The call came in on Wednesday morning the 10th of September 2014.
Dennis Spence “Would you like a 737? ”
John “Jaws” Austin-Williams “Absolutely!”
Dennis Spence “Then organise it – I’ll bring it on Sunday”
That was about the sum total of Jaws’s conversation with Captain Dennis Spence.
From Wednesday to Sunday it was a blur of E-mails, SMSs, WhatsApps and Cell
Phone calls, both locally and to our Vice Chairman, Richard Hunt who was in
Canada at the time.
To Ian Cruickshank, our Treasurer – “Have we got funds for fuel, ATNS, ferry
permit etc?”
Ian “ah… well… how much do we need?”
Jaws “I’ll get back to you”.
As it transpired there was fuel in the aerie, enough for the ferry from OR Tambo
International Airport to Rand Airport, so panic off in that regard.
To Joppie Nieman, our secretary and PRO – “We’ve been donated a 737, get on
the blower to all your radio, TV and print media contacts”.
Joppie “Consider it done!”
Jaws to Stuart Coetzee and Paul Roberts of Rand Airport and Hennie Delport of
Phoebus Apollo…”ah, guys, we’ve been given a 737… she’s coming on Sunday!”
Stuart “Where are you going to put it?”
Jaws “We’ll make space – but can we store her at Hennie’s for a few days?”.
Hennie “You’ve got 45 days, thereafter I’ll cut her up!”
Peter Frame from Swissport “Tow bar on its way”.
Renette Buys from Phoebus Apollo “Tractor and driver Johan Coetzer ready
for you!”
Apart from a few anxious moments all the planning went smoothly.
A letter confirming the donation was received from Fabian Bachrach.
Peter Annear of Star Air Cargo, based at Denel, arranged the ferry permit
with CAA.
Captain Dennis Spence, Captain Glen Warden and Safety Officer Rodger Thomas
did all the flight planning – we were “good to go”.
And so at around 10h00 on Sunday 14 September ZS-SMD climbed out of
OR Tambo for the last time. Some air-to-air photography took place; she made
two fly pasts for the photographers, then two “runway inspections” and finally at
10h59 the crew put her down gently on runway 29 at Rand.
Boeing 737-219 Advanced, ZS-SMD, touched down at Rand Airport at 10h49 on
Sunday, 14th September 2014.
A crowd of about 150 people had gathered to witness the final landing of this
classic aircraft. After performing several fly pasts and two “runway inspections”
Captain Dennis Spence and Co-Captain Glen Warden gently put her down for
the last time. She was parked on the apron in front of the Terminal building for a
couple of hours – the first Boeing 737 to land at Rand.
After the obligatory crew photographs and chats to the media she was taxied to
the Phoebus Apollo Aviation apron where she remained for the next few days
until being towed up to the Museum’s aircraft park on 2nd October.
Construction number 23472, line number 1194, first took to the air on 20 January
1986.
She was registered ZK-NAV on 3 February, handed over to Air New Zealand on
10 February and arrived in New Zealand on 15 February.
Named “Pukeko” she was put into service on 21 February 1986.
In her career as a passenger airliner she has seen service with the following
operators:
ZK-NAV Air New Zealand
XA-NAV Aviacsa (Mexico)
N472BC Celtic Capital
ZS-SMD Star Air Cargo
ZS-SMD Air Namibia
ZS-SMD LAM (Linhas Aereas Mocambique) Mozambique
ZS-SMD Proflight Zambia
She was also used by Mango Airlines for some flights.
Unfortunately the costs of a D-check were too expensive and so rather than face
the axe-man she was donated to the Museum.
B737-219(Adv) c/n 23472 Interesting information:
| Date of manufacture | 1986 |
| First flight | 20 January 1986 |
| Delivered | 10 February 1986 |
| First service | 21 February 1986 |
| Wingspan | 28.35 m (93 ft 0 in) |
| Overall length | 30.53 m (100 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 11.23 m (36 ft 8 in) |
| Maximum take-off weight | 52 390 kg (115 500 lbs) |
| Typical cruise speed | 933 km/h (580 mi/h) |
| Engines | 2 x Pratt & Whitney JT-8D-17A ducted turbofans |
| Maximum range | 4 899 km (3 044 mi) |
| Crew cockpit | 2 |
| Crew cabin | 3-4. Air NZ only had 3 cabin crew on the B737s as they crewed to a ratio of 1:50 |
| Passengers | Maximum 136. Entered service with 113 economy seats, later 8 business and 98 economy seats |
| Hours flown | 67 522 hours. Withdrawn from service on the 11th of September 2014, with 72 248 cycles |
On Saturday 24 September 2014, 13 museum members spruced up ZS-SMD and applied the museum decal.
ZS-SMD, “welcome to the museum aircraft park” ceremony, 2nd October 2014. Photographs: Karl Jensen
