Rand Airport home to one of four Starliners in the world
Lockheed L1649A Starliner reassembled by determined crew.
It was a cloudy Wednesday morning when the fuselage and wings of the Lockheed L1649A Starliner would again be joined.
The reassembly took place at Phoebus Apollo Aviation in hangar 17 at Rand Airport.
Also known as Connie, the historic aircraft is one of 44 built, and one of four that survive today across the globe.
When it was announced that the aircraft had to move to Rand Airport, dismantling of the Starliner began at South African Airways (SAA) Technical in 2011.
Unable to continue dismantling at SAA Technical, arrangements were made to continue at Denel Aviation on the North-East side of OR Tambo International Airport in 2012.
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The aircraft was relocated from OR Tambo International Airport to Rand Airport on October 13, last year.
After months of being apart, the wings were again married on July 10.
This was all in preparation to reassemble Connie this month.
The SAA Museum Society team, with help from apprentices from Intelek Training and Consultation (ITC) and Marlboro Crane Hire, displayed sheer delicacy and patience in reassembling the beloved machine.
Freddy Lestoalo, an Intelek Training and Consultation (ITC) apprentice with distinctions in physics, weight and balance, said it was an honour to have been part of the team selected to work on the reassembly of the Starliner, given its rich heritage.
Although the tarmac at Phoebus Apollo Aviation will need to be restored, chairperson of the SAA Museum Society John Austin-Williams and his team were chuffed at the outcome of the reassembly.
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