For the aviation fans

[Lotus]

My happy aviation experience?

 

Riding home in the cockpit of a 747 from JFK to Jan Smuts in the early 90s. Stayed in there for the full flight, including the landing.

 

School friend of mine was the captain, and I heard his name when crew was introduced. Sent a him a note, and after takeoff a stew took me to the flight deck.

 

Thing that struck me the most was how busy it starts getting once you cross into Botswana airspace, and after that Jan Smuts comes up very quickly.

 

And the height of that flight deck above the runway when you land! What a view.

 

BTW, this was the same trip that I did the Intrepid visit with the SR71. Happy days.

[Lotus]

I'm always amazed at those birds - went to the viewing deck yesterday at OR Tambo and was wondering where you (LWB) work.

I love going there too. Always go to the airport a bit earlier than necessary when fetching or delivering family, so I can go check the planes.

 

But dang it, that deck gets hot in the sun! Have to withdraw because of heat, not boredom.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Lotus

[Bateleur1]

My happy aviation experience?

 

Riding home in the cockpit of a 747 from JFK to Jan Smuts in the early 90s. Stayed in there for the full flight, including the landing.

 

School friend of mine was the captain, and I heard his name when crew was introduced. Sent a him a note, and after takeoff a stew took me to the flight deck.

 

Thing that struck me the most was how busy it starts getting once you cross into Botswana airspace, and after that Jan Smuts comes up very quickly.

 

And the height of that flight deck above the runway when you land! What a view.

 

BTW, this was the same trip that I did the Intrepid visit with the SR71. Happy days.

 

When I started using FR24 to monitor flights when I had to pick people up at ORT I already had to be on my way to the airport.  Botswana then did not have any FR24 coverage so when that aircraft popped up on the FR24 app it was pretty much at the border with SA and then it was about 30 min before landing.

[Ed-Zulu]

During one of the SAP's advanced COIN courses in 1990 we were training at one of the SAP's "training farms" called Verdrag. It's about 30-40km's from Thabazimbi.

 

It's on a valley floor with the Sandrivierberge on one side and the Hoekberge not too far away. During a training block one Saturday afternoon we scaled a high koppie as a reconnaissance  training operation and then to exfiltrate in the late afternoon with gathered info back to our stick. 

 

About 14:00 as the bushveld sun beat the crap out of my buddy and I, the boys from Hoedspruit did some low flying along the valley floor in their Cheetahs, passing right below us in a semi turn towards Thabazimbi and then about 40 minutes later returned on the same path in level flight.

 

The two of us had grins the size of China for days on end telling about that luck. We did also capture all inscriptions visible in the period they passed helmet colours etc.

 

About two years ago I was having dinner in a hotel in JHB al by lonesome when I overheard a chap tell the same story to a few mates, I walked over, shook hands with an old buddy and the rest is the story of old friendships rekindled.

[dev null]

As a young lad we stayed in Rhodesfield, Ext 1 in Kempies. The Mirages and Buccaneers used to take off over our home. You could hear the jet ramp up the engines on take off from inside our home. I would then run out of the home as fast as I can just to be in time as the jet passed over our home. With the Mirages I may sometimes be too late. You could also hear very clearly when it was a Buccaneer's engines spooling up. What a sound that was.

 

Our address was 29 Spoorlyn Road, Rhodesfield. If you find it on Google Maps, you will see it is right in line with one of the secondary runways of O R Tambo.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Moridin

[Bateleur1]

With our passing out parade at Hoedspruit at the end of basics it was combined with a family day.  So my parents came out to Hoespruit. Towards the end of the day before had to prepare for the parade itself the evening the SAAF had a Mirage F1 throwing a few tricks in the air.  As it was finished and I greeted my parents I had a feeling the F1 might return one more time and I still warned my mother that the noise might come back.  I had barely walked a couple of meters when that F1 came in a propably just below the speed of sound and pulled up over the parade ground.  I never saw it as it was gone to quickly but my mother was standing upright with eyes the size of tee saucers.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Bateleur1

[dev null]

With our passing out parade at Hoedspruit at the end of basics it was combined with a family day.  So my parents came out to Hoespruit. Towards the end of the day before had to prepare for the parade itself the evening the SAAF had a Mirage F1 throwing a few tricks in the air.  As it was finished and I greeted my parents I had a feeling the F1 might return one more time and I still warned my mother that the noise might come back.  I had barely walked a couple of meters when that F1 came in a propably just below the speed of light and pulled over the parade ground.  I never saw it as it was gone to quickly but my mother was standing upright with eyes the size of tee saucers.

 

 Love it. They used to pull that stunt at airshows also. I would be prepared for it and could see the bugger come at moerse speed, flying past with no one noticing until the sound came past.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Moridin

[Lotus]

Looks like a glider meet in Namibia right now?

[Robbie Stewart]

So Cemair grounded again according N24...third time in a months time.

 

Won't fly with them anytime soon. I'd rather drive.

 

https://m.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/safety-concerns-see-sacaa-re-suspend-cemair-operations-20190111

Edited January 11, 2019 by Robbie Stewart

[Spokey]

You should have PMed me.  Would have stick you for a Weißes.

Thanks, would have been nice, we have our aeroplane there for around 10 days, but crew change, I am currently in Dubai, heading home to SA.

 

If you ever find yourself in Kuwait............PM, we can do the full strength expresso!

[Spokey]

 

I spent some years flying these around the globe. This is Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. We had a contract with the RAF out of Brize......great crews, interesting destinations,........excellent times!

[DawieO]

4DDD4470-B88A-467D-A4E0-0D0B73A15270.jpeg

I spent some years flying these around the globe. This is Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. We had a contract with the RAF out of Brize......great crews, interesting destinations,........excellent times!

Wow DC8! Haven’t seen one of those for a LONG time.

[Spokey]

Wow DC8! Haven’t seen one of those for a LONG time.

Either OSI or OZV is looking very sad parked up at Cape Town, beyond the runway when seen from the terminal.

[Long Wheel Base]

Still dark and wet outside?

Luckily not. Sorry bud, we have EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) here this week for an audit and it's a BIG deal so Friday was seriously hectic, had no time for bikehub. I'll post a few quick shots I got Friday morning just now.

[Long Wheel Base]

I'm always amazed at those birds - went to the viewing deck yesterday at OR Tambo and was wondering where you (LWB) work.

So before I got married I worked shifts and those guys you see down there at the aircraft between flights doing inspections, fueling the aircraft and signing the final paperwork, that was my job. Worked 12 days on, 2 days off, 12 days on, 2 days off etc and long hours. Money was good but I spent a lot of time at work. Got married and I moved away from the flight line to "the hangers"(official name is SAAT-South African Airways Technical). I work in one of the workshops in technical. So when the aircraft come here it is for more major maintenance. The workshop I am in is Jetshop and we do the engines. I do specifically the APU's(Auxiliary Power Unit). This is the small jet engine in the tail of the aircraft that provides electrical power and aircon while on the ground. Then it provides the air to start the engines(The engines have air starters that look like massive turbos). It will also provide electrical power during flight in the unlikely event of an engine failure.

[Long Wheel Base]

One of Comairs new Boeing 737-800.(few months old already)

The new 737 has these fancy winglets that reduce fuel drastically. The look pretty cool.