Just Planes South African Airways

Publisher: JUST PLANES

Description: SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS A340

Format:
Blu-Ray/Download

Reviewed by: Marlon Carter

INTRODUCTION

+ Cockpit filming using up to 7 cameras for great views on takeoff & landing!

+ Pilot Presentations

+ Flight Preparations

+ Cockpit set-up

+ Briefings & Checklists

+ Remote Destination with no Diversion Alternate

+ Block Altitude Presentation

+ Departure & Arrival Airport Charts

+ Cockpit Presentation

+ Great scenery & sunrises

Flight Information

JNB Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA

PER Perth, AUSTRALIA

MUC Munich, GERMANY

HIGHLIGHTS

If you’ve been a fan of Just Planes for a while, you may be well aware that South African Airways is by no means a newcomer to their roster of airlines. With four programs already available, Just Planes has now released a 5th program which features an extensive look at the A340 operations of South African Airways.

The first segment of this program focuses on the A340-300 on a roundtrip flight from Johannesburg to Perth. As usual, the program begins with an introduction to the flight crew as they review NOTAMs, weather and other important information pertaining to our flight. Shortly thereafter, we join the pilots on the flight deck as they complete their cockpit preparation for departure. An interesting aspect of this preparation is that the pilots have to review a document on the differences between the A340-300 and the A340-600 since pilots at SAA fly both aircraft. The differences between these models are essential to be aware of in light of the fact that Max landing weight and Turbulence air penetration speeds are different. The latter was especially important due to the fact that our flight to Perth had many areas of turbulence along our flight path. Nonetheless, once these necessary steps were completed, we departed Johannesburg for a 9 hour flight to Perth, Australia. During our flight and our return flight to Johannesburg there were many highlights worth mentioning. For example, during these flights our pilots discuss details of our routing, alternates & remote destination, CPDLC and a thorough cockpit presentation that Airbus fans are sure to enjoy. In addition to the technical information discusses, our pilots also discuss their career history and the career progress of SAA pilots. For anyone who is interested in becoming a SAA pilot, this presentation will enlighten you on how you can make this dream come true.

Our second round trip takes us from Johannesburg to Munich onboard the A340-600. Prior to the introduction of the 747-8 into commercial service, the A340-600 had long held the record for being the longest commercial aircraft. While the length of the aircraft isn’t easily discerned from the cockpit, the use of the taxi cameras gives a good indication that this isn’t your ordinary A340. For our 10 hour flight to Munich, viewers will experience many of the highlights from our flight to Perth with the addition of a presentation by the relief pilot who discusses his role in the Cockpit. For many new pilots at SAA, their first starting point is to be a relief pilot until they attain the necessary requirements or seniority to become a First Officer. For viewers who are interested in starting a career as an SAA pilot, this brief presentation (along with the presentation from our first flight) will provide a wealth of information on what you can expect.

With an array of pilot presentations and amazing views from the flight deck, this program will certainly appeal to fans of the A340 and all enthusiasts wishing to experience the thrill of flying onboard this unique airliner. This program nicely showcases the friendly and professional atmosphere at SAA which is perhaps one of the reasons why many pilots aspire to fly for this airline. We are all certainly grateful to SAA for opening their doors to Just Planes and we certainly hope that they continue to allow aviation lovers from around the world the opportunity to see what takes place behind the cockpit door. With any luck, perhaps the next program will feature a few U.S destinations along with a few domestic destinations!