B747SP-44, ZS-SPC, which was officially retired from the SAA fleet in 2003, will be doing its very last flight tomorrow, 30 September 2006 from Jo'burg International to Rand Airport its new permanent home.

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from flysaa.com:

SAA OLD TIMER FINDS NEW HOME SA)">AS MUSEUM SHOW PIECE

JOHANNESBURG. 28 September 2006. A gracious old lady that has served South African Airways well for over 26 years was wished fondly farewell today en route to her new home.
The Boeing 747SP will be flown on Saturday morning, weather permitting, from Johannesburg International Airport to Rand Airport, Germiston, where this old timer will become a show piece for the thousands of visitors to the SA Museum Society based at Rand Airport in Germiston.

This is the second of SAA’s Boeings, a 747SP (Special Performance), to find a new home at the SAA Museum Society.

The Lebombo, a Boeing 747-200, SAA’s oldest Jumbo, was relocated in August 2004 to its final resting place at the SAA Museum Society, near the Museum’s display hall and the Transvaal Aviation Club, where visitors can view it.

All historical aviation material accumulated by the Museum is now in one consolidated area.

At the official hand over ceremony of the “Maluti”, Jan Blake, CEO of SAA Technical said “We have found a worthy home for another of the gracious ladies that have done us proud in the time they served in our fleet. Now they will make a further contribution by preserving aviation history.”

The Maluti is one of only 45 B747 SPs built worldwide. “She is also the first and so far only B747SP to be preserved in a museum world wide. Two Boeing 747 derivates alongside each other is a world first for the SAA Museum Society,” says John Austin-Williams, from the SAA Museum Society.

Only 14 of these aircraft are left in service worldwide. It is shorter than the big 747, measuring 50 metres in length as opposed to 70. It was designed to fly higher and faster than the big Jumbo.

Like the Lebombo, the Maluti is in pristine condition and fully serviceable and will make a valuable contribution for many years to come.

SAA plans to further develop an educational programme at the Museum to enhance knowledge about aviation in general and various other careers available in the industry.

This will be done through Vulindlela, SAA’s aviation awareness programme and the airline’s Corporate Social Investment flagship project for the last five years.

SAA partnership with the Department of Education travels to historically disadvantaged schools in all of the country’s provinces to expose learners to careers in the aviation industry. The Vulindlela bus, that is equipped as an aircraft on the interior, travels with SAA cadet pilots who conduct the on-site teaching.


For more information about the SAA Museum Society please visit the society's web site at www.saamuseum.co.za

Issued by SAA Corporate Communications and CSI


THE SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS MUSEUM SOCIETY

The South African Airways Museum Society was founded in 1986 by individuals within South African Airways and interested outside parties with the aim of preserving the history of SAA and that of general civil aviation in South Africa.

The South African Airways Museum Society has been established alongside the Transvaal Aviation Club at Rand Airport in Germiston. Historic items such as photographs, aircraft instruments, timetables and other important documentation are on display in the society's display hall. The display hall is open to the public, and the society regularly participates in open days to encourage particularly the younger generation of South Africans to take an interest in aviation as a potential career.

The static display aircraft are used to their fullest extent for aviation awareness programmes as well as for fund raising for the society. The aircraft are available for small corporate related functions such as board meetings and conferences, product launches, award ceremonies, even weddings.

The aircraft may also be utilised by training organisations for training of aircraft mechanics and technicians. It may be possible for certain maintenance procedures to be undertaken as training exercises, which will assist the society with its on going preservation task, as well as being beneficial to students who will get an opportunity to work on "the real thing".

For more information about the SAA Museum Society please visit the society's web site at www.saamuseum.co.za

For more information about the Boeing 747SP visit www.747sp.com/Explained.asp