For the aviation fans

[SwissVan]

And the lawyers are going to be coining it big time, since the plane dumped over 6 schools, with many kids suffering mild skin irritations and lung problems according to the news. The highest altitude the plane achieved was 8000 feet, and the dumping seems to have occurred by about 3000 to 4000 feet.

 

Watch the "chemtrail crowd" go all ape-shut now...

I had a parraffin shower once when I was an appie and was the designated victim to replace a check valve on full of fuel aircraft..... burns like bad sunburn my skin went red and peeled off after a few days

 

Although I doubt this event was quite as severe

[Kranswurm]

I had a parraffin shower once when I was an appie and was the designated victim to replace a check valve on full of fuel aircraft..... burns like bad sunburn my skin went red and peeled off after a few days

 

Although I doubt this event was quite as severe

I have installed and commissioned a Military Base Bulk Fuel installation

Memories of standing under a safety valve fuel shower is not particularly great,but my skin did not peel off.

[Bonus]

Wonder what the ETOPS is for that particular plane?

 

I suspect it's more than 10 minutes - certainly enough for it to spend 10 mins over the ocean?

[SwissVan]

I have installed and commissioned a Military Base Bulk Fuel installation

Memories of standing under a safety valve fuel shower is not particularly great,but my skin did not peel off.

 

Peeled as in "rooinek" sunburn kind of peeling....worst affected was my waist area that were exposed to the wet clothing (pants waist and underpants elastic band) for about 1 hour... I had to drive home to go and get a change of clothing

[Inv3rt]

Thanks, I see it is ZS-TAG. Our one freighter that we lease from someone(I have no idea who) is ZS-TGG so chances are it is leased from brightstar.

It looked seriously windy when that photo was taken. Check that rudder. Also looks like a fan strap on #1 engine.

That plane is parked in pe . So prob pumping 20-30 kts . The Windy City . Prob a hauling westerly. The 737 doesn’t have any gust locks so unless you go no standard and put a hydraulic pump on on the ground the rudder at least is gonna blow into wind wind Edited January 17, 2020 by Inv3rt

[Spokey]

Wonder what the ETOPS is for that particular plane?

 

I suspect it's more than 10 minutes - certainly enough for it to spend 10 mins over the ocean?

Without researching it, at least 180 minutes. In my humble opinion this was a stuff up!

[MrJacques]

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/trending/335684-new-flaw-found-in-boeing-737-max.html

[Long Wheel Base]

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/trending/335684-new-flaw-found-in-boeing-737-max.html

They should just scrap the whole project and start from fresh. Call it a B737-1000 or something. If they keen on a new 737 with those new engines then start from the ground up but to continually trying to modify is just a vicious circle. IMHO. Maybe it is pride and they want the max to succeed but the public will be too damn scared to fly on it and FAA are going to be very difficult to please/convince it is safe.

[Bonus]

They should just scrap the whole project and start from fresh. Call it a B737-1000 or something. If they keen on a new 737 with those new engines then start from the ground up but to continually trying to modify is just a vicious circle. IMHO. Maybe it is pride and they want the max to succeed but the public will be too damn scared to fly on it and FAA are going to be very difficult to please/convince it is safe.

 

Re the Max - I think "Pride" has flown out the window by now. As you say, it's going to be a tough sell now.

 

It's going to cost more to put this mess right than doing the job properly the first time would ever have cost.

[Frosty]

[mazambaan]

I am glad they added this in

 

SAA Technical (SAAT) looks set to be the jewel in the crown of the company, should it be broken up and sold in parts. Overtures from European carriers have been made to buy the unit, with experts in the field saying that it is one of the best functioning divisions in the struggling company. No decision has been taken regarding whether SAAT will be wholly sold, or only a part of it.

 

What are your ideas/thinking/preferences for SAAT? I would have thought it would be a viable stand alone entity sold to BidVest or similar (rather not Motsepe Avaiation" for a song using money borrowed from the PIC).

[Long Wheel Base]

What are your ideas/thinking/preferences for SAAT? I would have thought it would be a viable stand alone entity sold to BidVest or similar (rather not Motsepe Avaiation" for a song using money borrowed from the PIC).

A non South African partner if they don't want to let it all go or ideally fully privately owned by another company with aviation experience(Rumors are that Lufthansa and Ethiopian Airlines are interested) or even a private investor(take Airlink for eg, Roger Forster is private and you don't see them struggling) but they must be from the field. Then this BEE tender nonsense is less of an issue. Set a date and say they closing on that date. Make us all re-apply for our jobs and open up the very next day. Get rid of the dead wood we have here. I have a lot of buddies that have left SAAT for the new Comair/Lufthansa partnership and they say those Germans are tough, you don't do your job and you're out-No unions getting in the way either. We need something like that. It will also get rid of a lot of the people we have working here that are just here because it's a job, not because aviation is a passion. They hear via the grape vine that it is lekker here and you get paid a decent salary for little work so they get a job here and do little to no work. 

Can the country do without SAA corporate? Probably, not ideal not having a national airline but it can probably work.

Can the country do without SAAT? No, there are too many other airlines and companies that rely on us and not just from RSA. Africa and the Southern Hemisphere needs a big Technical division able to do what we can do. There are little to no organisations like SAAT in Africa and Southern Hemisphere.

[mazambaan]

Thanks LWB; I guess as well SAAT may have to be (beneficially) radically downsized as it may not have SAA/Mango/SAExpress as clients. I just hope (against hope) the right thing gets done. I can hear a lot of little ANC cadre ratty claws struggling to get a grip as the ship starts to sink.

 

A really nasty question: I need to book a flight Dbn to CT for the "Argus" aka CCT. Will Mango still be around do you think?

[Long Wheel Base]

Thanks LWB; I guess as well SAAT may have to be (beneficially) radically downsized as it may not have SAA/Mango/SAExpress as clients. I just hope (against hope) the right thing gets done. I can hear a lot of little ANC cadre ratty claws struggling to get a grip as the ship starts to sink.

 

A really nasty question: I need to book a flight Dbn to CT for the "Argus" aka CCT. Will Mango still be around do you think?

Mango had better still be around as I have already booked and paid for my flight down with them. 

 

So just for info, although they still "part of SAA" Mango and SAX and just like SAAT whereas they have their own CEO, facilities, staff etc so they would be like us and still be able to operate.

 

IMHO, SAX should close and the staff should move to SAAT or Airlink. They pretty much try compete with Airlink and Mango so its just not worth it. They have so few aircraft and staff left anyway.

Edited January 20, 2020 by Long Wheel Base

[Bonus]

Wasn't SAA once voted "Best Airline" in the world? Would have been some years ago now. (I know more recently they've been voted Best Airline in Africa)

 

even if they weren't officially awarded, I know that once upon a time they were considered generally to be one of the best airlines in the world. 

 

Imagine taking that business and running it into the ground??? Through theft, corruption and good old "not having a ******* clue what you're doing because you got the job as part of affirmitive action".

 

What a shame.

[Twaatie]

Wasn't SAA once voted "Best Airline" in the world? Would have been some years ago now. (I know more recently they've been voted Best Airline in Africa)

 

even if they weren't officially awarded, I know that once upon a time they were considered generally to be one of the best airlines in the world.

 

Imagine taking that business and running it into the ground??? Through theft, corruption and good old "not having a ******* clue what you're doing because you got the job as part of affirmitive action".

 

What a shame.

Think best African airline is Ethiopian airlines

 

They use to be the best but ethiopian-airlines and kenya have surpassed them, since they dropped their standards

Edited January 20, 2020 by Twaatie