Landing B747 SP at Rand Airport 30 Sept

[Round Engine]

Heard a rumour from a reliable source that the B747 SP allocated to the SAA Museum Society will be landing at FAGM on Saturday 30 Sept. The aircraft is ZS-S** "Maluti". Apparently they are keeping the arrival of their second B747 at FAGM quiet on purpose... Believe the authority to fly has been granted, aircraft has been run up and found serviceable (only small snags), so all systems go. Any one know any other details, like what time the flight has been scheduled for?:} :}

[Romeo E.T.]

Email message recieved----- Original Message -----
From: FAGM ATC
To: AFOS ; AFOS 2 ; Air Safety ; Capital Air 2 ; Classique Aviation ; Henley Air ; Henley Air 2 ; Henley Air 3 ; Jhb School of Flight ; Jhb school of flight ; NAC ; NAC ; Norse Air ; Phoebus Apollo ; Police Airwing ; Rand Flight Academy ; Sky Raiders ; Vics Flight School
Cc: Ricardo Afonso
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:39 PM
Subject: SAA B747 SP Arrival FAGM


Hi there everyone



Just a short preliminary email to let you know that we are expecting to close FAGM airspace for two hours on Saturday morning due to the arrival of the SAA Museum’s 747 SP, ZS-SPC. At the moment we haven’t received confirmation on the exact time, but we’re expecting it around 07:30 local time (0530Z)



As soon as I’ve received confirmation, I’ll be passing along all the information to you, as well as the applicable NOTAM.



Additionally, we are expecting the SP to be doing a missed approach on RWY11 around noon on Friday. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem for circuit traffic, apart from wake turbulence implications. Should you have circuit trainers in the circuit around this time, please be aware that they might be asked to orbit for their own safety.



Regards

Lonell de Beer

FAGM Tower

[Deskjocky]

Good to see she's not going to the breakers yard like the classics did:D :D :D Weve done a few functions at the FAGM with the current one and all the customers love it! beats given them hanger tours anyday!!

[flytoday]

Hello again everyone



We now have confirmation of the events surrounding the arrival of ZS-SPC. They are as follows:



FRIDAY 29/09/06



0515Z – 0535Z (07:15 – 07:35 Local Time):
There will be an airspace closure due to ZS-SPC doing three or four missed approaches on RWY11.


SATURDAY 30/09/06



0520Z – 0730Z (07:20 – 09:30 Local Time):
There will be an airspace closure due to ZS-SPC landing RWY11.
RWY35 will be opened again as soon as the aircraft is clear.


Thanks for your patience. I will forward NOTAM information as soon as it becomes available.



Regards

Lonell de Beer

FAGM Tower

[B Sousa]

Heres hoping someone gets some Pictures like the last one.......

[Kestrel_909]

Heres hoping someone gets some Pictures like the last one.......

Hope Julian Whitelaw is there again, he got some great shots the last time.

[ERASER]

Saw the SP this morning at FAJS doing some touch and go’s, what an amazing looking a/c……We are very lucky still having the pleasure of her presence……although soon to be permanently retired and grounded.

The consolation is that FAJS still see the odd SP passing thru…..

E

[james ozzie]

Is it so that SAA operated 2 of these machines? I seem to recall reading that one of them was to be demolished with earthmoving equipment after being stripped of valuables & I think I recall seeing a tender invitation to demolish and remove the second? Did this ever happen? If so, what a sad ending for such a remarkable aircraft. Good to see at least one being preserved, though it is a rather large "keepsake".

[mini]

Just did some digging of old schedules...

I flew on one of the SP's from LAD - JNB on Aug 13 2000, it always stuck in my mind due to the PA's from the flight deck explaining the delays in departure due to the inability of the ground/ops crew to provide an acceptable weight & balance cert. The skippers description of LAD was an absolute classic :ok:

Hope she has a happy retirement.

[ZFT]

Is it so that SAA operated 2 of these machines? .
SAA operated 6 SPs all delivered in 1976/77 I believe.

[starliner]

Landed at 0745 LT after 2 dummy approaches

[ERASER]

SAA purchased 6 B747-SP with registrations ZS-SPA/SPB/SPC/SPD/SPE/SPF

SPD – Sold to Royal Air Maroc (CN-RMS) early into SP operations at SAA
SPA – Demolished
SPF – suffered uncontrolled engine loss and fire with the subsequent wing damage, it was uneconomical to repair, demolished at Maputo.

SPC – Now at rand
SPB – Sold, last operating charters with Corse Air, not sure if it’s still operating for them.
SPE - All white standing at FAJS

I believe Qantas (?) is also preserving as B747 SP

Just one beautiful jet................

[Sultan Ismail]

Hope my memory cells are intact, the first SAA 'SP was named Matroosberg and it's delivery flight was a non-stop trip from Seattle to Cape Town.
I later flew on this aircraft and do remember a plaque on a bulkhead commemorating the event. My flight was in fact the first Cape Town to London non-stop, no more Sal Island.

[ChiyaWena]

does anyone know the registrations of the SAA SP's that were leased to Air Mauritius back in the 80's. the ZS regs, not the 3B ones.

what an awesome plane!!!! sad that her time in the sky has all but come to an end.

[ZFT]

does anyone know the registrations of the SAA SP's that were leased to Air Mauritius back in the 80's. the ZS regs, not the 3B ones.

SPC, SPE & SPF were all leased to MK at various times.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

SPB was also used by Alliance IIRC. Quite an interesting paint scheme with the lion's head on the tail.

[unablereqnavperf]

Any one know who the drivers were, was it the boy wonder Spence again?

[FO Gyro]

Yes, and Joe Maartens (training captain), ex. SAA in the right hand seat, as he is current on the aircraft, and had to get Dennis current again.

[jonathanm5]

Well done Dennis and Joe. A great landing. I am so sorry I missed it. Thanks for the photographs afroair - excellent

[787FOCAL]

747SP on 48 ft wide runway (http://www.rudigreyling.com/movie/boeing_747_retirement_landing_small.wmv)

[IMHO]

Great Video!:D
would love to give that a go!

[ultimatepro63]

Very good :D :D :D

[EGCC4284]

What is the normal width of a commercial airport runway and what is the width of the main landing gear on the 747

[ATC Watcher]

Great !
I bet the skipper that did that landing had more flying years than the SP , and I also bet that this has been one of his best memories on his carreer.
He deserved a cold beer and a lot of respect after that !

( I always found the SP an ugly aeroplane, but in SAA colors and flown like this, it is almost elegant ! )

[Bomber Harris]

cool!......

[reverserunlocked]

Fair bit of drift on there, well done chaps.

[kooyheier]

If im correct the wheelbase of the 747sp is 10.36m... And they landed that on a 48ft (i.e. 14.4m) wide runway!!!!! That's a job very very well done... Or nuts:}

:D :D :D

[Antman]

:ok: Cool Video.
2nd time these guys have done this, last time was old B747-200.

http://capeaeroclub.co.za/photogallery/B747%20Landing02.jpg

http://capeaeroclub.co.za/photogallery/B747%20Landing04.jpg

http://capeaeroclub.co.za/photogallery/B747%20Landing08.jpg

http://capeaeroclub.co.za/photogallery/B747%20Landing11.jpg

The gent on the left was the pilot for both landings.

Details of runway.
Runway 11 - 1660m(5445') long, 15m(48') wide.
Most importantly elevation 5483' asl
Density Altitude on a cool 20'C day 7300' !!!!!

[The AvgasDinosaur]

For those interested in 'SPs Syrianair still fly theirs to Europe. One in AMS last week and last summer 2 per week into MAN mixed in with Airbii (looks neater than airbuses or airbuss:rolleyes: ) So if you want to be certain of a flight best check with the airline ahead of departure. They are suposed to be returning to MAN this year as well:ok: :D
Be lucky
David

[Taildragger67]

I believe Qantas (?) is also preserving as B747 SP



Qantas junked their -SPs (VH-EAA, EAB) some years ago now at Marana.

They have a 747-238 (VH-EBQ) at the Qantas museum at Longreach, Queensland. Also a dramatic arrival onto a short, narrow strip, kicking up lots of lovely outback-Australian red dust:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0298253/M/

Rumour running that it's to be joined by Qantas' first 707 (the one from 1958) which is currently in the UK (VH-XBA).

EGCC4284,

runways at major civil (ie. 747-capable) airports usually 150' wide or greater.

[Jamie-Southend]

Quite right TRAIL

"Rumour running that it's to be joined by Qantas' first 707 (the one from 1958) which is currently in the UK (VH-XBA)."

Leaves us any day now :( :( for Oz via Seattle & others.:{

[Speedbreak]

Nice video of this B747 landing in Rand Airport, on a 15m width runway....
And of course congrats to the pilots for this very good performance and show! :D :D :D
Speed :ok:
http://www.rudigreyling.com/movie/boeing_747_retirement_landing_small.wmv