Rand Airport
Encyclopedia
Rand Airport is an airport
in Germiston
, South Africa
. It was constructed in the 1920s as the main airport for Johannesburg
, but the city outgrew it and replaced the airport firstly with Palmietfontein Airport
in the late 1940s, then with the larger Jan Smuts International Airport in the 1950s.
South African Airways
has donated two Boeing 747
s to the "South African Airways Museum Society" which are on display at the airport (see Gallery). They can be clearly seen on Google Earth adjacent to the threshold of runway 29.
when the head office was moved from Durban
to Rand Airport on 1 July 1935.
in 1948 due to runway length constraints. Nevertheless, Rand Airport grew with vigor after the second world war due to the pool of ex air-force pilots. At one time, Rand Airport was the busiest airport in the southern hemisphere. During the 1980s, several corporate and charter operators moved to Lanseria Airport
due to safety concerns following an accident in which three crew were killed whilst on a night training exercise (see below). The runway at Lanseria is considerably longer than those at Rand Airport, and the airport elevation
is 1000 feet lower (4517' as opposed to 5482' at Rand Airport). The main runway, 29/11, has since been lengthened, but not to any large degree.
In October 2000 the airport was privatized. The operators at Rand Airport formed a consortium and held 50% stake. An empowerment group called Mayondi holds 30% and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council holds 20%.
s and is also disseminated by means of NOTAM
s (NOtices To AirMen) and other publications.
conditions and relatively short runways. Situated at an altitude of 5500 feet (or 1600 meters) above sea level, the density altitude
is as high as 8000 feet when the outside air temperature
(OAT) is 30°C. Special consideration must be given to flight planning in the summer when the ambient temperature is that high; there have been many accidents at this airfield as a result of reduced aircraft performance under these conditions. A compounding factor is the lack of forced landing
fields or areas, as the airport is surrounded by urban sprawl. This prompted an exodus of corporate and charter operators to Lanseria Airport
in the 1980s (see above).
for both the local and international film industries.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in Germiston
Germiston, Gauteng
Germiston is a city in the East Rand of Gauteng in South Africa. Germiston is now the seat of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality which includes much of the East Rand, and is also considered part of Greater Johannesburg.-History:...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It was constructed in the 1920s as the main airport for Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, but the city outgrew it and replaced the airport firstly with Palmietfontein Airport
Palmietfontein Airport
Palmietfontein Airport was an airport situated to the south of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the mid 1940s to early 1950s.-History:Palmietfontein Airport was a wartime air force base which was converted to a temporary airport to serve Johannesburg whilst the new airport, Jan Smuts Airport , was...
in the late 1940s, then with the larger Jan Smuts International Airport in the 1950s.
South African Airways
South African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
has donated two Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s to the "South African Airways Museum Society" which are on display at the airport (see Gallery). They can be clearly seen on Google Earth adjacent to the threshold of runway 29.
Pre WWII
The airport was owned jointly by the Germiston City Council, the Rand Gold Refinery and Elandsfontein Estates. It became the headquarters of South African AirwaysSouth African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
when the head office was moved from Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
to Rand Airport on 1 July 1935.
Post WWII
SAA moved its headquarters to Palmietfontein AirportPalmietfontein Airport
Palmietfontein Airport was an airport situated to the south of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the mid 1940s to early 1950s.-History:Palmietfontein Airport was a wartime air force base which was converted to a temporary airport to serve Johannesburg whilst the new airport, Jan Smuts Airport , was...
in 1948 due to runway length constraints. Nevertheless, Rand Airport grew with vigor after the second world war due to the pool of ex air-force pilots. At one time, Rand Airport was the busiest airport in the southern hemisphere. During the 1980s, several corporate and charter operators moved to Lanseria Airport
Lanseria Airport
Lanseria International Airport is a privately owned international airport that is situated north of Randburg and Sandton to the north west of Johannesburg, South Africa. The airport can handle aircraft up to the Boeing 757-300 and Airbus A319.-History:...
due to safety concerns following an accident in which three crew were killed whilst on a night training exercise (see below). The runway at Lanseria is considerably longer than those at Rand Airport, and the airport elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
is 1000 feet lower (4517' as opposed to 5482' at Rand Airport). The main runway, 29/11, has since been lengthened, but not to any large degree.
In October 2000 the airport was privatized. The operators at Rand Airport formed a consortium and held 50% stake. An empowerment group called Mayondi holds 30% and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council holds 20%.
Rand Airport today
Today, Rand Airport is still a busy airport. The airport hosts air charter operators, flying schools and a number of aircraft maintenance organizations, as well as pilot shops, car hire and other enterprises. The consortium has embarked on a revamp campaign, emphasizing, “It has the potential to become the complete integrated Airport Park” which will include hotels, shopping and an industrial park. The airport also hosts an annual air show.Aeronautical information
The following is an example of information required by aircrew to operate at this airport. Such information is usually found on approach plateApproach plate
Approach Plates is a common term used to describe the printed procedures or charts, more formally Instrument Approach Procedures, that pilots use to fly approaches during Instrument Flight Rules operations. Each country maintains their own instrument approach procedures according to International...
s and is also disseminated by means of NOTAM
NOTAM
NOTAM or NoTAM is the quasi-acronym for a "Notice To Airmen". NOTAMs are created and transmitted by government agencies and airport operators under guidelines specified by Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services of the Convention on International Civil Aviation...
s (NOtices To AirMen) and other publications.
Navigational aids
| Type | Identification | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| NDB | RA | 337.5 |
| NDB | RD | 307.5 |
| VOR VHF omnidirectional range VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code... /DME Distance Measuring Equipment Distance measuring equipment is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals.... |
RAV | 117.7 |
Communication
- Communication frequencies
- Rand Tower 118.7 MHz
- Radar approach (west) 123.7 MHz
- Radar approach (north) 134.4 MHz
- Radar approach (south and east) 124.5 MHz
Hot and high conditions
Rand Airport is notorious for its hot and highHot and high
In aviation, hot and high is a condition of low air density due to high ambient temperature and high airport elevation. Air density decreases with increasing temperature and altitude. Lower air density reduces the amount of lift generated by the wings or the rotors of an aircraft, which may hamper...
conditions and relatively short runways. Situated at an altitude of 5500 feet (or 1600 meters) above sea level, the density altitude
Density altitude
Density altitude is the altitude in the International Standard Atmosphere at which the air density would be equal to the actual air density at the place of observation, or, in other words, the height when measured in terms of the density of the air rather than the distance from the ground...
is as high as 8000 feet when the outside air temperature
Outside air temperature
In aviation terminology, the outside air temperature or static air temperature refers to the temperature of the air around an aircraft, but unaffected by the passage of the aircraft through it.-Aviation usage:...
(OAT) is 30°C. Special consideration must be given to flight planning in the summer when the ambient temperature is that high; there have been many accidents at this airfield as a result of reduced aircraft performance under these conditions. A compounding factor is the lack of forced landing
Forced landing
A forced landing is a landing by an aircraft made under factors outside the pilot's control, such as the failure of engines, systems, components or weather which makes continued flight impossible. For a full description of these, see article on Emergency landing...
fields or areas, as the airport is surrounded by urban sprawl. This prompted an exodus of corporate and charter operators to Lanseria Airport
Lanseria Airport
Lanseria International Airport is a privately owned international airport that is situated north of Randburg and Sandton to the north west of Johannesburg, South Africa. The airport can handle aircraft up to the Boeing 757-300 and Airbus A319.-History:...
in the 1980s (see above).
Notable accidents and incidents
- On October 6, 1970 at about 7:10am, Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
ZS-DKR enroute for OrapaOrapaOrapa is a town located in the Central District of Botswana. It is the site of the Orapa diamond mine, one of the largest diamond mines in the world, and is considered to be the diamond capital of the country...
, Botswana crashed as it attempted to return to Rand Airport after losing the port engine just after take-off from runway 35. There were two flight-crew and ten passengers aboard. The Captain and two passengers subsequently died of injuries. The aircraft was completely burnt-out after impact. - On April 13, 1987 a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air, ZS-KMT, crashed into a mining hostel shortly after takeoff from runway 35. Three crewmembers were killed and 2 survived. The aircraft was on a night training exercise.
- On Aug 2, 1995, an Antonov An-2Antonov An-2The Antonov An-2 is a single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed in the USSR in 1946...
on a cargo flight from Rand airport to Jamba, AngolaJamba, AngolaJamba is a town in Angola, located in the southeastern province of Cuando Cubango, just north of the Namibian border along the Caprivi Strip....
, crashed shortly after takeoff killing all three persons on board. The accident was attributed to the cargo which was not properly secured and shifted during the initial climb out, rendering the aircraft uncontrollable. - On December 6, 1999 a Piper PA-31-350Piper PA-31 NavajoThe Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
crashed shortly after takeoff after suffering an engine failure. All 10 people on board were killed. - On October 21, 2008, six occupants of a Piper PA-32R-300 Lance were killed during a post crash fire following an emergency landing in a disused motor raceway. The aircraft had just taken off from runway 35 when the pilot reported technical difficulties and attempted a forced landing.
- On August 14, 2011, two Piaggio P.166Piaggio P.166The Piaggio P.166 is a twin-engine pusher-type utility aircraft developed by the Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aero.The aircraft is known as Albatross in South African military service....
"Albatross" aircraft, which were based at Rand Airport, disappeared whilst en-route on a flight from Tzaneen to Rand Airport. The wreckage was found two days later in the mountains near TzaneenTzaneenTzaneen is a small town situated in the Mopani district of the Limpopo province in South Africa. It is in a fertile region with tropical and subtropical agriculture taking place in a 20,000 km² region...
. Two pilots and eleven passengers died on impact.
Popular culture
Rand Airport is a popular location for filmmakingFilmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
for both the local and international film industries.
- The scene in the film "American Ninja 2: The ConfrontationAmerican Ninja 2: The ConfrontationAmerican Ninja 2: The Confrontation is a 1987 action/adventure sequel starring Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Jeff Weston, Gary Conway, Michelle Botes and Larry Poindexter...
" in which Armstrong and Jackson arrive at the airport on a fictitious Caribbean island was filmed at Rand Airport.