Tweet
While this is not strictly speaking a "flight" review, rather, it is a "pre-flight" review. I left home this morning (December 30th) at 06:45 and decided to go to Lanseria (FALA) for an early morning shoot prior to going to work. It was (and still is) a dark and gloomy morning with pending thunder storm iminent.
Have attached some pics (unedited as yet) which I hope you will enjoy.
Beech 1900D (ZS-ODG) take off from 06L, note the weather closing in.
Strolling around the maintenance area's at FALA I came across N313D (Swearingen 227-AT) accompanied by 000BGS-GP - a registration I would love to accommodate in my garage at home !!
Now, this is where things get more exciting. "Stumbled across ZS-AUA (DC-4 with serial 42934 registered to Springbok Classic Air, but part leased (now) by Rovos Air - Rovos has 2 Convair 440's and a DC-3 in his fleet - see my pics on JP of these aircraft - ZS-A/B/CRV). The lads at Rovos were busy "opening shop" when I wandered over.
This wonderful vet was in the process of being pre-flighted for a trip tomorrow morning to Livingstone in Zambia. This is part of the Rovos Rail/Air experience, Rohan Vos collects steam engines and accompanying passanger stock as well as vintage aircraft. So the lucky pax boarded the train a few days ago and went to the Kruger Park for some game viewing and then to Livingstone via the Victoria Falls where, tomorrow, they will be ferried back to Johannesburg on ZS-AUA. So pre-flighting commenced. Below is a view of the nose wheel bay.
View from the maintenance gantry of AUA. Note the wonderful Highveld thunderstorm on it's way in. ZS-TRA in the background - This 727 (belongs to Tramon Air) still has the Amerijet logo on the tail fin.
Flashing up the starboard inner P&W with accompanying smog - what a wonderful sound of that "big-ass" radial challenging the decibel levels of the thunderstorm.
"Oi - below, are you sure those chocks are secure before I really wind up these mills" !!
Flashing up the port inner. Note the drums that are secured below each engine (while idle on the ramp) used to collect dripping engine fluids - all of these drums were full of water from last night's rain.
Port side P & W's winding up. We were doing prop feathering testing.
Cockpit, pic taken from the right seat.
Your's truly, looking hell of important in the right hand seat. "Biggles, eat your heart out......"
Overhead panels on Flight Deck.
Cabin shot - still some pre-flight squaring off to be done
Throttle quadrant
Now here is an unusual shot - behind the bulkhead of the aft "heads" (toilets) - inside the tail section with control cables.
Refueling port side wing tanks. Nationwide and Tramon Air 727's in the background
Captain Rob now in the left hand seat at FL 10 - yeah right - I wish !!!
"OK, lad lets button up this side, we still have to do the starboard tanks". Taken from the "drivers seat".
Starboard tanks being topped up - total of 6.5k litres of Avgas was taken on board. Rohan Vos' Convair 440 (ZS-BRV) in the background.
Well, as you can imagine - a nice way to start the day. Only one problem, the guys at Rovos forgot to invite me (as "official photographer", of course) on tomorrows flight. To the lads at Rovos, "Many thanks" for the shoot and have a wonderful flight tomorrow.
Oh well, back to the "normal" shots - one up the bum of Nationwides 727 (ZS-ODO). To all the JP spotters and forum gremlins, have a WONDEFUL new year's celebrations and all the very best for 2006.
Regards,
RobB
Johannesburg, South Africa
OOps - forgot to attach the "parting shot" of Nationwides 727 "bum shot"
RB
Have attached some pics (unedited as yet) which I hope you will enjoy.
Beech 1900D (ZS-ODG) take off from 06L, note the weather closing in.
Strolling around the maintenance area's at FALA I came across N313D (Swearingen 227-AT) accompanied by 000BGS-GP - a registration I would love to accommodate in my garage at home !!
Now, this is where things get more exciting. "Stumbled across ZS-AUA (DC-4 with serial 42934 registered to Springbok Classic Air, but part leased (now) by Rovos Air - Rovos has 2 Convair 440's and a DC-3 in his fleet - see my pics on JP of these aircraft - ZS-A/B/CRV). The lads at Rovos were busy "opening shop" when I wandered over.
This wonderful vet was in the process of being pre-flighted for a trip tomorrow morning to Livingstone in Zambia. This is part of the Rovos Rail/Air experience, Rohan Vos collects steam engines and accompanying passanger stock as well as vintage aircraft. So the lucky pax boarded the train a few days ago and went to the Kruger Park for some game viewing and then to Livingstone via the Victoria Falls where, tomorrow, they will be ferried back to Johannesburg on ZS-AUA. So pre-flighting commenced. Below is a view of the nose wheel bay.
View from the maintenance gantry of AUA. Note the wonderful Highveld thunderstorm on it's way in. ZS-TRA in the background - This 727 (belongs to Tramon Air) still has the Amerijet logo on the tail fin.
Flashing up the starboard inner P&W with accompanying smog - what a wonderful sound of that "big-ass" radial challenging the decibel levels of the thunderstorm.
"Oi - below, are you sure those chocks are secure before I really wind up these mills" !!
Flashing up the port inner. Note the drums that are secured below each engine (while idle on the ramp) used to collect dripping engine fluids - all of these drums were full of water from last night's rain.
Port side P & W's winding up. We were doing prop feathering testing.
Cockpit, pic taken from the right seat.
Your's truly, looking hell of important in the right hand seat. "Biggles, eat your heart out......"
Overhead panels on Flight Deck.
Cabin shot - still some pre-flight squaring off to be done
Throttle quadrant
Now here is an unusual shot - behind the bulkhead of the aft "heads" (toilets) - inside the tail section with control cables.
Refueling port side wing tanks. Nationwide and Tramon Air 727's in the background
Captain Rob now in the left hand seat at FL 10 - yeah right - I wish !!!
"OK, lad lets button up this side, we still have to do the starboard tanks". Taken from the "drivers seat".
Starboard tanks being topped up - total of 6.5k litres of Avgas was taken on board. Rohan Vos' Convair 440 (ZS-BRV) in the background.
Well, as you can imagine - a nice way to start the day. Only one problem, the guys at Rovos forgot to invite me (as "official photographer", of course) on tomorrows flight. To the lads at Rovos, "Many thanks" for the shoot and have a wonderful flight tomorrow.
Oh well, back to the "normal" shots - one up the bum of Nationwides 727 (ZS-ODO). To all the JP spotters and forum gremlins, have a WONDEFUL new year's celebrations and all the very best for 2006.
Regards,
RobB
Johannesburg, South Africa
OOps - forgot to attach the "parting shot" of Nationwides 727 "bum shot"
RB
Comment