'Pi' Pienaar passes away
Date: 27 January 2001
Captain "Pi" Pienaar, DSO, DFC, passed away on Sunday 21 January 2001. Probably best known for his encounter with a Messerschmitt Me262 while flying a Mosquito during World War II, his achievements however stretch much further than that.
Most definitely one of the most outstanding of SAA's "Royal Family", he was involved in the acquisition and delivery of virtually all SAA's post war airliners, attaining an unheard of score at Boeing when converting from propliners to Boeing 707's. He was also largely responsible for the smooth almost overnight transition to the enforced "round the bulge" flights in 1963. Prior to retirement, he served as SAA's Chief Executive.
With his passing, another chapter in the history of aviation in South Africa closes. His absence leaves a great void, not only in civil aviation, but also amongst the legion of SAAF personnel who held him in such high regard.
Thanks to Hans Pearson
