For the aviation fans

[Bateleur1]

Couldn't agree more. There is just something about the look of those rear-engined aircraft.

 

The VC10 was especially beautiful in BOAC livery.VC10.jpg

When this changed to British Airways it didn't look the same.

 

My first ever flight as a child was in one of these:727.jpg

To this day my best flight - very quiet with the engines at the rear.

 

My first ever flight was at age 9.  Went to visit my Grandmother on my own in Austria.

 

[Walt Jabsco]

The BOAC VC10 inaugural flight was to Johannesburg

 

 

 

I used to enjoy the ride to CT in the 1time MD8's though always used to sit right at the back so I could hear & feel those engines in action, and close to that rear stair case for prompto entry & exit.

 

Didn't know that.

 

Johannesburg features quite prominently in the history of British jet aviation. Inaugural flight of the Comet was also to Johannesburg.

[Walt Jabsco]

My first ever flight was at age 9.  Went to visit my Grandmother on my own in Austria.

 

SAA_Boeing_747SP_Fitzgerald-1.jpg

 

I was also 9 on that first flight on the 727. This was from P.E. via E.L. to Jhb, to connect to our flight to London (flying with my mother, not alone). When we initially booked, we were to fly on a Boeing 707, but this changed to a Boeing 747, which had recently been introduced into the SAA fleet. I was very excited about this - think I was the first kid in my school to fly on a Jumbo Jet.

 

The flight was very long - Jhb - Luanda - around the bulge of Africa - Frankfurt - London. I think about 17 -18 hours, but very enjoyable.

 

Flew out on the Lebombo (first 747 in the SAA fleet) and back on the Tafelberg. Can't believe I still remember the names of those aircraft forty-odd years later - obviously an avgeek in the making.

[Long Wheel Base]

And sometimes 2 A380's into ORT...A while ago I saw the 2 BA A380's, the Air France and Emirates A380's and the beautiful Lufthansa 747-8 in retro livery all parked at ORT international departures one morning...what a sight!

 

Edited - I forgot to add the Singapore A350! All the heavies having a jol :-)

At one stage a while ago they(BA) had an A380 grounded here for a while. It had a technical issue. Think it was a rudder issue. 

 

Useless info: The wingspan is so long on those things that the outside engines don't have thrust reversers. On most of the runways, engines 1 and 4 sit over the sides so applying thrust reversers will cause a lot of dirt/sand etc to be disturbed and ingested.

[kosmonooit]

So we are onto out first flights are we ...

 

Mine was in 1985 in a cronky old ex SAA 707 of Luxavia to Luxembourg  - an  airline formed specifically to bypass the restriction that SAA had of flying over Africa (in the sanction days), they had to go the long way around. I think we stopped twice for fuel though.

 

This was a graduation present to myself (after a year of saving), back packing around Europe in the middle of their winter. Highlight of that trip was a serendipitous encounter with U2 in the Mannheim Town Hall on their Unforgettable Fire tour.

 

Actually I did get short flip in the first 747 that arrived shortly after in landed (1972?) via a family friend who worked for SAA. There is slide of me standing in the engine nacelle somewhere..

[Jase619]

First Flight was in 2016. After my first Argus, between Cape Town and Bloemfontein with Mango. Super short. Crapped myself on Takeoff, and on Landing haha. Now I love it. 

[Mousea]

My first flight was when I fell out a tree as a lightie.

Didn't end well

[Bomberman]

https://www.facebook.com/134175163429065/videos/951185718394668

 Beautiful air craft, so sad to see her in her final resting place. 

[Lotus]

 Beautiful air craft, so sad to see her in her final resting place. 

I remember the sight and sound of these aircraft over my Gran's house in Parow in the 70s.

 

I was quite surprised by the sound of an Albatross (damn, it's still loud!) flying over Lonehill recently. That plane and the Wasp helicopter are part of my Navy service memories.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Lotus

[Long Wheel Base]

 Beautiful air craft, so sad to see her in her final resting place. 

Ai Ai Ai, so it's no longer airworthy? Where is it parked now like that? That sucks big time. Guess in this country we will see more and more of the older planes just being laid to rest in a veld somewhere. I mean if we cut up passenger airliners because that is the cheapest option then you know.

[Jase619]

Just remembered a pretty insane experience that I had a few years ago, we went to watch a night shooting display at the army base in Bloemfontein. This included some missile firing runs and so on from a few Rooivalk Helicopters.

 

On our way into the base, while driving along the access road, the 2 Rooivalke were flying up and down the road showing off a bit. Unexpectedly, one of them decided it would be a good idea to fly next to me on the road, with the helicopter facing towards me!!! The look on our face must have been priceless as the Pilots burst into laughter before flying off.

 

The amazing skill those pilots have to fly sideways along a road is insane.

[Bateleur1]

At one stage a while ago they(BA) had an A380 grounded here for a while. It had a technical issue. Think it was a rudder issue. 

 

Useless info: The wingspan is so long on those things that the outside engines don't have thrust reversers. On most of the runways, engines 1 and 4 sit over the sides so applying thrust reversers will cause a lot of dirt/sand etc to be disturbed and ingested.

 

I noticed that and always wondered why. Thanks for that info.

[Ed-Zulu]

Ai Ai Ai, so it's no longer airworthy? Where is it parked now like that? That sucks big time. Guess in this country we will see more and more of the older planes just being laid to rest in a veld somewhere. I mean if we cut up passenger airliners because that is the cheapest option then you know.

This is the one which pranged in North Africa somewhere.

 

Mali perhaps, I read they did erect a commemorative plaque of the details close by, no one died. 

 

Edit: Western Sahara

Edited January 23, 2019 by Ed-Zulu

[Bomberman]

Ai Ai Ai, so it's no longer airworthy? Where is it parked now like that? That sucks big time. Guess in this country we will see more and more of the older planes just being laid to rest in a veld somewhere. I mean if we cut up passenger airliners because that is the cheapest option then you know.

Sadly she resting in her final place, made a crash landing in 1994 in the Sahara and it was decided to leave it there. Check the link below.

 

 

&index=1

[sawystertrance]

If you click on this link and go to Satellite view and zoom in, you can still see it..

 

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pelican+16/@22.6306126,-13.2374901,3998m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x0!2zMjLCsDM3JzU4LjUiTiAxM8KwMTQnMTQuMyJX!3b1!8m2!3d22.632906!4d-13.237302!3m4!1s0xc28689bd881d1cd:0x8c90b01f66c5d1bf!8m2!3d22.6306126!4d-13.2374901

[Bateleur1]

I was also 9 on that first flight on the 727. This was from P.E. via E.L. to Jhb, to connect to our flight to London (flying with my mother, not alone). When we initially booked, we were to fly on a Boeing 707, but this changed to a Boeing 747, which had recently been introduced into the SAA fleet. I was very excited about this - think I was the first kid in my school to fly on a Jumbo Jet.

 

The flight was very long - Jhb - Luanda - around the bulge of Africa - Frankfurt - London. I think about 17 -18 hours, but very enjoyable.

 

Flew out on the Lebombo (first 747 in the SAA fleet) and back on the Tafelberg. Can't believe I still remember the names of those aircraft forty-odd years later - obviously an avgeek in the making.

 

I still remember quite a bit of that first flight.  We flew on the 747SP from Joburg around Africa to Madrid, then Zurich and then the last hop to Vienna.  The last hop was the coolest as the aircraft was at most a third of the passengers still onboard as all the rest got off in Madrid and Zurich.  It was an hour of running around the plane and checking out views from different windows.

 

The funny part was landing in Vienna as I was taken off the plane first by ground crew.  They took me directly to the arrivals terminal to meet my grandma.  So as I got the arrivals there was a huge glas panel/wall with people behind it, and the guy told me ... who is you grandma.  Problem is I saw my grandma the last time as I was 5.  The first thing that crossed my mind was "O fark".  Luckily a small old lady came running from the side shouting my name.  I told the guy that I think that is my grandma.