Rand Airport - Hot and High Conditions

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).

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