Tag Archives: Midrand
Ultimate Aviation Group Agrees To Acquire Offshore Helicopter Services UK Ltd From CHC Helicopter Group
Ultimate Aviation Group is pleased to announce it has finalised an agreement for the purchase of Offshore Helicopter Services UK Limited (OHS UK) from CHC Helicopter Group (CHC).
OHS UK have provided world-class transportation for the UK’s offshore Oil and Gas industry for more than 40 years. They operate a modern fleet of Airbus H175, Sikorsky S92 and Leonardo AW139 helicopters from their main operating bases in Aberdeen and Sumburgh for various customers in the North Sea.
OHS UK was acquired by CHC from FTSE 250 company Babcock International Group plc in 2021, along with Babcock’s offshore oil and gas operations in Denmark and Australia. Following a Phase 2 investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the CMA determined in August 2022 that CHC would be required to divest OHS UK, and an auction process was undertaken for this purpose. A sale and purchase agreement was signed on 30 December 2022 under which CHC agreed to sell OHS UK to Ultimate Aviation Group.
The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including the final approval of the sale by the CMA, and is expected to complete in the first calendar quarter of 2023.
Shaun Roseveare, Chief Executive Officer of Ultimate Aviation, said: “ The acquisition is set for final closure shortly, and the integration of OHS UK into Ultimate Aviation will be seamless for customers and they can expect the same high level of service they have come to expect from both companies. This acquisition marks an exciting new chapter for Ultimate Aviation and we are looking forward to continue offering our customers the best services possible and expanding our reach to new regions.”
COVID Aviation Trips – Grand Central
By now most of us have been absolutely deprived of aviation. Unfortunately all airshows for 2020 have been either postponed or cancelled. This leaves us with almost no aviation action, or does it?
In the coming weeks, we will be looking at different smaller aviation spots that can help scratch that aviation itch that has been annoying us all during this lockdown.
The first spot we’ll be visiting is Grand Central Airport. Sporting a Harvard Café with a lovely view of the apron, this makes for a good spot to get your dose of Vitamin A(viation).
The Harvard Café offers a wide selection of drinks and food ranging from cool drinks to beer and burgers to sushi.
The children’s play area at the Harvard Café makes this a great place to bring the whole family.
Grand Central Airport is a smaller regional airport with no commercial airlines operating out of the airport. This does not mean that there isn’t much to see though.
Many pilots based at the airport take to the skies here over the weekends. Here there is no shortage of Cessna’s, Robinson Heli’s and even the occasional King Air and Aero Commander 500B as seen below.
As the name suggests, Grand Central is very centrally located, making it not a very long drive from most locations in Gauteng.
Photos taken at Grand Central recently:
Launch of Ultimate Heli-port Midrand
Ultimate HELI, a well respected operator that flies fixed wing aircraft and helicopters out of Grand Central Airport. Grand Central Airport which is just up the road from the heli- port, located near the Alan dale off ramp in Midrand.
Sunday the 9th December 2018 saw the official opening of the heli port with conjunction with National Airways Corporation (NAC).The gloomy Sunday morning saw invited guests and media being shown around the world class facility.
Agusta A109 Grand ZS-BAX (Photo by Vincent Nagel)
A number of helicopters visited the facility during the course of the day, while others have now taken up as residents at the heli port. Some of the helicopters that one could see was a number of Robinson R44s,Bell206 Jet Ranger, a Airbus H125, an Agusta A109,A119,Bell 430 and a Huey belonging to airshow performer Menno Parsons.
Photo by Camry De Lorme
Photo by Vincent Nagel 
Bell 430 (Photo by Vincent Nagel)
The heliport will have space for about 30 choppers and, since Ultimate HELI currently has 12 of its own, that leaves plenty of room for those that are corporately or privately owned. Roseveare knows that at least six or seven property owners within Waterfall own a helicopter, so they can now negotiate convenient storage space with the company.
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Children’s Flight 2018
Children’s Flight 2018
“The Children’s Flight’s origins lie in a music video called ‘Paper Plane’, which is essentially about a child with a Dream to fly, but on a deeper level it’s about anyone with a dream.
Aviation is traditionally about defying great odds and overcoming the laws of nature, the politics of man, the limitations of economy, and technological development…..for so long aviation was an exclusive privilege to supreme military, selected individuals or the super wealthy…
We wanted to bring home aviation to the children, to promote the idea that anyone can be what ever they dream of being… That you can literally ‘take that paper plane to your destiny’…. one day if even one of these kids goes for their dream, then this day may have played a role in that.”
Felix Gosher
The 2018 Children’s flight once again took part at the Grand Central Airport in Midrand.This year the event took place over a period of two days,to fly as many as 1000 children.The man at the head of the initiative was Felix Gosher who together with Flint and Tinder and together with other sponsors came together organising the event.The idea was born when Felix was involved in the making of a music video for the song by Michael Ferguson “Paper Plane” which is essentially about a child with a Dream to fly, but on a deeper level it’s about anyone with a dream.
Aircraft types that flew on the Friday, consisted of a Antonov 2 ‘Little Annie,Cessna C182s,C172s,Beechcraft Bonanzas,DC3,Cessna Caravan, TMGs,Seneca’s,Helicopters including a Alouette II and III,Bell 206 Jet rangers, a Gazelle, Robinson R44s and the list went on. The kids had a real treat flying in one of the different types of aircraft.They also got to witness a paradrop from ‘Little Annie’ from 7500 feet.A Airshow was also put on stage for them from our familiar airshow circuit pilots.Nigel Hopkins flew his Extra 330,together with Barrie Eeles .
Gazelle
Bell 407
Charles Fuller Alouette II
Alouette Pilots Charles Fuller & Rob Osner
Alouette II
The RV team was also on display with their tight formation aerobatics on both Friday and Saturday. The Aero L29 ZU-AUX was displayed by Lt Col Glen ‘Gringo’ Warden. Patrick Davidson flew his RedBull Sponsored Sbach and Juba Jourbert flew a remarkable Alouette II Display and many more!
Aero L29
Patrick Davidson
Skydiver
Activities for the children included a flight in a aircraft, a filling lunch, cupcakes,face painting and other forms of entertainment. They then received Flight Certificate signed by their pilots and a gift from some of the many sponsors of the event. To see the faces on the kids before and after their flight was truly a sight to behold, a lump in the throat was really on the move who witnessed the event all for the kids. We look forward to next year and hope some of the kids reach for their dream.