Grand Central Airport, Midrand

Situated in the heart of Midrand on some 40ha, Grand Central Airport was born early in the year 1937. The Airport underwent a multimillion Rand upgrade in 1992 allowing Grand Central to offer more facilities thus playing an even more important part in the aviation industry in South Africa.
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 woman flying instructor.

When the war came, Grand Central’s activities were curtailed, but very soon afterwards enthusiasm flared anew. Mr Eddie McConnell, manager of African Flying Services, in which company the ownership of the club was vested, helped to set the wheels in motion once again.

However, in 1951 African Flying Services were forced to come to the decision that they could not see their way clear to continue with the flying tuition and the consequence of continual losses.

Mr Bokkie Erasmus came to the rescue and offered a site at Randjesfontein, and thus Louis’ Field became the home for the then 130 club members. It was a short lived era however, as Mr Shires made an offer to the club to return to Grand Central and in April 1952 were back in their place of birth once more.
In 1964, Dr Mickey Finn, who later went on to purchase the land, had the initiative to expand Grand Central.
Over the years Grand Central saw more expansion, becoming home to commercial and private operators, training schools and maintenance organisations.

In 1991 the Airport truly blossomed when it was taken over by a new consortium. The Airport underwent a multimillion Rand upgrade in 1992 allowing Grand Central to offer more facilities thus playing an even more important part in the aviation industry in South Africa.