GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT

Situated in Midrand, between Pretoria and Johannesburg, Grand Central is a boutique airport offering visitors a range of services from aviation retail and car rental to chartered flights, flight schools, aviation maintenance operations, excellent restaurant and corporate rental facilities.

- ATHOL FRANZ

25° 59'13, 44 S 28° 08'25,98E

Established in 1937, this 40ha site, Grand Central has been around since 1937 when Mr Harry Shires, the man behind African Flying Services, bought the land flying club. Until 1939 there was much activity at the small aerodrome where Muriel Shires became South Africa's youngest flying pupil, whose instructor was none other than Miss Doreen Hooper, the country's first female flying instructor. Over the years Grand Central saw many changes with a timeline full of rich history:

African Flying Services could not continue with the flying tuition and the consequence of continual losses, so Mr Bokkie Erasmus offered the flying club a site at Randjesfontein and thus Louis' Field became the home for the then 130 club members. Mr Shires made an offer to the club to return to Grand Central.

In the 1960s, Dr Mickey Finn, who later went on to purchase the land, had the initiative to expand Grand Central. Hangarage was charged at R25 per month which included landing fees. Grand Central saw more expansion, becoming home to commercial and private operators, training schools and maintenance organisations.

In the 1990s, Grand Central is taken over by a new consortium undergoing a multimillion Rand upgrade in 1992 allowing the airport to offer more facilities thus playing an even more important part in the aviation industry in South Africa.