Originally Posted by
Marsalforn
As I was born in 1957, I often flew in Comets, Vanguards and Viscounts on BEA and BOAC. In 1970 I flew on one of the first 747s and as a child was allowed in the cockpit and in the bar in the 'bump'. I often saw Concorde at LHR but was never a passenger.
But my favourite plane ever was the one I flew to Botswana in regularly in the 1970s, the DC3. A quick return to JHB was the result of an engine catching fire.
I used to fly in that DC-3 too from Gabs to Jo'burg in the 1970's (was there from 1972-1980) and had a private plane at the flying club on the far side of the "old" airpor (bright yellow Grumman AA-1B and a blue/white Cessna 172 before that) and knew the pilots and engineers of the DC-3. I think my last flight in that DC-3 was in December 1979 on my way to Rio via JNB/CPT (flight to Rio was on a Varig 707 if I remember correctly).
PS I held the spanners for the engineer when he was repairing that engine when it finally made it back to Gabs (port side I think it was!!).