For the aviation fans

[Long Wheel Base]

I am curious, and no need to respond of you feel it is unreasonable in me asking, but what is the mood like around the floor with the current issues faced by SAA / SAAT, and also considering these new planes? I realise they are cost saving measures, but I am somewhat surprised that the leasing and financing institutions who are driving this are going ahead with the deal, or is it a matter of the ship has already left the harbour, and there is no calling it back?

So the mood is obviously fairly negative. There are a lot of unhappy people, and rightly so. The thing is for a lot of us, we have been "cost cutting" for a few years now in line with the many LTTS(Long Term Turnaround Strategy) they have implemented but there are still so many(corporate side) that are not so it doesn't matter how much we(Technical) save, it amounts to nothing in the company as a whole.

So what the public see is SAA is getting 4 brand new aircraft and that is what the media is pushing and this is where I also blame whoever is meant to do release press statements to the media because, yes we getting 4 planes but only 2 are "new". The other 2 are 9 months old(so yes the leather still smells new but technically it is used). Then they also fail to inform Joe Public that we are retiring our 6 very expensive and thirsty A340-600s. So we had 6 that cost X to run(fuel and maintenance) and now we got 4 that cost like 50% of X to run but obviously the repayment per month is a bit more per plane. The saving per month is around 30% apparently(fuel, maintenance, repayment, everything).

Another big issue I have is a lot of the public are saying we getting yet another bailout. This is not a bailout from the government, this is a loan from lenders that we will need to pay back(don't flame me when the government bails us out of this loan in a few months time) with interest. So just imagine the interest owed on R2bn...........

They say we lost out on around R300m revenue with the strike, I am not so sure about this as we only grounded the entire fleet for 2 days, from day 3 we started flying again. But what ever the amount, it's a lot of money that probably could have paid our salaries on time.

 

All this aside, I will do my job here at SAAT with pride and honor. SAAT has not just given me 12 good years(and counting) of employment but my Dad had 43 good years with them until he retired in August this year. SAAT enabled my Dad to put a roof over my head, food on my table and a good education. They enabled him to retire comfortably and be able to look back at a successful career. They are currently doing the same for me and my family. I am proud to work for my national carrier and proud of my job. If the ship sinks, I will be one of the last to get off.

So many companies have issues, SAA's issues just affect all of us tax payers so not just the employees. I don't blame anyone for slating SAA and the people making a lot of the decisions because I do the same but I obviously have to deep down hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[DJR]

 Nice post above LWB

[Robbie Stewart]

 

All this aside, I will do my job here at SAAT with pride and honor. SAAT has not just given me 12 good years(and counting) of employment but my Dad had 43 good years with them until he retired in August this year. SAAT enabled my Dad to put a roof over my head, food on my table and a good education. They enabled him to retire comfortably and be able to look back at a successful career. They are currently doing the same for me and my family. I am proud to work for my national carrier and proud of my job. If the ship sinks, I will be one of the last to get off.

So many companies have issues, SAA's issues just affect all of us tax payers so not just the employees. I don't blame anyone for slating SAA and the people making a lot of the decisions because I do the same but I obviously have to deep down hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I am sure that pride in your work is something to be taken seriously, and I for one am grateful for the work you guys, and your dad, did over the course of your careers. For sure the media hype will always be slanted towards selling papers, or in today's age, getting the clicks, notwithstanding the fact the "whole truth" is often times somewhat glossed over. I get that people will bash the 4 "new" planes, but then lemmings will go wherever they are led, and in this case it seems that the level of stoopid out there is at an all time high. At least I got to take a spin on one of the A340-600's. It is a powerful beast, that's for sure. I wouldn't mind a flip on the new A350 though.

 

[Spokey]

Bored in Kuwait and going through some pics. Dont think I have shared this before as the originals megs too big to load. Thought you may like to see this. Cracked Left side Windshield on a Global Express. Some years back now, we were over Saudi descending into Kuwait when, with a disturbing bang the windshield shattered. Focused attention quickly!!

Not dangerous for flight, low level speed limitation (bird strike) and avoid icing conditions.

An engineer taped it over completely on ground and as we are Private Operations and fly Owner only we had permission to fly to Dubai for the windshield change..........that was interesting in itself.

[Bateleur1]

4 minutes of LAX.  Good quality images.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8roOCwYNWek

[patham]

4 minutes of LAX.  Good quality images.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8roOCwYNWek

 

Awesome videography. But one of my least favourite airports. Too sprawling, confusing and difficult to get around - at least to an occasional user.

 

Having said that, the only time I ever got good customer service from a US airline was at LAX. I was due to fly on a Dash-8 to Reno to go to the Air Races in 2007. The day before there had been a Dash 8 landing gear collapse (one of several) in Europe, and either the airline or FAA decided to temporarily ground that type that morning of my flight. The airline desk was chaotic, as that was pretty much their entire fleet, but they did manage to rebook me onto a competitor, getting to Reno via Sacramento with only 4 hours or so lost. Didn't even have to flash the credit card. 

[Bonus]

4 minutes of LAX.  Good quality images.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8roOCwYNWek

Nice video. That certainly is a huge airport. Love the night time shots of planes coming in.

[Bonus]

Talking of big (little) airports.....

 

 

[Bateleur1]

Talking of big (little) airports.....

 

 

 

Minatur Wunderland in Hamburg. It is on my bucketlist and hope to go there by the latest next year.  Well worth the visit and you propably will have to budget at least one day there as there is simply so much to see and they are still expanding.  The amount of detail they put in is just mind blowing.

[Frosty]

As I was leaving a friend’s bachelor party, these guys were out in the street doing a demo...

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5k_o4_HQYL/?igshid=9h7s84ennhxx

[Bonus]

Minatur Wunderland in Hamburg. It is on my bucketlist and hope to go there by the latest next year.  Well worth the visit and you propably will have to budget at least one day there as there is simply so much to see and they are still expanding.  The amount of detail they put in is just mind blowing.

 

 

If I won the lottery I would build myself something like this - plus a model village in the garden.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Bonus

[Lotus]

As I was leaving a friend’s bachelor party, these guys were out in the street doing a demo...

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5k_o4_HQYL/?igshid=9h7s84ennhxx

Mad Max, Saffer style! Mechanic dude should be wearing leather BDSM kit, and have a driving seat on the disselboom facing forward.

[SwissVan]

As I was leaving a friend’s bachelor party, these guys were out in the street doing a demo...

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5k_o4_HQYL/?igshid=9h7s84ennhxx

Cool ????

Shackleton engine I guess

 

We had a engine test bench similar to that when I was still working at Rand airport, our engine shop used to test run engines on it after OH’ing them

[Frosty]

Cool [emoji41]

Shackleton engine I guess

 

We had a engine test bench similar to that when I was still working at Rand airport, our engine shop used to test run engines on it after OH’ing them

What I know about plane engines is dangerous, so will quote the label on the side of the unit.

 

ROLLS ROYCE

Griffin Mk.57A

[SwissVan]

What I know about plane engines is dangerous, so will quote the label on the side of the unit.

 

ROLLS ROYCE

Griffin Mk.57A

I guessed Shackleton because of the 2 Counter rotating propellers which is not very common but typical for the Shackleton. I believe there is still one that is sort of functional down in the Cape and would guess that’s were this engine is destined for.

[SwissVan]

Bored in Kuwait and going through some pics. Dont think I have shared this before as the originals megs too big to load. Thought you may like to see this. Cracked Left side Windshield on a Global Express. Some years back now, we were over Saudi descending into Kuwait when, with a disturbing bang the windshield shattered. Focused attention quickly!!

Not dangerous for flight, low level speed limitation (bird strike) and avoid icing conditions.

An engineer taped it over completely on ground and as we are Private Operations and fly Owner only we had permission to fly to Dubai for the windshield change..........that was interesting in itself. 78B35CC1-DA16-4938-A1EF-637BCC802DD1.jpeg

Big bucks boet $$$

Hope you had a maintenance plan ????