EAA Chapter 322 Monthly Meeting - Dennis Spence: Landing Giants
The Extraordinary Journey of one of SAA's Boeing 747 Legends to Rand Airport
By Willie Bodenstein
09.08.2026
Google Banner Ad
Few visitors to the SAA Museum realise the extraordinary planning, precision and expertise required to bring the iconic Boeing 747 Lebombo and Boeing 747SP Maluti safely to their final home at Rand Airport.
Lebombo first arrived in South Africa on 6 November 1971 and spent the next 32 years flying South African Airways' international routes. She became particularly famous when she performed a spectacular low flypast over Ellis Park Stadium during the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final. Following her retirement, she was donated to the SAA Museum Society, based at Rand Airport, just a short hop from OR Tambo International Airport.
Getting her to Rand, however, proved to be another story.
At EAA Chapter 322's monthly meeting, held on Saturday, 1 August 2026, in the auditorium at Rand Airport, former SAA Captain Dennis Spence took members behind the scenes of one of South African Airways' most remarkable aviation achievements. With Rand Airport's runway falling well outside normal SAA operating requirements for a Boeing 747, an experienced team of specialists undertook extensive performance analysis, meticulous planning and carefully managed test procedures to make what many believed impossible become reality.
One of the pioneers of modern airshow display flying in South Africa, Dennis is a retired South African Airways Airbus A340 Senior Captain with more than 26,000 flying hours, including over 3,500 hours on the Pitts Special alone. He has owned and operated the Pitts display team since 1985 and represented South Africa at the first Advanced World Aerobatic Championships in 1995, earning South African National Colours. Although officially retired from airline flying, Dennis continues to serve the aviation industry as an airline training captain, passing on his vast experience to the next generation of professional pilots.
So, how did they do it?
As Dennis jokingly explained, it required more than courage, it required careful thinking. One of the team's first steps was to study the original Boeing test pilot reports that established the aircraft's initial performance capabilities. They soon discovered that the final production operating specifications were considerably more conservative than the original test data. That finding convinced them that, despite Rand Airport's elevation of 1,671 metres above sea level, landing the giant aircraft safely was not only conceivable but entirely achievable with the correct planning and execution.
The carefully planned sortie was an extraordinary feat. Through exceptional skill, meticulous preparation and absolute precision, on 5 March 2004 Dennis Spence and the late Stu Lithgow guided the "Big Ass Bird", Lebombo, over the threshold of Runway 11/29. With a landing gear track of approximately 11 metres on a runway only 12 metres wide and 1,712 metres long, they touched down at just 115 knots and brought the aircraft safely to a stop shortly beyond the intersection with the north runway during its final flight.
The result was nothing short of phenomenal. I was fortunate enough to witness Lebombo's arrival, and later the equally remarkable landing of the Boeing 747SP Maluti. Those two occasions remain among the most memorable highlights of my many years in aviation.
As if Dennis Spence's fascinating presentation were not enough, the morning concluded with an added bonus. Dennis, together with another aviation legend, Captain Karl Jensen, led attendees on a guided tour of the SAA Museum facilities situated directly across the road from the auditorium. The tour alone was worth attending and provided fascinating insight into the remarkable collection of aircraft and aviation history preserved there.
EAA Chapter 322 has earned a well-deserved reputation for regularly hosting aviation legends at its monthly meetings. Open to members and visitors alike, these gatherings continue to offer unique opportunities to hear first-hand accounts of some of South Africa's most remarkable aviation stories.
Journey into the past, the annual Stars of Sandstone 530
