Rand Airport

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Rand Airport
Rand Airport Control Tower from landside
IATA: QRA – ICAO: FAGM
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Rand Airport Management Company (Pty) Ltd.
Location Germiston, Gauteng
Elevation AMSL 5,482 ft / 1,671 m
Coordinates 26°14′33″S 028°09′04″E / 26.24250°S 28.15111°E / -26.24250; 28.15111Coordinates: 26°14′33″S 028°09′04″E / 26.24250°S 28.15111°E / -26.24250; 28.15111
Website http://www.randairport.co.za
Map
QRA
Location in Greater Johannesburg
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 5,617 1,712 Asphalt
17/35 4,898 1,493 Asphalt

Rand Airport (IATA: QRA, ICAO: FAGM) 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 donated two Boeing 747s 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.

History

Pre WWII

The airport was officially opened on 21 December 1931[1] owned jointly by the Germiston City Council, the Rand Gold Refinery and Elandsfontein Estates. It became the headquarters of South African Airways when the head office was moved from Durban to Rand Airport on 1 July 1935.[2]

Post WWII

SAA moved its headquarters to Palmietfontein Airport 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%.[3]

Rand Airport from the observation deck

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.[4] 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.[5] The airport also hosts an annual air show.[6]

Navigational Aids

The following navigational aids are installed for non precision instrument approaches at this airport.[7] There is no Instrument Landing System.

Type Identification Frequency
NDB RA 337.5
NDB RD 307.5
VOR/DME RAV 117.7

Hot and high conditions

Rand Airport is notorious for its hot and high 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).

Notable accidents and incidents

  • On October 6, 1970 at about 7:10am, Douglas DC-3 ZS-DKR en route for Orapa, 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.[8]
  • 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.[9]
  • On Aug 2, 1995, an Antonov An-2 on a cargo flight from Rand airport to Jamba, Angola, 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.[10]
  • On December 6, 1999 a Piper PA-31-350 crashed shortly after takeoff after suffering an engine failure. All 10 people on board were killed.[7]
  • 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.[11]
  • On August 14, 2011, two Piaggio P.166 "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 Tzaneen. Two pilots and eleven passengers died on impact.[12]

Airlines, operators and destinations

An ATL-98 Carvair in storage at Phoebus Apollo Aviation. Only 21 were built.
View of the northwest apron with the Henley Air hangars on the right.
  • Henley Air

Nearby tourist attractions

The "Lebombo", a retired Boeing 747 from South Africa Airways is on display at the SAA Museum at Rand Airport, South Africa. Two simulators, one a Boeing 747 classic and one an Airbus A300, also donated to the museum can be seen bottom left.

Popular culture

Rand Airport is a popular location for filmmaking for both the local and international film industries.

Gallery

(Click to enlarge)

  • The foyer in the terminal building.

  • Boeing 747SP at the South African Airways Museum Society situated near the threshold of Runway 29.

  • de Havilland DH 104 Dove (ZS-BCC) and Lockheed L18-08 Lodestar (ZS-ASN) on view at the South African Airways Museum Society at Rand Airport.

  • The control tower and main terminal building as seen from the airside. The terminal was built to resemble the shape of an aircraft when viewed head-on.

  • The recently upgraded fire station.



References

  1. ↑ Rand Airport, About Us, retrieved 20 April 2013
  2. ↑ "." South African Airways Museum Society. Retrieved on May 16, 2011.
  3. ↑ http://www.randairport.co.za/randairport_about.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.randairport.co.za/randairport_comonair.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.randairport.co.za/index.html
  6. ↑ http://www.randairport.co.za/randairport_new.htm
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.caa.co.za/
  8. ↑ ‘The Star’ Johannesburg, October 6, 1970 p1, January 11, 1971, p 1 and March 30, 1971, p 5. Rand Daily Mail October 7, 1970 p1
  9. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=32132
  10. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19950802-0
  11. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=34510
  12. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=137959

External links

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