JNB-GBE (Gaborone, Botswana) via SA Express
Apr 22, 10, 8:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 30
JNB-GBE (Gaborone, Botswana) via SA Express
belated TR 1st posted in SQTalk:
Background
This is a write-up on my flight from JNB to GBE (Gaborone, Botswana). Having flown into JNB on SQ478, which i have slept thru with the 2.30am flight-time and hence have nothing to say, and sitting off 2 hrs of layover in the SAA Baobab lounge [see separate thread], i proceeded towards Gate A19 for my flight to GBE (Gaborone, Botswana).
The holding area for the remote standing gates resembles more like a bus terminal for passengers to be transported to the remote standings.
At 09:00, 20 min ahead of scheduled flight time, the 'gate' was opened:
Though most of the passengers boarded the bus, the driver and ticketing agent took quite a while before dispatching us to the plane, resulting in this scene:
In the meantime, i had the opportunity to witness a pallet of luggage [is there a proper term for this?] fallen off a tractor-wagon to block a service road. Took abt 5 mins before a forklift was summoned. I had fished out my camera by now, hoping to capture the drama, alas mine was no SLR and the scene was beyond my point and shoot. My fears that the forklift was the wrong machine was confirmed when the pallet tipped over to spill out the luggage therein, including one brown box with red FRAGILE labels all over it. At this juncture, the driver and agent decided we have waited enough and i was only able to capture this shot. Looks like some pple will be missing their luggage:
After a slow tour of JNB from the airside [the bus had to stop at every junction to check if any aircraft wld jump on us] we finally caught sight of the South African Express ramp.
JNB-GBE
Flight: SA1783
Aircraft: de Havilland DASH 8
Class: Economy
Seat: 5B
SA1783 was to be a DASH-8; cabin trolleys went to the trunk (aft of plane).
As we were boarding, this sight of engineers hurriedly fixing [whatever] to the nose-wheel was most re-assuring.
Customary leg-shot
View of towards cockpit from Seat 5B
The props started turning 5 mins before flight time, and at 09:20am sharp the plane rolled off from its standing. 5 mins later, it started down the runway.
Snack bag: 1 x short-cake, 1 x choc bar, 1 x cheezels. and juice and water
Glad they are still turning...
We landed at 09:55am, 15 mins ahead of schedule, at GBE – Sir Seretse Khama Airport. A new terminal building is underway, supposedly to be completed by June in time to ride on tourism fever arising from South Africa’s World Cup, but now probably only to be completed next year.
The new terminal is being built on the turf in front of the old single-story terminal building, a better perspective can be gleaned from this 2005 pic when i last visited.
A SAA A321 - a much smoother and faster ride, i'm sure - pulling away to return to JNB
The arrival hall, and the rest of the public area.
Background
This is a write-up on my flight from JNB to GBE (Gaborone, Botswana). Having flown into JNB on SQ478, which i have slept thru with the 2.30am flight-time and hence have nothing to say, and sitting off 2 hrs of layover in the SAA Baobab lounge [see separate thread], i proceeded towards Gate A19 for my flight to GBE (Gaborone, Botswana).
The holding area for the remote standing gates resembles more like a bus terminal for passengers to be transported to the remote standings.
At 09:00, 20 min ahead of scheduled flight time, the 'gate' was opened:
Though most of the passengers boarded the bus, the driver and ticketing agent took quite a while before dispatching us to the plane, resulting in this scene:
In the meantime, i had the opportunity to witness a pallet of luggage [is there a proper term for this?] fallen off a tractor-wagon to block a service road. Took abt 5 mins before a forklift was summoned. I had fished out my camera by now, hoping to capture the drama, alas mine was no SLR and the scene was beyond my point and shoot. My fears that the forklift was the wrong machine was confirmed when the pallet tipped over to spill out the luggage therein, including one brown box with red FRAGILE labels all over it. At this juncture, the driver and agent decided we have waited enough and i was only able to capture this shot. Looks like some pple will be missing their luggage:
After a slow tour of JNB from the airside [the bus had to stop at every junction to check if any aircraft wld jump on us] we finally caught sight of the South African Express ramp.
JNB-GBE
Flight: SA1783
Aircraft: de Havilland DASH 8
Class: Economy
Seat: 5B
SA1783 was to be a DASH-8; cabin trolleys went to the trunk (aft of plane).
As we were boarding, this sight of engineers hurriedly fixing [whatever] to the nose-wheel was most re-assuring.
The props started turning 5 mins before flight time, and at 09:20am sharp the plane rolled off from its standing. 5 mins later, it started down the runway.
We landed at 09:55am, 15 mins ahead of schedule, at GBE – Sir Seretse Khama Airport. A new terminal building is underway, supposedly to be completed by June in time to ride on tourism fever arising from South Africa’s World Cup, but now probably only to be completed next year.
The new terminal is being built on the turf in front of the old single-story terminal building, a better perspective can be gleaned from this 2005 pic when i last visited.
A SAA A321 - a much smoother and faster ride, i'm sure - pulling away to return to JNB
The arrival hall, and the rest of the public area.
Apr 25, 10, 11:01 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,940
Thank you very much for this report - definitely brings back some memories [I lived in Gabs for two and a half years at 1998-2000].
Even though I travelled a lot between Botswana and South Africa in that period, I took only one :O flight, and it was this same route, just in reverse: GBE-JNB, on 31DEC00, when I left Africa.
Looking at these 2 photos:
it looks like it hasn't changed at all in last 10 years. As I said, only flown once there, but been many times to the airport either seeing people off or waiting for them.
Interesting note on the Airbus, when I flew [on same/similar Dash] there were only 2 airlines flying there: SAAEx with Dash and Air Botswana with their ATRs. Very different to late 90s when you could see B747s [for example, BA tag on LHR-JNB----GBE].
How was the actual flight? I still remember it as one of the bumpiest flights in my life [and what a beatiful clear day it was] - I managed just about to hold it off, but somebody was sick on apron while departing aircraft in JNB [no buses back then].
Apologies for rambling....
Even though I travelled a lot between Botswana and South Africa in that period, I took only one :O flight, and it was this same route, just in reverse: GBE-JNB, on 31DEC00, when I left Africa.
Looking at these 2 photos:
Interesting note on the Airbus, when I flew [on same/similar Dash] there were only 2 airlines flying there: SAAEx with Dash and Air Botswana with their ATRs. Very different to late 90s when you could see B747s [for example, BA tag on LHR-JNB----GBE].
How was the actual flight? I still remember it as one of the bumpiest flights in my life [and what a beatiful clear day it was] - I managed just about to hold it off, but somebody was sick on apron while departing aircraft in JNB [no buses back then].
Apologies for rambling....
Apr 26, 10, 3:52 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 30
Originally Posted by jms_uk
Thank you very much for this report - definitely brings back some memories [I lived in Gabs for two and a half years at 1998-2000].
... it looks like it hasn't changed at all in last 10 years. As I said, only flown once there, but been many times to the airport either seeing people off or waiting for them.
... it looks like it hasn't changed at all in last 10 years. As I said, only flown once there, but been many times to the airport either seeing people off or waiting for them.
Originally Posted by jms_uk
Interesting note on the Airbus, when I flew [on same/similar Dash] there were only 2 airlines flying there: SAAEx with Dash and Air Botswana with their ATRs. Very different to late 90s when you could see B747s [for example, BA tag on LHR-JNB----GBE].
How was the actual flight? I still remember it as one of the bumpiest flights in my life [and what a beatiful clear day it was] - I managed just about to hold it off, but somebody was sick on apron while departing aircraft in JNB [no buses back then].
How was the actual flight? I still remember it as one of the bumpiest flights in my life [and what a beatiful clear day it was] - I managed just about to hold it off, but somebody was sick on apron while departing aircraft in JNB [no buses back then].
Apr 26, 10, 10:43 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,940
Originally Posted by jammed
oh you should read abt my GBE-JNB return, it was more dramatic than a bumpy ride. Thanfully this particular JNB-GBE was alright; I remember a GBE-JNB on DASH8 that nearly sent my heart out of my mouth, together with other contents, somewhere as it approach JNB. More seasoned travellers were explaining to me abt effects of African continental pressure meeting with ocean pressures etc which all sound Greek to me
