Bitter-sweet with SAA

My first flight ever:

My dad bought me a ticket to fly back from the (then) H.F. Verwoerd airport in Port Elizabeth to the army base in Upington, because I only had seven days to spend with my loved ones after my excruciating three month basic training. And since it took a total of three of those precious days to hitch-hike home less than a week earlier.

Despite the fact that it was so hard to say goodbye, I was really looking forward to my first ever experience on an aircraft and I was ecstatic to notice that we were scheduled for a stop-over at D.F. Malan airport, Cape Town. (Anything to prolong the much anticipated first flight-experience).

We boarded the impeccable SAA Boeing 737, and I proudly strapped into my window-seat, just behind the starboard wing. Tried to look as if this was something that I do every day. My heart beating in my chest with real anticipation for what was about to happen.

Push-back, startup, taxi. And then, still quite apprehensive, the amazing feeling of the sheer power during the take-off roll. The sensation of three-dimensional movement when the nose-wheel separated from the tarmac and then, total freedom... with the runway and Mother Earth quickly falling away beneath us. I soon relaxed, my nose stuck to the little oval window; I did not want to miss a thing.

Enroute to Cape Town, I relaxed. Impressed by the professional service of the cabin-crew, I ordered a beer, because that's all you can afford when you're an army-boy.

As we descended towards the mountains to the West of Cape Town, I fastened my seat-belt a notch tighter, because it seemed as if the wing was within metres of touching the rocky surface of the ominous looking mountains surrounding the Mother-city.

Final approach. I tightly held onto the arm-rest and braced myself for touch-down. A brief screeching sound as rubber kissed asphalt. The nose-wheel dropped.

And then: D I S A S T E R … (All caps…)

A terrible sensation of noise and brakes and confusion and I'm hanging in my safety belt for dear life as the unthinkable happened. A massive part of the engine right next to me came off. Right off! I may have uttered a typical infantry term of shock, because in my minds' eye, the end was here.

But, our speed continued to drop. And the noise died down. And then, wonder by wonder, the dislocated part of the engine picked itself up and re-assembled itself into its former position directly to the rear of the giant Rolls Royce engine.

I sighed a sigh of relief, looked around whether anyone was laughing at me...

Only afterwards I was told that this was just a normal part of the aircraft reverse thrusters which was intended to bring the gentle giant to a halt. A section of the engine casing moves backwards over the exhaust part of the motor, which enables the aircraft to stop quicker.

I will never forget that day. I've never lost my love for aviation. Since that very first flight, I always had this deep-rooted urge to fly. And my dream came true 20 years later when I finally completed my Private Pilot License. In a little Cessna of which the engine remains in one piece after landing...

Thanks SAA for these lovely memories and for your contribution to making one of my biggest dreams ever come true!!

Until the next flight…