Jump to content

For the aviation fans


Lotus

Recommended Posts

So just re-arranging deckchairs on the Titanic?

 

I hope Pravin can find time to get SAA some professional help. So many good people there, notwithstanding.

I think he should follow Switzerland's example with Swissair.

 

Ironically, Swissair held 20% of SAA stock at the time of the bankruptcy.

 

The things we could learn from others...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 4.6k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

I think he should follow Switzerland's example with Swissair.

 

Ironically, Swissair held 20% of SAA stock at the time of the bankruptcy.

 

The things we could learn from others...

We now using their maintenance software. SWISS AMOS. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just reread some stuff about Coleman Andrews. The thing that I found interesting was that he was hired to turn SAA around so that the Government could sell it.

 

In the process, he destroyed Sun Air by lowering SAA fees to levels that Sun Air couldn't afford. The irony being that Sun Air was the government's first successful effort at brokering a deal to create a viable, black-owned company.

 

And here we are, 20 years later with an airline that is still not profitable...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just reread some stuff about Coleman Andrews. The thing that I found interesting was that he was hired to turn SAA around so that the Government could sell it.

 

In the process, he destroyed Sun Air by lowering SAA fees to levels that Sun Air couldn't afford. The irony being that Sun Air was the government's first successful effort at brokering a deal to create a viable, black-owned company.

 

And here we are, 20 years later with an airline that is still not profitable...

 

 

Sun Air MD-80 fleet became OneTime as I remember it, leather seats and all  .. too bad that folded as well, i used to be a regular.

 

Didn't Coleman declare a Boeing-only fleet? Then it went to an Airbus-only with the next mogoe (?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sun Air MD-80 fleet became OneTime as I remember it, leather seats and all  .. too bad that folded as well, i used to be a regular.

 

Didn't Coleman declare a Boeing-only fleet? Then it went to an Airbus-only with the next mogoe (?)

 

Coleman Andrews.... i heard from friends who worked at SAA at the time that he was selling off SAA assets (Parts and equipment) to his buddies in the USA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am reminded of a time I was watching a Kulula 737 make a cross-wind approach into runway 27 at George. There was a stiff berg wind blowing that day, and it looked like the bo(e)ing was coming in to land with the port wing pointing at the runway.

 

I stopped driving to watch this spectacle. For those who are unfamiliar with George, there is a road going around the airport runway, just outside the perimeter, where one can stop and watch planes take-off and land. Anyway, on this day, the plane came in sideways crabbing, and passed the threshold right in front of me, straightening out for touchdown, except it kept on going...(I suspect the pilot managed to get himself into ground-effect) 

I thought this is interesting, as I was about to witness him do a go-around maneuver. Except, he didn't. He kept going to past third of the way down before mashing that bird straight down into the runway, and proceeded to employ reverse-thrust and braking all the way to the end, where he turned off onto the taxiway (90 degree right) leading to the terminal. As he was turning, he still had reverse thrust going. By this time, I was standing on the roof of my car, as I was convinced I was going to watch a plane go down in George... :eek:

 

Methinks there was plenty of soiled underwear disembarking that flight.

Bliksem, with Flight Data Monitoring that would be a “please explain” to the safety department!! (Seems like it landed beyond the touchdown zone)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes that is a good way to put it.

 

 

I only have 12 years service here and have seen so many changes ito restructuring and it doesn't matter what they do we always have the same issues. We pay auditors a lot of money to tell us what is wrong and when they don't like the answer they go onto the next auditor. They can ask us guys on the floor for free what is wrong.

We have gone through CEO's like my twins go through nappies and even the better ones that do actually try are just puppets. The current guy is really not bad, he has no ties with the ANC(or so we have been lead to believe) but he has no support from the board. The rest of the guys before him either got fired because they were trying to do the job properly and the board didn't like them or they got a very nice golden handshake for doing bugger all. 

Privatizing technical will be the best thing to happen. We loosing customers left right and centre due to politics. If technical was separate then we can rely on "3rd party" work and won't be under the same "SAA" umbrella.

 

LWB is the Jet Shop still there?

 

My first job was an appie with SAA, R40 pm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sun Air MD-80 fleet became OneTime as I remember it, leather seats and all  .. too bad that folded as well, i used to be a regular.

 

Didn't Coleman declare a Boeing-only fleet? Then it went to an Airbus-only with the next mogoe (?)

Another interesting tidbit - there was a deal between SAA and Safair - the owners of the planes that Sun Air leased - that prevented them from leasing the planes in the Southern African Development Community. 

 

At the time the all Boeing decision reeked of cronyism - Andrews giving his US buddies business, when Airbus would probably have been a better idea. At least as a replacement for the aging 737 fleet that he got rid of and replaced with 737-800s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LWB is the Jet Shop still there?

 

My first job was an appie with SAA, R40 pm

Yip, I am in jet shop. APU section. We on the 1st floor of JEOS. When were you at SAA?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Damn I wonder how many G's when they drop those wheel stops.

Wheel stops..... what wheel stops all I see are 2 sexy exhuast nozzles

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yip, I am in jet shop. APU section. We on the 1st floor of JEOS. When were you at SAA?

 

When it was still part of Spoorweg lol - would have loved to have stuck around, but I had to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just watched Flysafair 737 fly overhead with nosegear out, main gear up. Flightradar24 revealed it departed FACT to FAJS, but never left CPT airspace. I watched the approach live from my garden, and the emergency landing on F24. It seems to have landed ok, and was followed by many vehicles. It parked around executive jets.

 

post-103677-0-96207800-1550770859_thumb.png

Edited by Robbie Stewart
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Settings My Forum Content My Followed Content Forum Settings Ad Messages My Ads My Favourites My Saved Alerts My Pay Deals Help Logout