SAA Orange Tail

September 1970

Nr/No 81

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“OOM JOP” TREE AF

Die Bestuur, personeel en verteenwoordigers van ver­skeie organisasies wat dikwels op die een of ander manier met die redery in aanraking kom, het ten tye van ‘n gesellige funksie op 1 September by die Avion Parkklub, van mnr. J. O. P. de Villiers, die S.A.L. se streekbestuurder op die Jan Smutslughawe, afskeid geneem. Oom Jop, soos by atom bekend is binne en buite die Diens, het op daardie dag op 63-jarige leeftyd en met 43 jaar diens agter die rug, die tuig neergelê om met ‘n welverdiende pensioen of to tree.

Benewens die interessante afskeidsredes wat deur mnre. N. S. Louw (handelsdirekteur), M. M. Louw (personeelbe­stuurder) en ander seksiehoofde gelewer is, het mnr. W. van Zyl, lughawebestuurder, Departement Burgerlugvaart, vir oom Jop bedank vir sy hartlike samewerking oor baie jare en hom nog baie jare van gesondheid en geluk toegewens.

Onder die talle geskenke was ‘n pragtige ruiker vir mev. De Villiers en ‘n gemakstoel met roof leer oorgetrek vir oom Jop, met ‘n plaatjie waarop die woorde „Lekker rus Jop” gegraveer is.

Die verrigtinge is afgesluit met ‘n gepaste toespraak van die leant van oom Jop. Terwyl by sy waardering uitge­spreek het vir die geskenke het by o.a. onder gelag verklaar dat by net hoop mev. De Villiers besef dat dit van haar man is van wie al die mooi woorde gesê is.

Die Departement Burgerlugvaart is deur (van links na regs) mnre. H. J. Le Grange, W. van Zyl en A. H. T. Pretorius verteenwoordig saam met oom Jop en mev. De Villiers (tweede en derde van links).

Mev. De Villiers ontvang ‘n pragtige ruiker van ‘n aantreklike grondwaardin – mej. Penny Crowe.

Mnr. N. S. Louw oorhandig ‘n brief van die Hoofbe­stuurder aan „oom Jop”. Mnr. A. M. Conradie, be­stuurshoof, kon weens siek­te ongelukkig nie teenwoor­dig wees nie.

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“DAD” NEEM OOR

Intussen is bekend gemaak dat mnr. J. C. H. Venter „oom Jop” se opvolger is.

„Dad”, soos hy alom bekend staan, het in 1936 by die Spoorweë aangesluit en is vir die afgelope 23 jaar by die Lugdiens werksaam.

Sy wye ondervinding van ver­keersaangeleenthede behoort hom goed van pas te kom wanneer die S.A.L. se 747′s be­gin vlieg, en ons wens hom alle sukses toe.

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SECOND GENERATION AGAIN

Miss Carol Wood, 20, will carry on a family tradition from her father Captain “‘Planky” Wood, a retired S.A.A. pilot and her mother Mrs. Kathleen Wood, who was one of S.A.A.’s pioneer Air Hostesses. In our photograph the “air family” is seen with the Chief Executive, Mr. A. M. Conradie, shortly after he presented Carol with her “wing” on Wed­nesday, August 26, 1970, at a wings presentation ceremony held at the Cabin Services section, Jan Smuts Airport.

It will be recollected that in the May edition of this publication Sherrilou McGregor was featured as the first second generation hostess to join the ranks of S.A.A. It would appear that the hope then expressed by the Chief

Executive for more second generation hostesses to come forward is being realised.

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SKOLE LUISTER IN

As deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens se werwings­veldtog sal ‘n langspeelplaat wat besonderhede verstrek oor loopbane wat die redery aan jongmense bied, aan skole dwarsdeur die Republiek voorsien word. Mnr. P. B. Goldblatt (links), ‘n verteenwoordiger van die welbekende maatskappy wat die plaat gemaak het, is besig om die eerste Afrikaanse en Engelse weergawe aan mnr. M. M. Louw, die S.A.L. se personeelbestuurder, te oorhandig. Op die agtergrond is mnr. Paul Korsten, die klankdeskundige wat vir die produksie ver­antwoordelik was.

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FACE TO FACE

Wentworth Hotel Carpark attendant Tricia Milton, re-assured that the lion on the back seat wasn’t real after all.

A twist to the lion’s tail! Gert Craffert, South African Airways’ Regional Manager for Australasia and the Far East recently attended a get-together organised by the Manly Lion’s Club in Sydney and took along a real, stuffed lion’s head, mounted on a shield.

When he went to collect his car from the Wentworth Hotel he presented his parking ticket and waited for the girl to bring up the car. After half an hour, he enquired what had happened. It transpired that the girl had entered Gert’s car and looking in the rear view mirror saw the “lion” glaring at her. She let out a piercing scream as her hair virtually stood on end and then she all but fainted. Another female attendant was sent to investigate, but ran screaming from the scene. Gert eventually got his car, but has re­solved never again to leave his lion on the back seat.

Quipped the frightened-stiff car park attendant: “It was so real, I was sure I heard it roar!”

To make up for the fright, Gert presented her with an S.A.A. cigarette lighter.

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FRINGE BENEFITS, WHAT?

The new travel concessions for S.A.A. staff just announced have come as a pleasant surprise for most of us. Overnight our annual free passes have assumed a new significance – round or circle trips are “in” in respect of journeys in the Republic even including travel on some routes to our neighbouring territories.

On the international services rebates range from 50% to 100% depending on a beneficiary’s length of service. Even pensioners qualify for one 90% rebated ticket within 12 months after the date of retirement and every two years thereafter.

This is a major concession which, following as it does in the wake of the recent substantial increases in salaries and improved gradings, adds considerably to the advantages of employment with S.A.A.

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ANOTHER KAREN?

Lynette Retief, 13-year-old daughter of Captain Frank Retief of South African Air­ways and “Battle of the Bulge” fame, was selected as a mem­ber of the South African team of 30 juniors known as the Dolphin Tour, which recently visited Europe to compete in several international swim­ming galas including two ma­jor events. She proved her worth by bringing back a gold medal won for the 100 metres free style. She also came second in the 100 metres back­stroke in her age group and swam outstandingly in several relays.

The countries visited by the group were England, Bel­gium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Congratulations Lynette; we hope to see you in a Springbok blazer next time.

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FOR PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH COMMUNITIES

Mr. Michael Reis, (left) has been appointed as S.A.A.’s District Sales Manager, to serve the Portuguese and Spanish communities. He as­sumed duty on August 3 and whilst his Headquarters are in Johannesburg, he will be re­quired to visit other centres as and when the need arises.

The Portuguese and Spanish Communities will find Mr. Reis a very capable contact in connection with the plan­ning of journeys as well as on the subject of air freighting.

Mr. Reis who started his career in Commercial Aviation in Lisbon in 1945, has occupied positions in the air travel and Public Relations fields ever since. He speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian fluently and can already master some Afrikaans.

We welcome him in our midst and wish him success.

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SAAFARI TRAINING

Mr. Len Meyer, (left) is the Senior Instructor, for the training of staff on SAAFARI (South African Airways Fully Automated Reservations Instal­lation), at Johannesburg.

Len was widely employed in the Central Reservations control section before being posted to London, where he became fully acquainted with B.O.A.C.’s BOADICEA, the equivalent of S.A.A.’s SAAFARI, for which training is at present in full swing. The new system will become operative early next year.

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COMPUTERISED TRAVEL

Mr. A. S. “Dries” Cronjê, S.A.A.’s Manager, Reservations and Data Processing, address­ed the S.A. Computer Society at the University of the Wit­watersrand recently and out­lined the functions of the Air­line’s reservation organisation comprehensively. He specially emphasised the various diffi­culties experienced in a re­servations organisation and described it as the strategic centre for planning new sche­dules. He also compared the out-dated manual system and present batch computerised semi-automatic reservations system of S.A.A., with the fully automated on-line real time reservations and message switching system which S.A. Airways has commenced plan­ning. This process of automation will not be limited to pas­senger reservations, but will also comprise the computerisa­tion of much additional data such as car rental, hotel reser­vations, information as to dietary requirements etc.

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE ADDRESSES SALISBURY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

In an address delivered by Mr. A. M. Conradie, Chief Executive, who was guest speaker at the 76th Annual General Meeting of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce earlier this month, he told the delegates, inter alia, that no one who had read the history of their Chamber, could fail to be impressed by the robust, pioneering spirit, the rugged tenacity, the fearless involvement with contemporary affairs – political, municipal or commercial – which had characterised their Chamber’s activities down through the years; nor could anyone who had studied that history, fail to become aware of the significant role which their Cham­ber has played in shaping and guiding the destiny, not only of Salisbury itself, but of the whole of Rhodesia. Dealing with the aspect of tourism, Mr. Conradie said that there was no better way for Rhodesia to improve its posi­tion in the field of invisible exports than by endeavouring to increase its earnings from foreign tourist expenditures and that it was almost trite to say that international tourism had today become a major industry. The amount spent on it represented the largest single item in international trade and that it was estimated to have exceeded US $14,000 million in 1968.

Mr. Conradie continued: “South Africa too, has seen the number of tourist arrivals rise steadily year after year, until in 1969 it reached a total of 328,241, representing a very creditable advance of 9.5% on the previous year. By reason of their geographical location, our two countries have common problems in so far as the promotion of long­haul tourism, i.e. from countries outside Africa, is con­cerned. For the bulk of their tourist traffic, Rhodesia and South Africa are heavily dependent on each other. Of South Africa’s 328,241 foreign visitors in 1969, no less than 132,816 came from Rhodesia, which was 8.64% more than in 1968.

“Rhodesia can afford to give itself a pat on the back because, according to reports I have read on tourist re­actions to conditions in Southern Africa, Rhodesia has earn­ed for itself an enviable reputation, in the eyes of Wes­terners, for reasonable costs, efficient organisation, inter­nationally accepted standards, courtesy and friendliness. That is indeed the way to win tourist friends, and to make the most of the many natural attractions, some of them unsur­passed anywhere in the world, with which Rhodesia is blessed. In the marketing of tourism, service with a smile is just as important as in the sale of any other kind of mer­chandise – as those who have greeted tourists with a scowl instead of a smile have discovered to their cost!”

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FROM THE VAAL TO S.W.A.

Mr. C. J. Schutte, an S.A.A. aviation technician who was transferred from the Rand to Windhoek three years ago, had been water skiing on the Vaal for several years and did not abandon his love for this sport when he moved to South West Africa. He soon discovered that it was possible to ski on the Goreangab dam near Windhoek and bought himself a 105 horse-power speed-boat capable of achieving 40 knots per hour with which to start the sport at Windhoek.

Many of the S.A.A.’s flying crew are taken in tow on water skis or for a speedboat ride by Mr. Schutte during their stay-over periods in the S.W.A. capital.

He has not yet given his boat a name, as he has no girl friend or wife to name it after, he says. His large, well­trained alsation dog “Keyser” likes skiing as much as its master and is his regular skiing companion – it was un­fortunately not available for the photograph.

Mr. Schutte and his boat on dry land.

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OBITUARY

It is with deep regret that we have to an­nounce the sudden de­mise on September 26 of Mr. F. H. O. Skead, adult messenger, Jan Smuts Airport, who had become affectionately known to the staff as “Oubaas Skead” or “Pop Skead” both at the Ad­ministrative offices, Jan Smuts, and at the Air­ways Centre, Johannes­burg.

He made regular daily trips between these two offices and his friendly greetings in the passages, while carrying his case of mail will be missed by many.

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SO MAAK MENS… IN S.W.A.

Die nuwe Streekbestuurder vir S.W.A. mnr. G. P. Labuschagne en Distriksverkoopsbestuurder mnr. Low Steyn wat albei op 3 Augustus in Windhoek diens aanvaar het, het geen steen onaangeroer gelaat om die S.A.L. se naam deur dienswilligheid hoog te hou nie. Inspring van die staanspoor af was diê leuse. Benewens °n herindeling van diensure en skofte, beide by die lughawe en die stadskantoor, is diê meubels en kantore ook baie aantrekliker vir personeel sowel as kliënte gemaak. Hulle het egter gou agtergekom dat Suidwes nie net ‘n land van biltong en bier is soos baie mense dink nie. Die afstande na verafgeleë plekke moet per motor afge­lê word en op elke rit moet ten minste agt gellings brand­stof en natuurlik materiaal vir verkoopsbevordering in die bagasiebak gelaai word. Oor ‘n tydperk van drie weke het hulle reeds honderde myle afgereis om kennis te maak met reisagente en kliënte in die gebied. ‘n Besoek aan ‘n skou op Otjiwarongo is ook afgelê. Daar aangekom moes hulle ontdek dat die stalletjie wat van Johannesburg af aangestuur sou gewees het nie opgedaag het nie, maar vinnige dinkwerk deur verkoopsman Low Steyn het die S.A.L. se teenwoordig­heid tog laat geld en S.A.L: tafelbiermatte en dasspelde is links en regs aan skougangers uitgedeel en as rosette deur oud en jonk aan baadjies vasgesteek. Die kinders is van S.A.L: strandballe voorsien en ‘n wedstryd is gereël om vas te stel wie dit die vinnigste kon opblaas. Reëlings is reeds ge­tref om die skou wat binnekort in Keetmanshoop gehou sal word, by te woon, asook ‘n funksie vir matrikulante in Wind­hoek waar gepoog sal word om by hulle belangstelling in lugdiensloopbane te wek. Intussen het hulle daarin geslaag om tred te hou met daar­die onvoorsiene gebeure wat ons almal van tyd tot tyd te beurt val. Dit het so gebeur! ‘n Groep vooraanstaande besoekers uit Duitsland het van Frankfurt af met S.A.L. op Windhoek aangekom vir ‘n toer deur die Etosha-wildereservaat en daar is ontdek dat die bagasie van ‘n egpaar dr. en mev. Horst Bufê nie op die vliegtuig was nie. Hulle was genoodsaak om met leë hande saam met die groep te vertrek.

In Windhoek is die nasporingsprosesse onverwyld aan die gang gesit en drie dae daarna het die bagasie van Johannesburg af opgedaag. Sonder versuim is die bagasie per motor byna 400 myl na Namutoni ruskamp in die wild­reservaat geneem en aan die verheugde eienaars oorhandig.

Op aandrang van die gelukkige egpaar moes operasie bagasie” dadelik gevier word waartydens die groep die S.A.L. se verteenwoordigers telkens aangeprys het vir hulle ywer en belangstelling.

Die wyse waarop die genoemde twee manne vir die S.A.L. vriende maak is prysenswaardig en ons wens hulle alle sukses toe!

Op die foto verskyn mnre. Steyn en Labuschagne saam met ‘n opgewonde dr. en mev. Bufê, nadat die tasse by Namutoni aan hulle oorhandig is.

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