For the aviation fans

[Bonus]

Yip another wise choice........ But those 2 aircraft are VROT anyway and when I say VROT I mean SERIOUSLY VROT. Those Chinese flew the living daylights out of them for the 9 months they had them from new to us getting them. The cabins are stuffed, chairs are bent and broken, toilets look like the have seen a million people without getting serviced. The Nose Landing Gear on one of them is already using its spare seal. One of the engines has panels inside that are cracked.

Also those new engines on the A350 decide their own life limit. So after each flight it works out how hard it worked and then readjusts the life limit and the heat and altitude up here in JNB was taking months out of them with each test flight.

 

Sounds like the exact reason you never buy a second hand car that was previously driven by a sales Rep! (or Sarel vd Merwe)

 

The A350 has Rolls Royce engines I think? I recently was surprised to read that some of RR's engines (not sure which) actually transmit data back to Rolls Royce all the time they are active. If a plane develops a problem mid-flight, Rolls Royce can "log on" so to speak and study the engines performance in detail no matter where in the world (or sky) the engine happens to be.  

[Lotus]

Sounds like the exact reason you never buy a second hand car that was previously driven by a sales Rep! (or Sarel vd Merwe)

 

I would absolutely buy one of Sarel's cars - they're awesome.

 

(OT but worth telling because the guy's humor is up there with veteran pilots)

I was at Zwartkops a few years ago, chatting to Peter Lindenberg in the pits when Sarel strolled by. Peter called out "Hey Sarel, how's that Galaxie going?" to which Sarel replied (with a completely deadpan expression) "Jirre boet, those brakes... when you hit them at the end of that straight the only thing that changes is your expression".

 

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by Lotus

[Bateleur1]

I would absolutely buy one of Sarel's cars - they're awesome.

 

(OT but worth telling because the guy's humor is up there with veteran pilots)

I was at Zwartkops a few years ago, chatting to Peter Lindenberg in the pits when Sarel strolled by. Peter called out "Hey Sarel, how's that Galaxie going?" to which Sarel replied (with a completely deadpan expression) "Jirre boet, those brakes... when you hit them at the end of that straight the only thing that changes is your expression".

 

I have had a few of those moments in my life   

[Spokey]

The stories seem to change every day. Look, SAA needs to close. It simply can not carry on like this. The corruption and dodgy deals has to stop. But simply opening up another government airline is no different. They not going to fool anyone by thinking a new clean slate will solve everything.

 

LWB good luck man....I did just one year as an appie in SAA Tech back in 1981. I had always wanted to fly and did not enjoy my year although it actually taught me so much in a short time. I now do all the work on my motorcycles myself. Took me a further 13 years before I started my pilot training.

However, the real reason to post, my late Great Uncle Jimmy Adam was Chief Exec of SAA in the mid ‘70’s. He was the first CEO to come from the pilot pool and not the Department of Transport. He also turned SAA into the black economically speaking. He passed away years before I finally attained my pilot license and I have little contact with that side of the family. I do have several books Uncle Jimmy gave me in the early 80’s and I treasure them. Very sad in our family and of course others to see the demise of a once great airline. I wish you well, SAA tech is right up there in the world, I hope you guys can survive this.

[SwissVan]

Boeings 737 Max and airline operations woes to continue

 

13 May

"Boeing reported another round of 737 MAX cancelations Tuesday as the company's CEO warned the industry downturn in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic could force a major airline out of business.

Data on the aviation giant's website showed 108 orders for the 737 MAX were canceled in April, and Boeing also downgraded contracts for another 101 of the planes, an accounting move that lowered its backlog to below 5,000 planes for the first time since 2013 and indicated weakening demand for its aircraft".

"Traffic levels will not be back to 100 percent, they won't even be back to 25. Maybe by the end of the year, we approach 50," 

 

"Calhoun expressed confidence in a long-term recovery, but said it would take three-to-five years for the industry to reach the levels of 2019.

"Apocalyptic does actually accurately describe the moment," Calhoun said. "I don't think it describes the recovery, and I don't think it describes medium- or long-term for the airline industry or aviation in general."

 

https://www.journal-aviation.com/en/news/44410-boeing-reports-more-737-max-cancelations-as-ceo-offers-grim-outlook

Edited May 17, 2020 by SwissVan

[SwissVan]

Oops something went wrong...again wrong thread

Edited May 17, 2020 by SwissVan

[Long Wheel Base]

Sounds like the exact reason you never buy a second hand car that was previously driven by a sales Rep! (or Sarel vd Merwe)

 

The A350 has Rolls Royce engines I think? I recently was surprised to read that some of RR's engines (not sure which) actually transmit data back to Rolls Royce all the time they are active. If a plane develops a problem mid-flight, Rolls Royce can "log on" so to speak and study the engines performance in detail no matter where in the world (or sky) the engine happens to be.  

Yeah they have RR engines. RR and many other engine manufacturers have been sending data back to home for a while though. Our MCC(Maintenance Control Centre) receives all the PFR(Post Flight Reports) live. 

[Long Wheel Base]

LWB good luck man....I did just one year as an appie in SAA Tech back in 1981. I had always wanted to fly and did not enjoy my year although it actually taught me so much in a short time. I now do all the work on my motorcycles myself. Took me a further 13 years before I started my pilot training.

However, the real reason to post, my late Great Uncle Jimmy Adam was Chief Exec of SAA in the mid ‘70’s. He was the first CEO to come from the pilot pool and not the Department of Transport. He also turned SAA into the black economically speaking. He passed away years before I finally attained my pilot license and I have little contact with that side of the family. I do have several books Uncle Jimmy gave me in the early 80’s and I treasure them. Very sad in our family and of course others to see the demise of a once great airline. I wish you well, SAA tech is right up there in the world, I hope you guys can survive this.

Wow man, you would have been there shortly after my toppie then. He started as an Appie in Jan of 1977. I am not sure how many years the apprenticeship was back then but I am sure he would have been qualified by then. He retired in August last year.

Yeah SAAT has been criticized before for over servicing the aircraft!! I have a lot to be grateful for thanks to SAA/SAAT. I have 12 years of permanent service(and 8 months as a contractor) and my toppie retired with almost 43 years service. They have been good to me, I don't bad mouth the name but I have nothing good to say about management. I am still proud to represent the SAA brand, just sad that some people have dragged it through the mud so badly that it may never recover.

[Robbie Stewart]

Wow man, you would have been there shortly after my toppie then. He started as an Appie in Jan of 1977. I am not sure how many years the apprenticeship was back then but I am sure he would have been qualified by then. He retired in August last year.

Yeah SAAT has been criticized before for over servicing the aircraft!! I have a lot to be grateful for thanks to SAA/SAAT. I have 12 years of permanent service(and 8 months as a contractor) and my toppie retired with almost 43 years service. They have been good to me, I don't bad mouth the name but I have nothing good to say about management. I am still proud to represent the SAA brand, just sad that some people have dragged it through the mud so badly that it may never recover.

 

My cousin on my dad's side married a bloke named Kosie (I can't recall his surname) who also worked at SAAT for quite some time. I do not have contact with them. The last time I saw her was in 2000 at her dad's funeral. I remember him being a man who is VERY detailed and precise. My dad always said he needs to be that type of bloke seeing as he works on aircraft. 

[Karooryder]

Yeah they have RR engines. RR and many other engine manufacturers have been sending data back to home for a while though. Our MCC(Maintenance Control Centre) receives all the PFR(Post Flight Reports) live. 

Yup, incidentally this was some of the primary data used in (attempting to) establish the flight path of MH370, right?

[Karooryder]

When you say planes have left already, does that mean going back to leasing companies?

4 SAA A330's heading to Heard Pinal Park between Phoenix and Tuscon via Sao Paulo over the weekend. Wonder how the crew ferrying these A330's will get back home?

 

[Bateleur1]

4 SAA A330's heading to Heard Pinal Park between Phoenix and Tuscon via Sao Paulo over the weekend. Wonder how the crew ferrying these A330's will get back home?

 

SAA.jpg

 

My wife flew from London to Jhb on ZS-SXY (The one in your picture)

[geomark]

I see they had another pilot eject back in October, having a rough run.

 

One dead after Canadian Snowbirds jet crashes into home

At least one person has died after an aerobatic Canadian air force jet crashed into a residential neighbourhood.

Another crew member was injured when the plane hit a house in the city of Kamloops, British Columbia.

One pilot was able to eject before the crash on Sunday, video showed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52701421

[Long Wheel Base]

4 SAA A330's heading to Heard Pinal Park between Phoenix and Tuscon via Sao Paulo over the weekend. Wonder how the crew ferrying these A330's will get back home?

 

SAA.jpg

Yip, to park them in the desert to rot away. Will be removing the engines and a few other things. Those 4 are A330-200s. Those particular ones were a stupid option to lease. They have no centre fuel tank so can't take as much fuel. Owner by a leasing company called Air Castle.

[Robbie Stewart]

My wife flew from London to Jhb on ZS-SXY (The one in your picture)

 

I flew from JHB to Cape Town on that bird, and the other was ZS-SXZ. Not considering the whole industry catastrophe, it is a sad day nonetheless to see SAA heading off to the a graveyard. It is so final now.

[Karooryder]

Interesting take on Level 3 domestic air travel. Seems doable but I'm wondering how the inter-province movement restrictions will come into play.

 

https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/399375/heres-how-domestic-flights-could-work-under-level-3-lockdown/