SAA Orange Tail

Januarie/January 1975

No. 133

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DERDE DIENS NA NEW YORK

Die instelling van ‘n derde weeklikse diens tussen Johannes­burg en New York is onlangs deur die SAL aangekondig.

Hierdie nuwe diens wat ook oor Ilha do Sal sal gaan, sal op Donderdagaande uit Johannesburg vertrek en op’ Vrydae van New York af. Diê diens sal op 3 April 1975 ingestel en met Boeing 707-v1”iegtuie met sitplek vir 24 eersteklas- en 105 ekonomiese klaspassasiers onderneem word.

Die tye van die ander twee dienste van Johannesburg af na New York – oor Ilha do Sal en Rio de Janeiro op respek­tiewelik Vrydae en Sondae – sowel as die regstreekse diens tussen Johannesburg en Rio de Janeiro op Woensdae, bly onveranderd.

Die aantal passasiers wat in die boekjaar 1973/74 op die Amerikaanse diens vervoer is, het met 43,21 persent of 6 432 passasiers gestyg in vergeleke met die vorige boekjaar. Lugvrag het oor hierdie tydperk ook ‘n toename van 45,14 persent getoon.

Saam met die aankondiging oor die derde diens na New York is daar aangekondig dat die Boeing 707-diens, SA260, op Maandae na Amsterdam van 27 Maart af onttrek sal word. Die Boeing 747-diens na Amsterdam op Donderdae bly van krag.

Die Verenigde Volkehoofkantoor in New York, een van die bekende aantreklikhede van daardie stad.

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MAJOR ASSEMBLY BEGINS ON BOEING 747SP

Precisely on schedule, Boeing aeroplane-builders prepare to lower an upper wing-skin panel for the first 747SP (Special Performance) superjet into position in a jig at the Boeing 747 Division plant in Everett, Washington. The first major assembly of the new shorter version of the 747, the wing section will soon undergo automatic riveting at the Boeing plant, before being joined with another section to make a complete wing.

The same span as the wings of present 747′s, the 747SP wing has a lower mass, since the aeroplane will be 52 184 kg (115 000 pounds) less at takeoff gross mass than the heaviest 747 now in service. The first 747SP is scheduled to make its initial flight in mid-summer 1975. To date, orders for 11 747SP’s have been announced by three airlines.

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VIP LOUNGE AT JSA

Our photograph shows South African Airways’s VIP lounge at Jan Smuts Airport.

This elegant lounge, used exclusively for SAA’s VIP passengers, is beautifully decorated in modern furniture in colours of chocolate brown, cream and orange. The African motif curtains are in orange and brown on a cream background.

The lounge is equipped with a bar and a serving area for a buffet supper.

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BOEINGS VAN DIE VERLEDE

BOEING 307-STRATOLINER Op die laaste dag van 1938, het die eerste Boeing 307-Stratoliner van die tien wat uiteindelik gebou is, sy eerste vlug onderneem. Dit was nog ‘n belangrike mylpaal in die ontwikkeling van handelsvliegtuie wat die eerste drukkajuit vir verbeterde passasiersgerief teen hoogtes bo seespieël wat die vliegtuig in staat gestel het om bo meeste van die onstuimigste weersom­standighede te vlieg, gehad het.

Die 307 is in die middel 1930′s ontwikkel, gelyktydig met die vroeë B-17-modelle, maar tog anders deurdat dit ‘n algehele nuwe romp gehad het met ‘n vergrote kruisseksie. Die 307 het 33 passasiers vervoer en het ‘n kruissnelheid van ongeveer 350 km per uur teen ‘n hoogte van 4 710 meter gehad. Nog ‘n Stratoliner-uitvindsel was die gebruik van ‘n bykomende bemanningslid as boordingenieur om die vlieënier van verskeie verantwoorde­likhede te verlig. Na militëre diens in die Tweede Wêreldoorlog was Stratoliners in die 1960′s steeds in handelsgebruik. 

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VICTORIA FALLS - OUR NEWEST DESTINATION

With effect from the beginning of next month SAA is to operate a twice-weekly Hawker Siddeley 748 service between Johannesburg and the Victoria Falls. Offering seating for 34 passengers, the new service to this ever popular holiday and tourist spot will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays, and has been scheduled with a view to offering direct connections with the airline’s flights to and from New York.

Victoria Falls will be SAA’s third point of call in Rhodesia, the other two being Salisbury and Bulawayo.

The Victoria Falls, one of the world’s most awe-inspiring spectacles

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SAA HELPS TO REPAY WAR DEBT

It all started way back in the closing stages of the Second World War. In February, 1945, Mr. Arthur Bernstein of Cape Town was pilot­ing an SAAF bomber in Italy. Also in Italy at that time was Mr. Jack Friedmann of Cape Town who served as Press Relations Officer for the SAAF.

After a return from a bombing raid one day Arthur presented Jack with a tin of real Australian cream­ery butter, a very valuable gift for a man used to the greasy margarine the men so hated. Jack was effusive in his thanks. “When you can raise another”, said Arthur, “let me have it back”.

But neither ever saw butter again until they were back in South Africa. When they later met again in Cape Town it became a standing joke between the two of them. “What about that tin of Austral­ian butter you owe me?”, was always answered with “It’s coming”.

Mr. Friedmann tried everything to obtain the butter, even writing to the Australian Dairy Board brought him no joy. Until he told the story to Mr. Danie de Klerk, SAA’s District Sales Manager in Cape Town, and soon the tin of Australian butter was winging its way across the ocean in an SAA Boeing 707 to settle the old war debt.

Mr. Danie de Klerk of SAA (centre) poses with Messrs. Bernstein (left) and Friedmann and the tin of butter!

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A FISHY BUSINESS!

SAA News recently “snagged” a rather amusing, if somewhat “fishy” tale of the good fortune of one of the airline’s Sales and Marketing staff members. Although the incident took place some time ago, it definitely bears repeating. It seems that a more youthful version of Naas van Tonder was out on the briny off the Durban shoreline, fishing for barracuda from the old “Southern Maid”, a vessel which has since gone to her grave. The sky was clear blue, the sea like a millpond and the barracuda extremely active, which was most unusual for the month of July. Naas had baited up his three-barbed hook, lowered it over the side and set the rod down unattended for an instant while he prepared another line for the purpose of catchingg some live bait. Without warning the unattended rod was suddenly snatched overboard as a voracious barracuda took the bait. Naas spun round only to see his brand new R60,00 rod and reel disappear into the depths. Gloomily, he continued fishing with his much fighter equipment, hoping to land even a couple of little ‘uns as some sort of consolation. Unfortunately the barracuda had other ideas and his line was repeatedly snapped as these hungry predators seized the tasty morsels on the hook. Doggedly, Naas stuck to his guns, his determination bolstered a little by the healthy stock of beverages which was carried on board. It was then that Lady Luck stepped in to change the tide of his fortunes. Two greedy barracuda became careless in their attempts to snatch the bait and succeeded in snagging their own tails on the fisherman’s tiny hook instead. Without the use of his tail a barracuda is as helpless as a kitten and Naas was able to land these two sizeable fish as though they were no more than sardines. But that was not all, Naas’ fellow fishermen, some 30 odd, had hardly finished congratulating him on his good fortune when one of the party on board raised the cry that he had snagged somebody’s line. A blue line, it seemed. At this our hero’s interest was aroused and he scrambled over to take a look f• or himself. Assisted by the boat’s engineer, Trevor White, Naas be an hauling in the one end of the line and it was not long be ore_‘ lo and behold, his prized fishing rod surfaced.

Hardly able to believe his luck, Naas set to work rewinding his line, only to find that the end which was still in the sea was strangely taut, and quite obviously attached fast to something or other. Yes, hold your breath, O Disbelieving Reader, that something or other proved to be a 14 kilogram barracuda, the biggest catch of the day, and quite obviously the same hungry specimen which had dragged his rod overboard some three hours earlier!

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