SAA Orange Tail

“Super B” is the name to be applied to each of SAA’s five Boeing 747′s once they have returned from Seattle after being “souped-up” to meet the future long distance re­quirements of the airline’s route network.

To further reduce the over­all mass of each aircraft, SAA’s Boeing 747 fleet is to be fitted throughout with emergency chutes which are cleverly designed to double as life rafts. This obviates the necessity to carry the present heavy and bulky life rafts, and offers a saving in both space and mass.

There is to be a drag “clean-up”, as it is termed by the technical experts, on the engine cowls and various other parts of the aircraft, and a modification aimed at improv­ing noise characteristics. This means that despite the in­creased engine power, the Super B’s engines will be less noisy than the present engines, which themselves were quieter than the engines of earlier aircraft.

The aircraft’s safety fea­tures will be given an added dimension by the incorpora­tion of a ground-proximity warning system, of the type which is to be standard equip­ment on the B747 SP. This system activates a recorded message when an aircraft de­scends below a safety limit, and the pilot is given a vocal warning “Pull up!

“Passenger comfort is to be given a boost with an increase of approximately two metres in the length of the upstairs lounge.

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NEW MAN FOR USA

Mr. Trevor Phillips, Group Mana­ger (Quality Control and Stan­dards), has been appointed to the position of Director, South African Government, Railways and Air­ways, Procurement Office, New York with effect 1 July 1975.

Mr. Phillips has had an interesting career with SAA dating back to September 1936, shortly after the airline moved its headquarters to the Rand Airport in Germiston. He joined SAA after serving an appren­ticeship with the South African Air Force and started his airline career as a mechanic.

Prior to the outbreak of the war, which saw him in active service with 25 and 31 Squadrons of the SAAF, he flew for three years as a flight engineer/radio operator. After the war, Mr. Phillips travelled to the U.S.A. to study the Pratt and Whitney engine and to bring back SAA’s first DC-4 Skymaster.

Since that time Mr. Phillips has enjoyed several further sojourns in the U.S.A. in connection with the introduction of various aircraft types such as the Lockheed 749 Constellation, the Boeing 707 and the Boeing 727. One of his more interesting experiences was a trip to the Bahamas in 1964 to take delivery of the final addition to SAA’s Vickers Viscount fleet.

Mr. Phillips is no stranger to the United States of America and we l would extend our best wishes for a happy term of office in his new capacity.

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SKI-VAKANSIE IN OOSTENRYK

In ‘n vorige uitgawe van SAL-Nuus het ons namens Peter Isopp, die Oostenrykse ski-instrukteur ‘n uitnodiging aan alle SAL-personeel gerig om ‘n ski-vakansie in Oostenryk teen ‘n bale redelike prys te kom geniet.

Nie minder nie as 148 SAL-personeellede het tydens die 1974/75 Europese winter seisoen van Pieter se uitnodiging gebruik gemaak. Een van die personeel wat gedurende Januarie vanjaar ‘n vakansie van twee en ‘n half weke in Spital deurgebring het, is Ruth Rosenbrock van die afdeling verkope in Johannesburg.

Ruth het haar verblyf terdeë geniet, nie net oor die uitstekende skihange nie, maar ook oor die aangename sosiale levee in die dorpie Spital. Ruth vertel dat Januarie die Weense Balseisoen is en dat daar elke Saterdagaand en sommige Vrydagaande ‘n dansbal in die ou tradisionele styl van Johann Strauss in die stadsaal van die naburige dorpie Murzzgusch­lag is. Murzzguschlag is slegs 5 kilometers ver van Spital en hierdie is dus ‘n ideate geleentheid om ‘n tipiese Europese dansbal by to woon wat die gedagtes laat terugflits na die Weense hof van die keiser Franz Joseph in sy bloeitydperk.

Huisvesting in Spital is in ‘n pension met privaat badkamer of stort en ontbyt. Die prys van R89,00 per week sluit ook in die huur van ski’s, pale en stewels, vier uur elke dag skilesse, vry toegang tot alle diskoteke in Spital, ‘n vrye Tiroolse aand en vervoer van Wenenlughawe of na Spital en terug na Wenenlughawe. Die afhaal van Baste wat na Spital gaan by Wenenlughawe is so gereël dat dit inpas by die aankoms van die SAL se vlug SA266 van Johannesburg of op Sondae.

Spital bied nie net skihange vir gevorderde skiërs en leerlinghange vir beginners nie maar ook hange onder spreiligte vir aandski, skaatsbane en sleeritte. Die seisoen by Spital duur van Kersfees af tot aan die einde van Maart en plekbesprekings vir ‘n vakansie by die vakansie-oord teen die spesiale prys vir SAL-personeel kan gemaak word deur kaptein N. Grobler by Pretoria 78-5427 te skakel.

‘n Laaste woordjie van advies van mej. Rosenbrock: “As u nie ‘n ski-uitrusting het nie, moet dit nie in Londen of Wenen of enige ander plek koop nie, want dit is baie goedkoper om sulke klere in Spital self aan te koop.”

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MEET THE BOSS

Many are in doubt as to who the Boss is – this article from the June 1975 issue of Faith For Daily Living which follows should clear that doubt.

Meet the Boss :­

-A passenger is more than an occupied seat.

-A group of passengers is more than a load factor.

-More passengers this year are not merely a percentage increase. What are They?

-They are all human beings, each with a separate identity. They can smile if we make them happy; frown if we annoy them; come to us again if they are happy; leave us to travel otherwise if we annoy them.

-A passenger is the most im­portant person in our lives-when he comes to us in the office, when he speaks to us on the telephone, when he writes to us. He is doing us a favour in asking us – and not some other con­cern – to serve him.

-A passenger is not an outsider to our business – he is part of it, and more like him are all of it.

-A passenger is not someone to argue with or match our wits, against. We can win the argument and lose the passenger.

-A passenger lost is a person we have’ set free to damage us, and a multitude of lost customers is the end of our business.

-Each passenger, whether sour, and bitter, or pleasant and attrac­tive, is a person who contributes to our success and to whom, at all costs, we must be polite and helpful.

-Let us salute the passenger for, whatever his faults – and we all have them – to us he is not a stranger…

HE IS THE BOSS.

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ARRIVALS FROM AFAR

Two extremely rare Tibetan spaniels flew with SAA for the last leg of their journey from the roof of the world to their new home in Durbanville.

On hand at D.F. Malan Airport to welcome the two pups were their owner Mr. G. Skeats who has waited for his pets, for two years, and a number of SAA staff members who greatly admired the two spaniels.

Our photograph shows in the usual order Messrs. J.H. Scheepers, R.A. Uijs, D.A.J. Calluchy, C. Reeks, T.J. de Vaal (all of SAA), Mr. Skeats the owner and the two
V.I.Pups.

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BLOMMEHULDE

Dit neem ‘n kunstenaar om die ongewone in die alledaagse to sien en lets buitengewoons uit die prosaise to skep.

So ‘n kunstenaar is Marie-Louise van Wyk van Pretoria. Blommerang­skikking is haar lewenslange stokperdjie en as mens haar ontmoet dink jy onwillekeurig aan blomme. Teen die risiko om ‘n clichê to gebruik mag mens affodille voorstel – ‘n pragtige oop gesig, vriendelike glimlag en goue blonde hare. Sit hierby ‘n sjarmante persoonlikheid en ‘n magdom artistieke talent en die finale produk is die essensie van vroulikheid.

Marie-Louise behoort aan ‘n tak van die Transvaalse Vrouelandbou-unie wat elke maand blommerangskikkingstentoonstellings reël. Vir die Mei­

kompetisie moes ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse terra uitgebeeld word. Marie-Louise het deur haar tuin geloop (tussen hakkies sy gebruik net haar eie blomme uit haar tuin en koop selde ander) en sy sê dat die strelitzias haar herinner het aan ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens se vliegtuig in vlug. Die gedagte is moeder van die daad en die eindresultaat was die weninskrywing soos in die foto gesien kan word.

Behalwe vir haar deelname aan hierdie maandelikse kompetisies, was Marie-Louise op een stadium ook aktief betrokke by die kweek van proteas. Sy woon saam met haar doktereggenoot in Lynnwood en het een klein dogtertjie wat, op die heugdige ouderdom van drie haar mamma rondvolg, blomme pluk en hulle in haar eie blompotte rangskik.

In ruil vir haar blommehulde wat die Pretoriase kantoor van die SAL versier,
oorhandig die redery ‘n figuurlike ruiker van gelukwense en goeie wense aan mev. Van Wyk

Marie-Louise is ook lief vir kunsnaaldwerk terwyl haar slanke figuur toegeskryf kan word aan jare van intensiewe dansopleiding – klassiek, modern en spaans. Na ‘n klein bietjie oortuiging het sy ook erken dat sy onder haar nooiensvan Otten die klassieke balletkampioenskappe in Pretoria vir drie jaar na mekaar gewen het. Alhoewel sy vyf jaar gelede aktief opgehou dans het, bly sy in voeling deur nou en dan as beoordeelaar op te tree.

Enigiets anders, wonder mens? Ja, sy speel tennis en muurbal vir gereelde oefening.

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PASSASIERSHULPEENHEID

‘n Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens-pas­sasiershulpeenheid is verlede maand by Jan Smutslughawe in gebruik geneem.

Hierdie voertuig, versier in die ken­merkende oranje, wit en blou kleure van die redery, word gebruik om onge­stelde passasiers tussen die vliegtuig en eindpuntgeboue te vervoer.

Ontwerp en spesiaal gebou om aan die redery se vereistes te voldoen, kan ­diê eenheid beide rystoel- en draagbaar- ­gevalle vervoer. Die binnekant is so toegerus dat dit volledige gemak aan die ongestelde passasier verskaf en het al die modernste toerusting wat vir die hantering van invalides vereis word.

Die binneversiering sluit in netjiese opgestopte mure, ‘n wasbak met ‘n voorraad vars water, plek vir ongeveer vier rystoele en draagbare en ‘n opgestopte tafel.

Die passasiershulpeenheid werk op dieselfde beginsel as die vurkhysers en kajuitlaaiers wat tans gebruik word en kan tot die hoogte van enige vliegtuig verstel word.

Hierdie veelsydige eenheid hot sy moontlikhede bewys toe dit gebruik is om die beseerde passasiers van ‘n Israeli-vliegtuig af te laai -die passasiers was die ongelukkige Suid-Afrikaanse slagoffers van ‘n bus ongeluk in die berge van Iran – en na die eindpuntgebou te vervoer. Die wyse waarop die situasie gehanteer is, laat geen twyfel oor die bruikbaarheid van hierdie voertuig nie en dit sal stellig onvergelykbare gemak aan ons ongestelde passasiers op die grond voor en na ‘n eweneens gemaklike vlug bied.

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PILOTS PRAISED

South African Airways pilots have over the past few years, supplied weather bureaux throughout the country with reports on prevailing weather conditions encountered during their flights.

In addition to supplying weather reports the pilots have also gained admiration for their continued assistance to smaller aircraft or ships found in difficulty, especially during storms. They have also in the past acted as guides or called in assistance for the aircraft or shipping.

SAA pilots have expanded their assistance still further and have now become known for their fight against the pollution of our coastline.

In a recent letter to the General Manager, Mr. Driessen, Secretary for Transport, expressed his appreciation for the excellent work done by SAA pilots. He stated that due to the increased presence of oil tankers off our coastline the danger of oil pollution on our shores has become a major threat, and without the timeous warnings by the pilots flying off the coast it would not be possible to destroy oil slicks off-shore, and our beaches would have been covered in crude oil.

The presence of this oil is not only a threat to the cleanliness of our beaches but also to the living creatures found in the sea and on the rocks off shore.

There is no doubt that the cockpit crews of South African Airways play not only an important role in the safe transporta­tion of passengers but also in the preservation of the environ­ment, and they deserve the praise they have received from both the governmental and private sectors.

On behalf of the airline we thank all concerned for their meritorious efforts.

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HOOFBESTUURDER WORD ERE-PROFESSOR

Mnr. J.G.H. Loubser, hoofbestuurder van die Suid-Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens het ‘n ere-professoraat in Vervoer aan die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit aanvaar.

Mnr. Loubser sal verskeie lesings op ‘ri gevorderde vlak aan seniorstudente en personeel van die Universiteit leaver.

Mnr. Loubser het as ‘n meganiese ingenieur aan die Wit­watersrandse Universiteit gekwalifiseer en is sedert 1942 in diens van die Spoorweë. Nadat by teen die leer opbeweeg het, het mnr. Loubser die jongste Hoofingenieur van die Spoorweë geword.

Van 1968 of het mnr. Loubser uinnlg vordering gerrraak en was eers hoof van beplarining en produktiwiteit verbonde aan hoofkantoor, voordat by as adjunk-hoofbestuurder en van 1 September 1970 of as hoofbestuurder, aangestel is.

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JOAO PINTO TUSSEN DIE STERRE

Joao Pinto, op en wakker distriksverkoopsbestuurder vir Johannesburg se Portugese en Spaanse gemeenskappe is ‘n man van baie rolle. Bo en behalwe die feit dat hy verskeie tale vlot praat, het hy ook getoon dat hy ‘n gevatte onderhoudvoerder van belangrike persone is en word hy gereeld gehoor op die Mosambiekse radiosender, L.M. Radio.

Oor die afgelope paar maande is Joao besig gehou deur ‘n stroom van rolprentakteurs wat by Jan Smutslughawe aankom oppad na rolprentto­nele in Suidelike Afrika. Baie van hulle, is ons verheug om te sê, het met die SAL gereis.

Die rolprentsterre wat Joao by die lughawe onderhoude mee gevoer het, sluit sulke skoonhede in soos Ursula Andress wat in Johannesburg was om ‘n nuwe teaterkompleks in Hillbrow te open, en Maude Adams, ‘n voormalige James Bond-nooi wat in The Man With The Golden Gun opgetree het.

Onder die manlike sterre wat by die lughawe aangekom het, was Charlton Heston, Telly Savalas en Peter Fonda en Joao het hulle almal te woord gestaan.

Joao Pinto gesels met Maude Adams

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AN INDELIBLE LESSON

In “buttoning” up a recent Boeing 747 flight the Ground Handling Agent had some dif­ficulty in getting the cabin door correctly sealed. Re­questing assistance from inside the aircraft, he was quickly assisted by the Flight Service Director.

Working from both sides, the two men moved the stubborn door into position for sealing. The Agent had his left hand on the door handle and his right hand braced on the fuselage. At a moment just prior to the final sealing of the door, the Agent’s right hand, slipped slightly and one of his fingers went between the edge of the door and the fuselage. Unaware of what was happen­ing outside, the FSD conti­nued to seal the door, result­ing in the shearing of some 6 mm from the Agent’s finger­tip.

An indelible lesson to those who have to seal aircraft doors during the course of their duty.

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USA VISITORS

Ground hostess Bibi Strydom was on hand to meet and assist two world famous cantors upon their arrival by South African Airways from the United States. Mr. Moshe Stern (left) and Mr. Tibor Kelen were on a visit to South Africa and scheduled to give two concerts in Johannesburg. Mr. Stern is the Cantor of the Temple Beth-El, the largest congregation in New York, and Mr. Kelen, who resides in Toronto, Canada, is also an acclaimed tenor in his own right.

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