Originally Posted by
chevvron
SAA don't use 747s into Heathrow any more do they?
I remember watching them on radar at Farnborough struggling to get above 3000ft abeam Fairoaks. Handovers of Farnborough inbounds from the south were often a bit high/late 'because it's stuck on top of a slow climbing Springbok' London Control would say.
I moved to a house just west of Fairoaks in 1995 so I was able to watch them from my back garden too; often saw spurts of fuel venting from the wingtip vents.
Then about 5 years ago (after I retired) it all changed and I saw they were using A340s instead; slightly better rate of climb (but not much).
Nooo, SAA's 747-400's were pulled off the LHR to CPT and JNB maybe 10 years ago or more?
They had rather nice Rolls Royce powered -400's, but then bought some CF6 powered ones (along with QF ANZ who had also ordered RR at first) for greater range...
One would see at LHR each day before the -400's, a couple of -200 Super B's or a -300, plus an SP sitting there all day until the evening flights to the Cape and JNB...
SAA sold the CPT slot for £m's and the JNB went to just one a day in recent times.
Did CPT in F about 15 or so years ago - awesome flight - did not want to get off!