Here is a very "fitting tribute" 
I will never forget you Lebombo - had quite a few flights on the great bird 
From Mr John Austin - Williams from the SAA Museum Society :
Lebombo Has Landed
At four minutes past eight, South African time, on an overcast and dull
Friday morning 5 March 2004, the retired South African Airways Boeing
747-244, ZS-SAN, "Lebombo" touched down at Rand Airport, Germiston, just
outside Johannesburg. It was a case of third time lucky for the landing had
been postponed twice due to poor weather conditions on 14 and 28 February. A
substantial crowd had been waiting at Rand since about six a.m. and erupted
in cheer and clapping as the grand old lady was placed firmly down on runway
11. As planned she stopped near the intersection of runway 11/29 and 35/17.
After the exchange of congratulations over the radio the crew announced the
shut down of the four big Pratt & Whitney engines, the APU (auxiliary power
unit) however was kept running so that steering and brakes could be
operated. The responsibility of towing the aircraft was handed over to a
very experienced and highly capable SAA Technical crew who's task it was to
move the aircraft to its parking area. A tug was connected and the jumbo
began to head for the designated parking area in front of the terminal
building. However the tug wheels lost grip on the grass and after several
unsuccessful attempts to try and assist the tug with a fire tender a
decision was taken to taxi Lebombo across the grass under her own power. The
four engines were started and in a few minutes the old girl was on the taxi
area in front of the terminal. The tug was reconnected and the aircraft
manoeuvred to her parking spot.
Lebombo is sure to attract attention for she can be seen from as far away as
Alberton and most of the roads that lead to Rand Airport. An interesting
point is that when standing in front of the entrance to the Rand Airport
Terminal building one can see her tail towering above the buildings. A good
bit of marketing for SAA no doubt!
Lebombo will remain parked in front of the terminal building for a short
while until a concrete hard-stand has been prepared next to the TAC
building.
Lebombo's crew consisted of:
Captain: Dennis Spence
Captain: Stuart Lithgow
Senior First Officer: Phil Parsons
Senior Flight Engineer Officer: Dennis McDermott
Chief Flight Engineer Officer: Peter Kiely
Also on board was Gerry Du Toit from the South African Civil Aviation
Authority.
It was an emotional time for it was the last flight of Senior Flight
Engineer Officer Dennis McDermott and Chief Flight Engineer Officer Peter
Kiely. It was fitting indeed that their last flight was on an aircraft
destined to be preserved and not sent to a breakers yard.
On behalf of the SAA museum society I take this opportunity to
wholeheartedly thank the following for their invaluable contribution towards
what will go down in history as a major event in the preservation of South
Africa's civil aviation heritage.
In alphabetical order:
African Pilot Magazine
Air Traffic Navigation Services
Barlod Heavy Haulage
Barloworld Equipment
Capital Air Security
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Emergency Services
ETV
Graham Cooper
Laurie Giani
LGM SA Lufthansa Gebaudemanagement
Lynne Hancock Communications
Mama She's Waste Recyclers
Netcare 911
Rand Airport Fire Services
Rand Airport Management
South African Airways
South African Airways Flight Operations
South African Airways Technical
South African Broadcasting Corporation
South African Civil Aviation Authority
Transcor Heavy Haulage
Transvaal Aviation Club Management
Tyco Trucks
Our thanks go to all other people and organisations that have given so much
time and effort in assisting us to ensure this project reached an epic
highlight.
Last but by no means least, a huge thanks to the members of the South
African Airways Museum Society.
Kind regards
Jaws