SAA Orange Tail

Maart/March 1975

No. 135

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KAPTEIN “PI” PIENAAR IS NUWE BESTUURSHOOF

Die aankondiging dat kaptein Salmon „Pi” Pienaar mnr. Jimmy Adam as bestuurshoof van die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens gaan op­volg, kom as geon verrassing nie. ‘n Lugrederyman deur en deur, is hy moontlik die bekendste vlieënier wat nog ooit ‘n SAL-vliegtuig ge­vlieg het.

Kaptein Pienaar is al sedert 1936 by die Administrasie toe hy as ‘n leerling-telegrafis by die Suid-Afri­kaanse Spoorweë aangesluit het. Toe hy in 1940 vir voltydse militêre diens vrygestel is, het hy by die SALM as ‘n vlieënier aangesluit. Sy uitnemende oorlogsrekord het hom met die D.F.C. en die Lugmagkruis beloon.

Kaptein Pienaar het in 1945 na Suid-Afrika teruggekeer om as ‘n Eersteoffisier by die SAL aan to sluit. Hy het vinnig vooruitgang gemaak en is in 1950 as seniorvlieg­instrukteur aangestel, in 1953 as hoof vlieginstrukteur, hoofoplei­dingskaptein in 1963, vlootkaptein in 1969 en hoofvlootkaptein in 1971. Hy het die SAL se eerste Direkteur (vliegbedryf) geword toe by die verpligte aftree-ouderdom van 55 in Oktober 1972 bereik het.

Sedert hy by die SAL aangesluit het, het kaptein Pienaar kursusse op Vikings, Constellations, Comets (die eerste stralers), DC-713′s en al die Boeingvliegtuie wat die SAL sedert 1960 in diens het, voltooi. Hy was ook aktief betrokke by die afleweringsvlugte van baie van die vliegtuie wat die SAL aangekoop het.

Kaptein en mev. “Pi” Pienaar

Ons nuwe bestuurshoof is ook die houer van ‘n paar “eerste-” rekords. Hy het ‘n rekord vir vinnigste vlug met ‘n Boeing 707 tussen Londen en Johannesburg opgestel, toe hy en kaptein R.B. Truter op 22 April 1961 die afstand ononderbroke gevlieg het in 10 uur 46 minute. Op 12 Augustus 1972 het kaptein Pienaar nog ‘n rekord opgestel met die afleweringsvlug van die SAL se vierde Boeing 747, SAO, „Magaliesberg” toe hy die vliegtuig op die eerste 747-geen-stopdiens tussen Londen en Johannesburg gevlieg het.

In 1960, toe hy opleiding by die Boeingfabriek in Seattle ondergaan het, het kaptein Pienaar almal ver­baas toe hy die B707-eksamens met 99 persent geslaag het en hierdie merkwaardige prestasie in Junie 1965 herhaal het toe hy die Boeing 727-eksamens met dieselfde hoë persentasie geslaag het.

‘n Sjarmante en vriendelike man, woon kaptein Pienaar en sy ewe sjarmante vrou, Dina in Kempton Park maar geniet dit om naweke op hulle plasie op die walle van die Vaalrivier naby Parys deur te bring. Kaptein Pienaar geniet dit ook om nou en dan gholf te speel vir ont­spanning.

Die vier Bestuurshoofde van die SAL, verlede, hede en toekoms. Van links na regs is mnre. J.G. Grovê (1959-1966), A.M. Conradie (1966-1972), J. Adam (1972-1975), S. Pienaar (1975-)

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO RETIRE

Mr. Jimmy Adam, SAA’s Chief Executive, retires at the end of April after occupying the airline’s “hot seat” since August 1972. In an end-of-term interview with SAA News Mr. Adam made it clear that throughout his airline career he had set his sights on retiring at the age of sixty. “Circumstances in the airline persuaded me to continue with SAA beyond this age, but having gone on through half of my ‘injury time’ I now feel I can call it quits”.

Jimmy Adam has spent a lifetime in aviation. At 18, in his first year at University, he started part-time flying in the SAAF, leading to his Air Force Wings and a commission on the Special Reserve of Flying Officers in 1935. This part-time flying continued until his full time service during the War. Selected to undergo training at the Empire Test Pilots School at the Aircraft Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down, England, he qualified as an engineering test pilot. (He was later very proud of a unique endorsement on his civil Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence that said that “the holder is qualified to carry out performance and handling testing on all classes of landplanes”). During a spell heading a group of SAAF engineers assisting in gas turbine development work in 1944, in the UK, he had the distinction of becoming the first South African pilot to fly a jet aircraft. He joined SAA in January, 1946, as technical assistant to the Chief Airways Manager, Gen. C.J. Venter, who had come from the SAAF to head up the resuscitated SAA.

Mr. Reginald Brett, SAA’s Manager for North America makes a farewell gift presentation to the retiring Chief Executive on behalf of the overseas representatives during their recent meeting in Johannesburg

Since that time Mr. Adam has moved steadily up the ladder, to finally end up in the very top job. However, no doubt one of his “finest hours” was the culmination of the historic “Round-the-Bulge” operation which Jimmy Adam had master-minded from his position as Operations Manager. Mr. Adam’s success in the top Airways post has been no surprise to his colleagues. An aviation publication once referred to him as a “canny Scot” (he was born in Aberdeen) and SAA’s present sound financial footing can possibly be attribu­ted to the inherent thriftiness of his forebears! The war against costs has led to the six-abreast seating on the local aircraft – a money-saving measure adopted during Mr.Adam’s term at the helm. The economic success of the confi­guration changes is best illustrated by the fact that the airline has not had to buy any new short-haul aircraft for some years, seating capacity having been bol­stered by an extra 20% with the change from five to six-abreast seating. But this felicitous state of affairs cannot last indefinitely as Jimmy Adam is quick to point out. “Provided we are satisfied that our domestic traffic will continue to grow as expected, it seems likely that additional equipment for our domestic services will have to be ordered in the foreseeable future. This decision will be delayed as long as possible, in the light of the invidious position in which airlines in Europe and the USA have found themselves. These airlines have catered for anticipated traffic growth, only to find that they have no real use for the additional aircraft equipment”. SAA has been fortunate, in the view of Mr. Adam, in being able to “get the traffic to grow into the available capacity”. “The airline has gone from a discouraging loss situation, back into profitability. We made a profit last year and we are pretty confident about this year”. 

Miss Ann Viljoen who, this year, celebrates her 25th anniversary as the typist/secretary of the Chief Executives of SAA. Captain Pienaar will be the fourth SAA Chief Exe­cutive under whom Ann has served

The financial burden of introducing a fleet of three Boeing 747SP aircraft in mid-1976 as well as that involved in the purchase of additional domestic service equipment, indicates another problematic period for SAA. The position was very similar, however, when Jimmy Adam took over as Chief Executive in 1972. The introduction of the 747 fleet had placed SAA very much in the red, yet the storm was successfully weathered and the airline continued to show a rapid growth rate. But the problems of the future now belong to Mr. Adam’s successor.

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SAL VEREER GHOLFSPELERS

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Sport van die Jaartrofee is aan die gholfspelers van Suid-Afrika in 1974 toegeken.

By ‘n onlangse skemerkelkpartytjie wat by ‘n hotel by Jan Smutslug­hawe gehou is, is die Sport van die Jaartrofee toegeken aan gholf as die sportsoort waarvan die hoogste prestasies gedurende 1974 bereik is ten opsigte van afrigting en in plaaslike en internasionale mededinging.

Gary Player onthul die SAL se Sport van die Jaartrofee

Die Sport van die Jaartrofee is toegeken vir die volgende prestasies deur die Suid-Afrikaanse gholfspelers: Gary Player het twee van die wêreld se belangrikste gholfkampioenskappe gewen, naamlik die Amerikaanse Mees­ters en die Britse Ope. Hy het ook die Australiese en Brasiliaanse Ope gewen. In laasgenoende het hy die wêreldrekord met ‘n ronde van 59 geëwenaar. Hy het ook die finale ronde van die Piccadilly Match Play gehaal.

Bobby Cole en Dale Hayes het die Wëreldbeker in Caracas verower met die individuele titel aan Bobby Cole. Cole het ook die Suid-Afrikaanse Ope gewen en Dale Hayes het die geborgde Coca Cola-toernooi in Brittanje gewen en ook die Beck’s P.G.A. Neville Sundelson het die Engelse Amateur Opeslagkampioenskap gewen. Onder die juniors het Philip Jonas die onder-twaalf wêreldkampioenskap gewen. Die Suid-Afrikaanse vroue­span na die Wêreldamateurspankompetisie in Santa Domingo, het tweede geëindig.

Jong Philip Jonas met sy trotse ouers

‘n Werklike indrukwekkende lys van sportprestasies. Hartlike geluk­wense aan die gholfspelers van Suid-Afrika.

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THE “WALL OF HONOUR”

In a picturesque setting at one end of the Apprentice Training School stands a wall, amongst beautifully arranged plants, displaying trophies and framed photographs of those who have passed through the doors of the School.

The wall, aptly christened “The Wall of Honour”, has become a symbol of achievement to those who undergo training in the school and it is said to have caused many a student to try harder than his colleagues to see his name and photograph displayed on the gaily decorated white surface of the wall.

The idea to erect and decorate the wall was embarked upon by the apprentices who felt that what has been achieved should be on display so as to serve as an incentive to future trainees.

The trophies neatly arranged in a glass cabinet are, the J.D. T. Louw Trophy, for the Best all round Apprentice, the SAA Women’s Club Trophy for the Best Practical Apprentice, the SAA Senior Officials Trophy for the Best Theory and Practical Apprentice and the SAAPA Trophy, for the apprentice achieving the Best Progress at Technical College. The trophies are awarded annually to the top four apprentices at a function held at Avion Park Recreation Centre.

The wall of honour is appropriately flanked by a South African flag and an SAA flag

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40 ONTVANG VLERKIES

By ‘n vlerkiesparade wat op 12 Februarie 1975 by Avion Park ge­hou is, is veertig vlugskelners van drie opleidingsgroepe amptelik aan die beheer van mnr. C.C. Strydom, Kajuitdienstebestuurder oorhandig om diens te begin.

Met sy verwelkoming van die nuwe personeel het mnr. Strydom daarop gewys dat aangesien die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens se beman­ningslede as van die beste ter wêreld gereken word, sal net die hoogste standaard van werk aanvaarbaar wees. Hy het daarop gewys dat hy daarvan bewus is dat diegene wat teenwoordig is, almal daartoe in staat is om die redery te dien en dat hulle alles in hulle vermoë sal doen om die alreeds uitstekende beeld wat die SAL wêreldwyd geniet, te behou en verder uit te bou. Hierdie taak sal nie maklik wees in hulle posisie nie aangesien hulle altyd oop is vir kritiek.

Ons wens mnr. R. du Preez wat die hoogste persentasie in die ses weke lange opleidingsperiode be­haal het, geluk, en ook aan sy kollegas van groepe 76, 77 en 78 alle sukses en voorspoed in hulle vliegloopbaan wat hulle by die SAL gaan volg.

Die veertig vlugskelners wag op die aanvang van die vierkiestoekenning­ seremonie

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MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS

The presence of Microbiological growth was recently discovered in the fuel tanks of B747 and B707aircraft. It is reported that had the tanks remained unchecked, the safety of the aircraft could have been jeo­pardized.

There are no less than 174 species of microbes that thrive on hydro-carbon compounds, such as jet fuel, and are divided into two major categories, i. e. bac­teria and fungi.

Bacteria are amongst the smallest living things and are shaped like rods or spheres with a diameter of between 0,25 and 10 microns. It has been calcula­ted that two billion of these may be contained in an average drop of fluid and they multiply by splitting in two. Fungi are vegetables and those found in fuel consist of threadlike stems which are 2 to 4 microns in diameter and grow to a con­siderable length. To repro­duce, fungi generate “spores” which are 2 to 3 microns in diameter. Over the years one species of fungus called Cladosporium Resinae has been recognised as the major contributor to problems in aircraft fuel tanks and were predominant in all specimens obtained from aircraft.

Spores are present in the atmosphere and usually in., fuel distribution systems , and aircraft fuel tanks all over the world. As water or water vapour is so readily found in fuels and it is the main ingredient on which these spores thrive, prevention of their contamination has been impossible. In an attempt to combat the continual growth of this fungi in fuel tanks, Boeing has approved a chemical, Biobon JF, for use in aircraft tanks as a biocide, that is, to kill micro-organisms.

It is SAA’s intention too adopt this treatment more frequently, as an added safety precaution.

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SAA APPRENTICES BUILD ULTRA-LIGHT PAZMANY AIRCRAFT

It was recently announced that the Apprentice Training School had decided to build an Ultra-light air­craft from assignments completed during the training of first year apprentices. The choice fell on the Pazmany which has a gross mass of 600 kg and a cantilever, detachable carry­through spar of 8,5 m. The half shell-like fuselage construction will be 5,8 m in length. The material to be used to construct the aircraft is an aluminium alloy which will, when necessary after development, be subjected to heat treatment. The aircraft will have a stalling speed of approximately 80 km/h and a maximum cruising speed of 184 km/h. The range has been calculated at 720 km.

After a long period of negotia­tions and organisation a start was made with the wing ribs and recent­ly Mr. M.E. Smuts, Director (Tech­nical and Financial Control) per­formed the official inauguration of the project. The project is the largest yet undertaken by the ap­prentices and is estimated to take at least three years to complete.

The entire project will be con­ducted under the watchful eye of Mr. B. Lundie, Instructor (Techni­cal Metal work).. Said Mr. Smuts during the inauguration ceremony, “I am convinced that this project will be of great value to both the school and the Administration as a whole”.

In the accompanying photo­graph Mr. Smuts is seen cutting the first rib for the aircraft while Mr. Lundie looks on.

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VERANDERINGS BY JAN SMUTSLUGHAWE

Met die vinnige groei van die redery en die aankoms van die drie nuwe 747 SP’s in 1976, word planne nou opgetrek en voorstelle gemaak vir nuwe fasiliteite by Jan Smutslughawe. Samesprekings vir die ruil van grond aan die noordekant van die Vakleerlingskool, met inbegrip van die huidige Vervoerdepot het plaasgevind tussen die SAL en die Departement van Vervoer. Die Departement van Vervoer sal in ruil vir hierdie grond, wat hulle beoog om vir vliegtuigparkering to gebruik om die samedromming op die laaiblad to verlig, sekere grond en geboue aan die SAL gee soos bv. die ou Kajuitdienstegebou en Vraggebou. Daar is verder voorgestel dat ‘n nuwe Vervoerdepot opgerig moet word op die perseel net suid van die nuwe Kajuitdienstekompleks. ‘n Lugvaartgeneeskundesentrum en ‘n administratiewe kantoorgebou sal op die gebied wat tans deur die Avion Park Ontspanningsklub beset word, gebou word Die bou van ‘n nuwe Ontspanningsentrum word ook beoog maar omdat ‘n nuwe perseel nog nie gevind is nie, le die planne stil op die oomblik. In die Tegniese Gebied, gaan die konstruksie van ‘n verdere vyf verdiepings op die X-straalgebou, wat die afdelings Kwaliteitbeheer en Tegniese dienste sal huisves, voort en daar word verwag dat dit teen November 1976 voltooi sal wees.

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LITTER BUGS AT J.S.A.

The ever increasing threat of dangerous litter left lying around on the apron at Jan Smuts Airport has become hazardous to aircraft. During a short survey from 19 August to 14 December 1974, con­ducted by Mr. Armstrong, the Air­port Manager, an alarming amount of litter was collected and brought to his office. The assortment of litter which was open for inspection by Airline Managers and personnel had an overall mass of 191 kg and consis­ted mainly of metal objects. Before disposing of the collection a count was made which revealed that 10 892 separate articles were found and, in addition 249 widgets were recovered. Mr. Armstrong intimated that should each and every apron user not see to it that, in terms of the State Airport Regulations, refuse and foreign objects encountered on the apron are moved to safe places, more drastic action will be deemed necessary. The seriousness of the situation cannot be stressed sufficiently and an earnest appeal is made to all SAA staff members to assist in every conceivable manner to ob­viate unnecessary and careless litter­ing of both the apron and the airport buildings.

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