For the aviation fans

[Bateleur1]

We got a few new A320 last year but the company has NO money so can't afford to get more/new aircraft. We have slowly been replacing the the A340-600 fleet with A330-200 which is a lot more efficient and cheaper to operate. But money is the problem.............

 

Explains why the SAA flight to MUC is now also a A330 and not the A340-600

[Long Wheel Base]

I was going to ask the same question.  The first time my mother-in-law came to visit us was with SAA and last year she flew with Qatar.  She said she would rather fly the longer flights with Qatar than SAA as the SAA aircraft sounded like "Rammelkaste".  Now she flew with the B777 and the A350.  She was very impressed with especially the A350.

Yeah it's no secret that the newer aircraft are just so much quieter, smoother, the list goes on. Technologically just advances so much in aviation. Twins are the way to go for passenger haul, no doubt about it.

To give an example I would fuel an A340-300 to London with about 100/110 tonnes and an A330-200 with about 60/65 tonnes of fuel. Same fuselage, pretty much same wings, just half the amount of engines. The 340 has four CFM 56-5 and the 330 has two Rolls Royce Trent 700. The way our cabin is layed out I think the 340 has 4 pax more. So for pretty much the same amount of people/cargo to LHR it is almost half the fuel!!! The A340-600 has four Rolls Royce Trent 500 and is fueled with about 160 tonnes. Not sure how many more pax it takes.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Long Wheel Base

[Bateleur1]

Yeah it's no secret that the newer aircraft are just so much quieter, smoother, the list goes on. Technologically just advances so much in aviation. Twins are the way to go for passenger haul, no doubt about it.

To give an example I would fuel an A340-300 to London with about 100/110 tonnes and an A330-200 with about 60/65 tonnes of fuel. Same fuselage, pretty much same wings, just half the amount of engines. The 340 has four CFM 56-5 and the 330 has two Rolls Royce Trent 700. The way our cabin is layed out I think the 340 has 4 pax more. So for pretty much the same amount of people/cargo to LHR it is almost half the fuel!!! The A350-600 has four Rolls Royce Trent 500 and is fueled with about 160 tonnes. Not sure how many more pax it takes.

 

The A340-600 does take quite a few PAX more but with those thrusty engines there is much to gain from it.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Bateleur1

[Lotus]

Yeah it's no secret that the newer aircraft are just so much quieter, smoother, the list goes on. Technologically just advances so much in aviation. Twins are the way to go for passenger haul, no doubt about it.

To give an example I would fuel an A340-300 to London with about 100/110 tonnes and an A330-200 with about 60/65 tonnes of fuel. Same fuselage, pretty much same wings, just half the amount of engines. The 340 has four CFM 56-5 and the 330 has two Rolls Royce Trent 700. The way our cabin is layed out I think the 340 has 4 pax more. So for pretty much the same amount of people/cargo to LHR it is almost half the fuel!!! The A350-600 has four Rolls Royce Trent 500 and is fueled with about 160 tonnes. Not sure how many more pax it takes.

Great having your insights here! And the pics.

[Long Wheel Base]

Great having your insights here! And the pics.

I have to be careful what I say and show so there may be times where you have to read/look between the lines. The company is so worried about stupid things but when you are under attack(and for good reason) from the public then they get neurotic on silly things IMHO.

[Bloukrans]

I have to be careful what I say and show so there may be times where you have to read/look between the lines. The company is so worried about stupid things but when you are under attack(and for good reason) from the public then they get neurotic on silly things IMHO.

Fully understand - keep your nose clean

[Patchelicious]

Yeah it's no secret that the newer aircraft are just so much quieter, smoother, the list goes on. Technologically just advances so much in aviation. Twins are the way to go for passenger haul, no doubt about it.

To give an example I would fuel an A340-300 to London with about 100/110 tonnes and an A330-200 with about 60/65 tonnes of fuel. Same fuselage, pretty much same wings, just half the amount of engines. The 340 has four CFM 56-5 and the 330 has two Rolls Royce Trent 700. The way our cabin is layed out I think the 340 has 4 pax more. So for pretty much the same amount of people/cargo to LHR it is almost half the fuel!!! The A350-600 has four Rolls Royce Trent 500 and is fueled with about 160 tonnes. Not sure how many more pax it takes.

I love it when you talk dirty like this.... 

[Warthog]

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.

 

When Top Gun came out in '86, I was stationed at Waterkloof. I remember one of the Mirage pilots telling me they do that then they would be arrested by MP's upon landing and court-martialled...

 

Apparently special permission was needed from SAAF COPS or something to pull that stunt.

[SwissVan]

Yeah it's no secret that the newer aircraft are just so much quieter, smoother, the list goes on. Technologically just advances so much in aviation. Twins are the way to go for passenger haul, no doubt about it.

To give an example I would fuel an A340-300 to London with about 100/110 tonnes and an A330-200 with about 60/65 tonnes of fuel. Same fuselage, pretty much same wings, just half the amount of engines. The 340 has four CFM 56-5 and the 330 has two Rolls Royce Trent 700. The way our cabin is layed out I think the 340 has 4 pax more. So for pretty much the same amount of people/cargo to LHR it is almost half the fuel!!! The A340-600 has four Rolls Royce Trent 500 and is fueled with about 160 tonnes. Not sure how many more pax it takes.

We recently flew FRA JNB FRA on a 340, think it was a 600..... other than the +12 hr delay at FRA (technical?)..... i found it quite comfortable in the emergency row 4 seater position (forgot the row number), the most leg room I’ve ever had and no bulkhead or toilet. Never seen that seating configuration on another airliner.

[dev null]

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.

 

Somewhere along the line you must have met my best pal from primary and high school. We both have always been interested in all things that fly, but he made a career of it and joined the technical section at what is now ORTIA. We both grew up in Kempton, and went to the primary school a stone's throw from the airport.

 

A lot of the boys from our high school went to work at what was then the Atlas Aircraft Corporation, before it became Denel and was eventually stuffed up by the ANC and the Guptas.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Moridin

[Long Wheel Base]

Somewhere along the line you must have met my best pal from primary and high school. We both have always been interested in all things that fly, but he made a career of it and joined the technical section at what is now ORTIA. We both grew up in Kempton, and went to the primary school a stone's throw from the airport.

 

A lot of the boys from our high school went to work at what was then the Atlas Aircraft Corporation, before it became Denel and was eventually stuffed up by the ANC and the Guptas.

Will send you a PM

[Disher]

More precision than a Breitling Navitimer. Had a special treat in Oshkosh last year. These lads were not on the itinerary but came past for an impromptu few fly bys. Even when not on show they are mm apart and deadly precise.  

Fabulous to watch and to experience.

[Disher]

attached a pic of the plane I'm currently flying. Belongs to a mate. Just a bucket full of fun and a pleasure to fly.

[Bateleur1]

More precision than a Breitling Navitimer. Had a special treat in Oshkosh last year. These lads were not on the itinerary but came past for an impromptu few fly bys. Even when not on show they are mm apart and deadly precise.  

Fabulous to watch and to experience. 21919790_BG1.jpg

 

Seeing the Red Arrows at the '95 Waterkloof Air show will is be one of my highlites in life.  All the tricks they did at rapid speed while you see images of the Ramstein accident in the back of your head.

[Disher]

Interesting story about this plane is that for the observant of you, it is painted in the GEE BEE racing plane color's of the 1930's. The lads responsible for the GB racer were the Granville brothers. Hence GB. This plane was built in the states by two brothers Tom and Bill hence the Tee Bee livery. Bill was apparently quite sick and Tom finished it in his honor. Brought to SA and owned By John Varty before selling it to my mate. Great fun to fly -

 

Vans definitely has a winning formula with their range.

[dev null]

More precision than a Breitling Navitimer. Had a special treat in Oshkosh last year. These lads were not on the itinerary but came past for an impromptu few fly bys. Even when not on show they are mm apart and deadly precise.  

Fabulous to watch and to experience. 21919790_BG1.jpg

 

I have no idea how they do this. How do they even handle the turbulence and the very unpredictable nature of the air they fly through?