SAAF Museum

The South African Air Force Museum celebrated vertical flight when more than twenty helicopters and gyrocopters flew into Swartkop during the museum’s monthly flying day.

FINAL RESTING PLACE FOR BOEING 707 1417

The South African Air Force Museum at Swartkop recently expanded on its already impressive collection of aircraft when the front fuselage section of an ex 60 Squadron Boeing 707-328C (tailnumber 1417) arrived at the Museum on Sunday the 18th of April 2010.

It was largely thanks to the initiative and efforts of two keen Warrant Officers that saw this ambitious project materialize. Even though the Museum had already received an ex 60 Squadron Boeing 707 (1419) in 2007, it was decided to salvage at least another part of the Boeing fleet for display purposes. Therefore before the scrap-man could lay his hands on the remaining 707’s languishing at Waterkloof, WO1 Steven Halstead and WO2 Alan Taylor had already devised a grand plan to recover a front fuselage cockpit section for posterity. Aircraft number 1417 was selected and after delicate negotiations to secure the aircraft for the museum, plans were set into motion. 1 Aircraft Servicing Unit (1ASU) at AFB Waterkloof agreed to provide the critical technical assistance and equipment needed, because the front section of the aircraft had to be cut from the rest of the fuselage on site.