Karooryder

Taken from another forum...a sad sight. (but on a different note, what I would give to walk around one of these storage facilities for a few days!).

https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/opinion/2020-06-17-saa-and-the-quest-for-home-a-farce-wrapped-in-a-fiasco-inside-a-debacle/ A sobering read, and LWB you're quite right about the overbooked flight.

LWB any idea how many A319's remain in the fleet or are these the last ones to go?

FlySafair https://www.businessinsider.co.za/first-flysafair-flights-on-sale-in-lockdown-2020-6?_sp=c7ffb70f-abe0-4e50-a915-a2ac4eca1406.1591106994206 Mango: Apparently Mango is positioning to start mid-June as well. Link:

Seems like SAA is positioning themselves to resume some kind of operations next month or at the earliest opportunity. https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/401975/saa-prepares-for-take-off-again/ South African Airways (SAA) plans to restart domestic flights as soon as it is given official approval by the government. The airline said that it plans to retain its domestic schedule of flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town with effect from mid-June 2020. Accordingly, the group said it is focusing on ensuring operational readiness to resume flights once permissible. This position will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, it said. At the same time, SAA said it is cancelling all planned scheduled flights on regional and international services until the end of June 2020 with immediate effect. This decision has been taken as a result of the continuing global impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the airline said. Many restrictive rules and regulations still apply to civil aviation across the world. On this basis, it is not yet possible to resume operations beyond South Africa’s borders in a sustainable manner, it said. “Everyone at SAA is looking forward to welcoming and serving our customers once again. ‘Our operational preparedness is underlined by the significant role the airline has played in global repatriations to and from South Africa and by our desire to serve the domestic market,” said Philip Saunders, SAA’s chief commercial officer. The airline said all customers will be able to use their ticket’s full value as a credit for travel on any SAA service up to an including 24 March 2022. The airline will also permit a free name change if any individual customer no longer wishes to travel. This represents an important part of SAA’s continued commitment to support our customers in these unprecedented times.

I'm really curious to see how this is going to work. No inter-provincial travel allowed but limited air travel for business only - so unless you're flying between Cape Town and George for business this is not going to fly (pun intended) And as LWB said above, does not make sense for already suffering carriers to commence limited volume operations that will undoubtedly result in further losses.

Interesting take on Level 3 domestic air travel. Seems doable but I'm wondering how the inter-province movement restrictions will come into play. https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/399375/heres-how-domestic-flights-could-work-under-level-3-lockdown/

4 SAA A330's heading to Heard Pinal Park between Phoenix and Tuscon via Sao Paulo over the weekend. Wonder how the crew ferrying these A330's will get back home?

Yup, incidentally this was some of the primary data used in (attempting to) establish the flight path of MH370, right?

This reminded me of one of my most memorable turbulence memories which is very similar to yours! Flying from Sishen to Lanseria on Fly88's 1900 one summer afternoon, we approach the Highveld and the Cumulonimbus clouds start piling, looking like the wall in GOT. I was sitting just behind the cockpit and Fly88 was always very casual: open cockpit door, Captain and FO chatting to passengers, cooler with beverages for the take etc. The cloud cover is nearing and the Captain navigates the gaps in the weather but as he runs out of gaps the chap starts sweating profusely...suddenly it's dark outside and you literally HEAR the thunder. Rain is now beating down on the 1900 which is falling and climbing like a big dipper - you know that sensation when, in an instant, you become so disorientated that you do not know top from bottom? With every dip the sound of the engines are drowned out by the storm and when we climb out again you hear this high pitch revving of the props. At some point warning buzzers sound in the cockpit and I see the FO frantically reaching for some kind of manual or checklist behind her but the storm is so bad that it is literally not possible to read back one sentence, let alone run a checklist. The cockpit instrument panel looks like a disco when a fast song plays and every now and then I hear the Captain, an elderly gent, saying "hou vas!". In the cabin, much of the refreshments enjoyed during the first part of the flight have now been deposited in sick bags and the always jolly chats of mining contractors - who always made up the bulk of the pax - have now been replaced with total silence and the occasional scream when the aircraft dips or shakes... And just like that, it's over. We break the clouds and land safely at Lanseria with the prettiest sunset on our backs. We all had a good (and relieved) laugh when the Captain tjirped on the PA System: "Friends, please stay seated while we drive whats left of this bakkie to the terminal building". Good times!

Sterkte LWB. The world is in uncharted territory and the aviation sector is no exception. We must keep good faith that this too will end and there will be life after Covid-19. For now, hang in there and stay positive.

My first ever flight was on a 747SP when I was 15: a school choir tour to Europe and we flew into Munich. The airframe - later known as Maluti - was retired a while after and incidentally is now on display at Rand Airport. Amazing aeries!

B707! I love the look of those almost Meccano - looking engines!

I also saw this but technically not the case for KLM. Martinair (a subsidiary of KLM) is still using KLM 747F air frames for their cargo service under MP flight codes.

Extraordinary times...

LWB what was the story behind the two TAAG 747's that were parked here for many years. As far as I can remember they were ex-SAA right?

Long Wheel Base I heard rumors that SAX will seize (and not suspend?) operations over the weekend, do you perhaps know anything about it? (If you are not at liberty to discuss I will fully understand).

First E-bikes and now A340's! What is the Argus coming to!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I often work in the Port St Johns area and the airfield right on top of Mt Thesiger always amazes me. Must also be a bit of a tricky approach?

I'm an archaeologist. For me 10 years are like 10 minutes...

One day event: most important - do not over-nutrition but keep hydrated (water). Like most said above, have what you have every day about an hour before start. Don't gum and goo and game before or during the race - those things are loaded with sugar and besides for clever marketing they are good for nothing. And lastly, I believe in a banana like Faf believes in a box kick...

Wow, thanks for the photos! Is it just me or does it look smaller on photos than in real life? Wait...there are multiple things wrong with that statement!

Nah man it is easy: 1. start at the parking 2. turn left after the "cattle guard" 3. after the moer-of-a-climb-on-cold-legs, turn left at the T-junction (the road up the mountain to the T is the one-way we are referring to, and the "cheat shorter route" when you come back after to loop). 4. take another left at the next T... 5. keep straight...all the way for about 55km to the T-junction with the main access road into SBR (not the route up the mountain you started off with, unless you have an emergency ) - take a right at the T and go right back to the parking area.

I almost klapped a BIG baboon on that exact downhill, building up momentum for that gradual climb a few weeks ago. Ek weet nie wie groter geskrik het nie...

Hehehe no I know I'm just being dramatic. I see the short-cut more as an "emergency escape route" but its always damn tempting to take that sho't right and end the pain after bone breaker. And if taken, not at speed and with the required situational awareness obviously.