Rand Airport

Before World War II In 1917, Major Allister Miller landed on Germiston Golf Course and thought the area close by would be suitable as an airfield due to its location near to Johannesburg, the landmark of Victoria Lake and the well-drained land. But it would take until February 1929, for the three interested parties to agree for of land to be set aside for what was called the Germiston Public Aerodrome. by the Governor-General Earl of Clarendon and owned jointly by the Germiston and Johannesburg Town Councils. By 1938, the development costs had reached £200000 () and losses of £20000 (), a cost the Germiston Town Council could no longer afford and so sold its share to the Johannesburg City Council for £106,498, with of land not used resold to the former and land provided for a future highway to connect to the Heidelberg road. The ownership of the airport originally consisted of 23 private shareholders and there has been very little change. Most of the re-sales have been taken up by existing owners under new company names so there has been a small increase to the current 25 owners, plus the Mayondi BEE consortium and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council. Charter operator Phoebus Apollo Aviation has its headquarters at Rand; the airport is also home to the Flying Lions Aerobatic Team. South African Airways donated a Boeing 747-200 and a Boeing 747SP to the South African Airways Museum Society which are on display at the airport. The museum also owns a Boeing 737-200, two DC-4s, a DC-3, Vickers Viking, Lockheed Lodestar, Lockheed L1649 Starliner, DH Dove and numerous other exhibits. The airport also hosts an annual air show. The airport recently saw extensive industrial development, including new business parks and modern industrial units. These facilities cater to logistics, manufacturing, and other commercial activities, contributing to the region's economic growth. The strategic location and upgraded infrastructure make it a prime site for industrial expansion. ==Airlines and destinations==

Today, all scheduled flights operate at the nearby O. R. Tambo International Airport. ==Hot and high conditions==

Rand Airport is notorious for its hot and high conditions and relatively short runways. Situated at an altitude of above sea level, the density altitude is as high as 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 extreme conditions. A compounding factor is the lack of forced landing fields or areas, as the airport is surrounded by urban sprawl. ==Notable accidents and incidents==

• On 6 October 1970, at about 7:10 am, Douglas DC-3 registration ZS-DKR en route for Orapa, Botswana crashed as it attempted to return to Rand Airport after the left engine failed just after take-off. There were two crew and ten passengers aboard. The Captain and two passengers subsequently died of injuries. The aircraft was completely burnt-out after impact. • On 2 August 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. • On 6 December 1999, a Piper PA-31-350 ZS-OJY crashed shortly after takeoff after suffering an engine failure. All ten people on board were killed. • On 30 August 2022, a SAPS PC-6 Turbo Porter crashed after takeoff. Reports indicate that five people on board were killed, with one of the pilots in critical condition. ==References==