Propliners around Johannesburg, 2005

Photos © Michal Petrykowski

Michal wrote me: "As many aviation enthusiast I am especially interested in old props. This winter we decided to visit Johannesburg airports".

ZS-AFA
ZS-AFA is a CASA 352L (c/n 164) and it also preserved at the South African Air Force Museum Historical Flight. (Swartkop, 17Jan05)

Preserved at the South African Air Force Museum Historical Flight is this Douglas C-47A-15-DK 6859 (c/n 12586). (Swartkop, 17Jan05)

Douglas C-47A-10-DK ZS-BXJ has c/n 12413 and belongs to the SAA Historical Flight.
Its home is at Swartkop AFB. (17Jan05)
See a 2020 UPDATE on my 'OFF-AIRPORT' gallery .The restoration did not quite work out.

Springbok Flying Safaries has this Douglas DC-3A-197B ZS-KEX (c/n 2008) as a long-term restoration project.
(Jo'burg-Rand, 13Jan05).

DC-3 ZS-NTE
Another long-term restoration project is this Douglas C-47A-1-DK ZS-NTE (c/n 11926).
It is owned by Phoebus Apollo at Johannesburg-Rand. (13Jan05).

UPDATE: On 06Sep2010 'NTE made a successful post-restoration testflight!

By april 2015 ZS-NTE had made its last flight for 'Springbok Classic Air' and was being prepared for the ferry flight to Trier, Germany for a new owner!

Ferry flight to Germany seems to have happened during the summer of 2015.

In June 2017 I read that ZS-NTE had been parked at Zweibrücken air base for a while and was ferried on 13Jun17 to Shannon (SNN) in Ireland, to be repainted during July 2017 in Aero Lingus retro colourscheme!
By this time, in june, the registration had not been altered but previous information noticed registration D-CUNP had been reserved for it.
No mention of the new owner.

In Jan.2020 I read in Scramble magazine (#488, Jan.2020) that ZS-NTE was under rework by Solution Air in Zweibrücken, Germany.

There can be a new lease of life, as clearly is shown by this "Turbo Dak" C-47TP ZS-OJK (c/n 14165/25610); it was converted to turbo power by Dodson Air at Wonderboom and operates all over the African Continent on charters. The "ICRC" titles indicate it is presently involved in Relief Flights for the International Red Cross.
(Wonderboom on 16Jan05).

Hawker Siddeley (a.k.a. AVRO) Hs.748-501 Srs.2B ZS-AGB (c/n 1807 is looking good after a varied life; I am indebted to Richard Church for providing the complete list of previous identities:
(earliest first) is: G-11-2, G-BPIW, B-1773, 9N-AEH, ZS-AGB, 4R-AGB, 4R-LPV.
It is now operated by Executive Aerospace, based at Johannesburg IAP (18Jan05).

Hawker Siddely Hs.748-378 Srs-2B ZS-PLO (c/n 1797) of Executive Aerospace has a long history as well: G-11-2, D-AHSF, G-11-1, CS-TAR, G-11-797, G-HDBD, G-EMRD (thanks to Richard Church).
(Johannesburg on 18Jan05).
Good HS.748 reference website is Hs.748 Production List

DC-6 ZS-XXX
Douglas DC-6BF ZS-XXX (c/n 45329) has led a varied life as well, previous identities include: CF-CZV SE-BDG LN-SUT OY-DRC G-SIXB 3D-ASA ZS-MUL 9Q-CJE.
(Swartkop, 17Jan05).
These days (march 2019) it is ZS-MUL and sits as a gate guard for a privat owner in the Pretoria area...
ZS-MUL was reported looking as good as when she landed on a private airstrip in 2010. C/n 45329 was never converted to cargo configuration. After a long storage this 'Six' was saved by one Witold Walus, who made her airworthy again after she was parked up for more than ten years at Swartkop airbase!
If you look for it you'll find a spectacular youtube video of ZS-MUL landing on a makeshift runway of 850m!

Update by proplinerinfoexchange.com (NOV21-2021):
'Peter Brill last visited Witold in 2019 and reports (upon a recent visit) that the aircraft is still intact and in relatively good condition. The lack of funds and the COVID pandemic have put a halt to Witold’s plans for a museum, at least for the time being.'

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Created: 12-3-05 Updated: 22-Jan-2020