Aheliport is a smallairport which has ahelipad, suitable for use byhelicopters,powered-lift craft, and other types ofvertical-lift aircraft.
Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. In some larger towns and cities,customs facilities may also be available.[1] The broader termvertiport refers to take-off/landing sites for all aircraft landing vertically.
Early advocates of helicopters hoped that heliports would become widespread, but they have become contentious inurban areas due to the excessive noise caused by helicopter traffic.
In American use a heliport is defined as "an area of land, water, or structure used or intended to be used for the landing and takeoff of helicopters and includes its buildings and facilities if any". A heliport will consist of one or morehelipads, which are defined as "a small, designated area, usually with a prepared surface, on a heliport, airport, landing/take-off area, apron/ramp, or movement area used for takeoff, landing, or parking of helicopters".[2][3]
In Canada the termheliport is legally only used for an aerodrome certified for helicopter use.[4]
Theairspace immediately surrounding the heliport is called theprimary surface. This area coincides in shape and size with the designated take-off and landing area. This surface is a horizontal plane equal to the elevation of the established heliport elevation. The primary surface is further broken down into three distinct regions: thetouch-down and lift-off (TLOF)area, thefinal approach and takeoff (FATO)area, and thesafety area.[1][5]
The TLOF area is a load-bearing, generally paved area, normally centered in the FATO area, on which the helicopter lands or takes off. The FATO area is a defined area over which the pilot completes the final phase of the approach to ahover or a landing, and from which the pilot initiates take-off. The FATO area elevation is the lowest elevation of the edge of the TLOF area. The safety area is a defined area on a heliport surrounding the FATO area intended to reduce the risk of damage to helicopters accidentally diverging from the FATO area.[1]
In a large metropolitan and urban areas, a heliport can servepassengers needing to quickly move within the city or to and from outlying regions. Generally, heliports can be situated closer to a town orcity center than an airport forfixed-wing aircraft. The advantage in flying by helicopter to a destination, or even to the city's main airport, is that travel can be much faster than by surface transport.[6][7] As an example, theDowntown Manhattan Heliport in New York City provides scheduled service toJohn F. Kennedy International Airport, and is used to move wealthy persons and important goods quickly to destinations as far away asMaryland.
Police departments use heliports as bases forpolice helicopters, and larger departments may have large dedicated heliport facilities such as theLAPD Hooper Heliport.[8]
Someskyscrapers feature rooftop heliports to serve the transport needs of executives or clients. Many of these rooftop sites also serve as Emergency Helicopter Landing Facilities (EHLF), in case emergency evacuation is needed. TheU.S. Bank Tower inLos Angeles is an example.[9][10]
Helipads are common features athospitals, where they serve to facilitatehelicopter air ambulance andMEDEVACs for transferring patients into and out of hospital facilities. Some largetrauma centers may have multiple helipads, while most small hospitals have just one. Helipads allow hospitals to accept patients flown in from remote accident sites, where there are no local hospitals or facilities capable of providing the level ofemergency care required.[11]
TheNational EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA) has published multiple white papers, surveys and safety recommendations for the enhancement of hospital helipad operations to improve patient safety.[12]
While heliports can be oriented in any direction, they will generally have very definitive approach and departure paths. However, heliports are not numbered in the same way thatrunways atairports are. Recommended standard practice by both theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) and theInternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is to orient aH in the center of the TLOF area aligned with the preferred approach and departure direction.[1]
An information box should also be included in the TLOF area, which provides theaircraft gross weight the helipad is rated for, as well as the maximum size helicopter the helipad has been designed to accommodate, which is based on thehelicopter rotor diameter and overall length of the largest design helicopter that will service the helipad. Under normal conditions, it is standard practice to paint the maximum gross weight a helipad is designed to support in either metric tonnes, kilograms, or thousands of pounds, along with the maximum helicopter dimensions in metres or feet. Arrows are oftentimes painted on the heliport to indicate to pilots the preferred approach and departure paths. Other common markings can include ownership, radio frequencies, company logo(s), and magnetic north.[1]
To conduct night-time operations, a heliport must have lighting installed that meets specific aeronautical standards. Heliport perimeter lights are generally installed around the TLOF area, and may be flush mounted on the TLOF itself, or mounted just off the TLOF perimeter on short metal or concrete extensions.[1]
One alternative to lighting the TLOF if certain criteria are met, is to light the area of the FATO instead. Some locations, due to environmental conditions, illuminate the TLOF and FATO. Lighting should never constitute an obstruction that a helicopter may impact, and for this reason, in the U.S., heliport lighting is not allowed to extend above the TLOF or FATO more than 2 inches (51 millimetres). Current standards recommend that all perimeter lighting be green. Prior standards recommended amber lighting for perimeter lights; however this wavelength has been shown to interfere withnight vision goggle (NVG) operations, when used with older incandescent lighting.[citation needed]
In the past, lighting has been traditionallyincandescent, but increasingly,light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are being incorporated, due to lower power requirements and increased life. While flood lights may be used to enhance surface operations, they should not interfere withflight crew night vision, and should be kept off during flight operations, and only used when conducting ground movement operations. To conduct night operations, a lightedwind cone is also required. At ground-based heliports,lead-in lights may be incorporated to identify the preferred approach / departure direction. Visual slopeguidance systems (such as HAPI, PAPI, etc.) are recommended options in both ICAO and FAA documents. While airports commonly use 6.6Adirect current power,[citation needed] heliport lighting is normallyAC powered.Radio control of the lighting by the pilot via an automated ground-based controller is also common.[citation needed]
To provide for a safe environment to perform normal helicopter landing and take-off operations, each heliport must have unobstructed approach / departure paths.[1]
The minimum recommended separation between flight paths is 135 degrees.[1] A heliport approach path is broken down into two distinct airspace surfaces; the Approach Surface, and the Transitional Surface. The approach surface begins at each end of the heliport primary surface with the same width as the primary surface, and extends outward and upward for a horizontal distance of 4,000 feet (1,200 metres), where its width is 500 feet (150 metres). The slope of the approach surface is 8-to-1 for civil heliports. The Transitional Surfaces extend outward and upward from the lateral boundaries of the primary surface, and from the approach surfaces, at a slope of 2-to-1 for a distance of 250 feet (76 metres), measured horizontally from the centerline of the primary and approach surfaces. Approach paths can either be straight or curved to accommodate obstructions and avoidance areas.[1]
heliport means an aerodrome in respect of which a heliport certificate issued under Subpart 5 of Part III is in force
