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THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME?

Work on the hangar and overhaul shop for S.A.A.’s Boeing 747 superjets is progressing rapidly. In our photo a section of the enormous steel framework, which has reach­ed roof height (102 ft.) can be seen taking shape. The hangar will be 510 ft. long and 310 ft. wide and two of the giant aircraft will be accommodated simultaneously for ser­vicing and maintenance when it is completed. The eight doors with a load-space of 80 ft, will provide easy access for the superjets with their 64 ft. high tail fins. S.A.A. will cut “turn-around” time on its Boeing 747 operations by using roofsuspended work platforms for ser­vicing and maintenance and will be the first international airline in the world to install the new system. The work platforms will enable up to 20 workmen to reach any point on two 747′s concurrently, in a matter of minutes. Four American mono rail work platforms will enable South African Airways to have four contingents of techni­cians, workmen and supplies at one time to an aircraft for faster servicing. Delays in moving massive deck scaffolding, ladders and elevating devices will be eliminated. The con­tract price for the four units is approximately R500,000.

  In addition South African Airways engineers are colla­borating with British consulting engineers on the design of air conditioning for the new engine overhaul workshop for its three Boeing 747 high capacity jets which will go into service towards the end of 1971. The inclusion of air conditioning in the new workshop at Jan Smuts Airport was brought about by the need to reduce the dust hazard while the engines were stripped down to their numerous precisely-engineered components. Since all doors would have to remain closed, air con­ditioning became essential in the South African climate. The workshop will also be very slightly pressurised to mini­mise dust entering it.

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AFTREDE

Mnr. H. P. Holtzhausen, adjunk-personeelbestuurder, het op 60 jarige leeftyd en na 43 jaar diens op 30 Oktober 1970 met pensioen uit die Diens getree. Hy het op 23 Junie 1927 by die spoorweë aangesluit en sy loopbaan by Hectorspruit begin. Nadat hy op verskeie kleiner stasies in die Transvaal werksaam was, is hy ge­durende 1934 na die Afdelingsbestuurder se kantoor in Pretoria oorgeplaas en in 1963 plaas hy oor na die lugdiens. By ‘n afskeidsgeselligheid wat onlangs vir mnr. Holtz­hausen gereël is het mnr. M. M. Louw die personeelbestuur­der die verrigtinqe waargeneem en ‘n brief van die Hoof­bestuurder, Suid-Afrikaanse Spoorweë, aan mnr. Holtzhausen oorhandig, asook ‘n tjek namens die lugdienspersoneel. Hy het die goeie work en wonderlike temperament van mnr. Holtzhausen as personeelman sterk aangeprys. Ander sprekers was mnre. A. O. M. Vialls, direkteur van Ingenieurs­wese, J. B. Bester, adjunk-handelsdirekteur (verkope en be­marking), W. W. Sly, kajuitdienstebestuurder, J. Scott, ver­keersbestuurder en mej. J. Gould, hooftikster by die Jan Smutslughawe. Mevrou van den Bergh het namens die vrouepersoneel ‘n geskenk aan Mevrou Holtzhausen oorhandig.

Mnr. Holtzhausen het paslik geantwoord op die toe­sprake en sy dank uitgespreek vir die geskenke. Met ver­wysing na sy loopbaan het hy vertel dat ‘n geleerde rond­loper met wie hy ‘n kamer in sy jong dae gedeel het, op ‘n dag ‘n mense-skedelbeen aan horn geskenk het. Nadat hy lank en ernstig gedink het oor hoe om van die „ding” ont­slae te raak, het hy ‘n boekhandelaar genader wat ingewillig het om die skedel te ruil vir ‘n „Pitman’s Shorthand Instructor’- voorwaar ‘n unieke manier om ‘n handleiding te bekom.

Ons beste wense vergesel mnr. en mev. Holtzhausen.

Mnr. M. M. Louw, personeelbestuurder oorhandig ‘n tjek namens die personeel aan mnr. Holtzhausen.

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WELKOM!

Mnr. C. P. Barnard, super­intendent (Personeel) Hoof­kantoor, Johannesburg is met ingang 1 November 1970 aan­gestel as ons nuwe Adjunk­personeelbestuurder, in die plek van mnr. H. P. Holtz­hausen wat uit die diens ge­tree het weens bereiking van die ouderdomsgrens.

Ons verwelkom mnr. Bar­nard in ons midde en hoop dat hy gelukkig by ons sal wees.

Mnr. C. P. Barnard

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THE PRINCESS AND THE KANGAROO

Miss Kathy Troutt, an Aus­tralian actress, who recently won the Snow Princess Title, made South African Airways history when she accompanied an orphaned young kangaroo, “Kip” on an S.A.A. flight from Perth to Johannesburg. Kip travelled in the cabin with her and Air Hostess, Diana Dunn, provided a special menu of grass and lettuce for their un­usual passenger. Diana was also in charge of the “un­accompanied minor” for the journey from Sydney to Perth and says that it was kept quiet by suspending it in a sack which the animal apparently accepted as its mother’s pouch. Kip, orphaned while a baby, is a gift from the cigarette company which sponsored the competition, to the Johannes­burg Zoo. It is the first kangaroo to be exported from Australia in approximately 20 years. Kathy is flying on to Europe where she is to marry before returning to South Africa to do some modelling and film work.

In the photo Kathy hands Kip over to Dr. Brooks, Curator of the Zoo, with Miss Dunn “looking” on. 

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BAANBREKERS

Hierdie geskiedkundige foto van twee baanbrekers by die standbeeld wat tot hul eer op Jan Smutslughawe opgerig is, is een van die menigte wat in die boek „Vyftig jaar van Vlug” verskyn.

Die book wat deur ons Open­bare Skakelafdeling saamge­stel en geredigeer is, is on­langs gepubliseer om die eerste vlug tussen Engeland en Suid-Afrika deur Sir Pierre van Ryneveld en Sir Ouintin Brand in 1920 te herdenk en skets die geskiedenis van bur­gerlugvaart en die daaropvol­gende ontwikkeling van die S.A.L.

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DIT MOET BLINK!

Mnr. W. M. Mollett, beter bekend as „Oom Mollie” deur die lugdienspersoneel op Windhoek, staan hier by een van die twee spoggerige Mer­cedes Benzbusse waarmee passasiers tussen die Lug­hawe J. G. Strijdom en die eindpunt in Windhoek, ‘n af­stand van 30 myl, vervoer word.

Oom Mollie is seker een van die trotste senior be­stuurders in diens van die S.A. Lugdiens en is verant­woordelik vir die gunstige kommentaar oor die netjiese, blink voertuie van die S.A.L. wat oral in Suidwes se hoof­stad gehoor word. Selfs die twee vragwaens en die departe­mentele motorkarre word vlekloos skoon gehou deurdat oom Mollie maar net nie ‘n vuil voertuig kan duid nie.

Hy het reeds 30 jaar ongelukvrye diens as bestuurder agter die rug, waarvan die afgelope 15 jaar in diens van die S.A.L. was. Die onberispelike toestand van die lugdiensvoer­tuie onder sy beheer is inderdaad prysenswaardig.

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GOLF NEWS

The Philips Telecommunications Trophy for which South African Airways and the S.A.A.F. vie for annually was this year won by South African Airways by a small margin. The winning points totalled 527 as against 523 gained by the Air Force. With such a meagre lead we suspect that the South African Airways competitors were not unduly upset when rain stopped play” eventually. Best scores on the day’s play were attained by Comdt. Vorster and Capt. Morkel of the S.A.A.F. with a nett aggre­gate of 78, while the best gross score was achieved by South African Airways Flight Engineer Hugo Duckworth.

Away from home our two-man team, Captains M. McGean, R. Rossouw, ended up 14th out of the 42 odd teams which competed in the fifth Annual World Airline Golf Championship held at Dorado Beach Golf and Tennis Club, near San Juan, Puerto Rico, from 28th to 30th October. Considering the high standard of golf witnessed at the tournament which, incidentally, was won by TWA, the South African Airways team fared well indeed.

Besides providing healthy exercise and sometimes not so healthy recreation at the 19th hole, golf is undoubtedly good for business. In this connection a Marketing Manager of an American airline casually mentioned during the tour­nament that his company collected a cool US S29 million from golfers in one year. It just goes to show.

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OPSTOPPER

Een van die seldsaamste stokperdjies denkbaar word deur ‘n lid van ons personeel met alle sorg en ywer beoefen. Hierdie lid, by naam Fransie Scholtz, is ‘n jong klerk in die afdeling Beplanning by Lugdienssentrum. Reeds sedert 10-jarige ouderdom stel Fransie intensief belang in die kuns van opstop van diere. Alhoewel hy nooit onderrig ontvang het nie het hy al sy gevorderde kennis op­gedoen deur intensiewe naslaanwerk oor die onderwerp asook wenke wat hy ingewin het deur aan museums dwars­oor die wêreld te skryf. Om een of ander rede doen hy egter nie afstand van sy geheime metodes nie.

Benewens die opstop van diere, slange, voëls ens., ver­samel hy ook voëleiers en besit hy tans seker een van die grootste private versamelings in die Republiek. Hy het ook ‘n slangkuil waarin hy in een stadium 53 verskillende soorte slange aangehou het. Fransie vertel dat dit maklik is om slange te vang as mens eers hul gewoontes ken. Hy is nog net eenkeer deur ‘n pofadder aan die vinger gepik.

Fransie het onlangs ‘n hele koedoe opgestop nadat hy self die vel gelooi en die kop bewerk het.

Sy begeerte is om ‘n kursus in dierkunde te volg. In­tussen werk hy naweke by dieretuine, wanneer hy nie slange vang nie, om kennis van lewendige diere en voëls op te doen.

Fransie tussen ‘n versameling van sy opgestopte diere by sy ouers se huis.

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NUWE UNIFORMS

Die S.A.L. se twee mediese susters op ons foto poseer hier in hulle nuwe donkergroen uniforms, by ‘n broeikas wat spesiaal vir die vervoer per lug van „bloubabas” ontwerp is.

Die uniforms is deftig en daar kan geen twyfel ontstaan oor wat die dames se beroep is wanneer hulle babas of pasiënte vergesel op vlugte van die S.A.L. nie.

Susters Sonja Skjoldhammer en Estie Scholt.

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‘N KWARTEEU VAN INTERNASIONALE DIENSTE VIR DIE S.A.L.

Op 10 November vanjaar het die S.A.L. die 25ste ver­jaardag van sy toetrede tot die geledere van internasionale karweiers herdenk en talle boodskappe van gelukwense is uit alle oorde ontvang. Die eerste diens wat die tans be­kende Vlieënde Springbokembleem na verre oorde gedra het, het op 10 November 1945 van Johannesburg of na Londen vertrek. Die vliegtuig wat die simbool in die lug op daardie ge­leentheid gedra het was Avro York, ZS-ATP, toepaslik ge­naamd ,.Springbok”. Aan die stuur was twee van die bekend­ste vlieëniers in die annale van die S.A.L. se geskiedenis, kapteins Frikkie Fry en Len Inggs, en die vliegtuig het 12 passasiers op sy reis na die V.K. gedra. Elk van hulle het die ekwivalent van of R334 vir ‘n enkel- of R602 vir ‘n retoer­kaartjie betaal, ‘n duidelike bewys dat ten spyte van merk­waardige ontwikkelings betreffende beide gemak en spoed, lugvervoer deur die jare steeds beter waarde vir geld bled. Nadat char op Nairobi, Kairo en Tripoli vertoef is voor­dat Hurnelughawe in die V.K. bereik is, was die Avro York se vlieqtyd 32¹/₂ uur ofskoon die duur van die rit (2¹/₂ dae) meer as dubbel die vliegtyd beloop het.

Sedert November 1945 het die „Vlieënde Springbok” die reis van Suid-Afrika na Europa en die Verenigde Koninkryk al hoe meer dikwels afgelê. Ook het dit sy bestemmings met steeds toenemende snelheid bereik, ‘n faktor wat deLir flinke vordering in die vliegtuigontwerper se kuns moontlik gemaak is. Die Yorks is deur Skymasters vervang, Sky­niasters deur Constellations en Constellations deur DC7B’s tot die bate suksesvolle Boeing 707 uiteindelik sy verskyn­ing gemaak het.

Net soos die vliegtuie het die Vlieënde Springbokem­bleem ook eleganter en meer gesofistikeerd geword. Die oorspronklike ontwerp, vir die eerste keer gedurende die middel-dertigerjare gebruik, is in 1948 deur die huidige em­bleem vervang. Nogtans het die verloop van tyd met sy voorskrifte t.o.v. moderne stilering weer eens die ontwerp ingehaal. Die gevolg is dat ‘n eenvoudige, dog vaartbelynde nuwe „bok’sy verskyning op vliegtuie sal maak wanneer die S.A.L. sy 747 superstralers teen die einde van volgende jaar ontvang.

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THEY SELL S.A.A. ABROAD

This group of S.A.A. staff from abroad recently attended a sales training course at Headquarters in Johanesburg and were also afforded an opportunity of visiting some of the country’s tourist attractions. It was a truly cosmopolitan group judging by the names of the cities from which they hailed – Frankfurt, Melbourne, London, Sao Paulo, Zurich, Dusseldorf, Vienna, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Manchester and Lyon. Their mentor while in South Africa was Mr. John Myburg, Sales Training Officer (standing right).

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ADDICTED TO FLYING

Dina Taute, a check hostess with S.A.A., is quite possibly the airline’s most widely tra­velled female employee. Dur­ing the twelve years she has been on the staff of S.A.A. Dina has travelled to every country served by the airline, as well as to quite a few others which are not on S.A.A.’s schedules. In the course of her travels, more­over, she has made hundreds of friends right around the globe. Dina’s comfortable flat in Hillbrow, Johannesburg is fill­ed with souvenirs of her tra­vels; paintings, beer mugs and other items of bric-a-brac all reflect her jet-set background However, a glance at some of the titles of the books which tine here bookshelf is enough to convince one that Miss Taute is addicted to flying.

Her collection of books with an aviation theme is both diverse and fascinating. The subjects which are embraced range from romantic novels to the history of the S.A.A.F., from technical data on aircraft types to the rather saucy memoirs of two airline hostesses. Its quite obvious, in fact, that Dina Taute is not only a widely experienced air traveller but also something of an authority on the subject of aviation.

Dina Taute, photographed in her Hillbrow flat with part of her collection of books on flying.

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SAAFARI – DOCUMENTATION LIBRARY

The photo above reflects a section of the up-to-date do­cumentation library established to maintain a comprehensive record of all manuals and publications pertaining to S.A.A.’s International Programmed Airlines Reservations System (IPARS) or SAAFARI (South African Airways Fully Auto­mated Reservations Installation), the Airline’s name for the system. In addition to a vast number of reference manuals con­tained in the central library, a special section houses periodi­cals, newspapers, sales literature and any other publications pertaining to computerised data processing.

The master sets of all IPARS documents are maintained here and include those for the message switching system applicable to SAAFARI. The Central Documentation Library supplies all sections with IPARS documents as well as any revisions and amendments to existing sets. One IPARS set atone contains approximately 20,000 documents while a master set of approximately 2,000 programmes related to SAAFARI are also filed in the library. A special card index­ing system makes it possible to retrieve information almost instantaneously.

Also seen in thee photo is Mr. H. J. Venter, Documen­tation Librarian (standing) and Mr. Stephen Fautley (back to camera discussing a document). In the background is an assistant, Mrs. Petro Roux.

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