Helipad

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A helipad in Ireland Helipad at Blessington Lakeside Resort - geograph.org.uk - 262175.jpg
A helipad in Ireland
Helipad area scheme Helipad.svg
Helipad area scheme

A helipad is the landing area of a heliport, in use by helicopters, powered lift, and vertical lift aircraft to land on surface.

Contents

While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where such aircraft can land safely.

Larger helipads, intended for use by helicopters and other vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, may be called vertiports. An example is Vertiport Chicago, [1] which opened in 2015. [2]

Usage

There is a helipad in the back of this U.S. Navy Strategic Sealift Ship. PFC William B Baugh (ship) 2.jpg
There is a helipad in the back of this U.S. Navy Strategic Sealift Ship.

Helipads may be located at a heliport or airport where fuel, air traffic control and service facilities for aircraft are available.

Most helipads are located away from populated areas due to sounds, winds, space and cost constraints. Some skyscrapers have one on their roofs to accommodate air taxi services. Some basic helipads are built on top of highrise buildings for evacuation in case of a major fire outbreak. Major police departments may use a dedicated helipad at heliports as a base for police helicopters.

Large ships and oil platforms usually have a helipad on board for emergency use. In such a case, the terms "helicopter deck", "helideck", or "helodeck" are used.

An NHI NH90 (NH205) helicopter of the Finnish Army on the helipad of the Turku Central Hospital during an exercise NH90 AUCS flygplats maj 2012.JPG
An NHI NH90 (NH205) helicopter of the Finnish Army on the helipad of the Turku Central Hospital during an exercise

Helipads are common features at hospitals where they serve to facilitate medical evacuation or air ambulance transfers of patients to trauma centers or to accept patients from remote areas without local hospitals or facilities capable of providing the level of emergency medicine required. In urban environments, these heliports are sometimes located on the roof of the hospital.

Rooftop helipads sometimes display a large two-digit number, representing the weight limit (in thousands of pounds) of the pad. A second number may be present, representing the maximum rotor diameter in feet. [3]

Location identifiers are often, but not always, issued for helipads. They may be issued by the appropriate aviation authority. Authorized agencies include the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States, Transport Canada in Canada, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Air Transport Association. Some helipads may have location identifiers from multiple sources, and these identifiers may be of different format and name.

Construction

Helipads are usually constructed out of concrete and are marked with a circle and/or a letter "H", so as to be visible from the air. Sometimes wildfire fighters will construct a temporary one from timber to receive supplies in remote areas. Rig mats may be used to build helipads. Landing pads may also be constructed in extreme conditions such as on ice.

The world's highest helipad, [4] built by India, is located on the Siachen Glacier at a height of 21,000 feet (6400 m) above sea level. [5]

Portability

A portable helipad is a helipad structure with a rugged frame that can be used to land helicopters in any areas with slopes of up to 30 degrees, such as hillsides, riverbeds and boggy areas. Portable helipads can be transported by helicopter or powered-lift to place them where a VTOL needs to land, as long as there are no insurmountable obstructions nearby.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heliport</span> Airport designed for helicopter use

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bergen Heliport, Grønneviksøren</span> Airport in Grønneviksøren, Bergen

Bergen Heliport, Grønneviksøren is a heliport situated at Grønneviksøren on the shore of Store Lungegårdsvannet in Bergen, Norway. It is solely used for air ambulance services to Haukeland University Hospital. The heliport is owned and operated by Bergen Hospital Trust. It is the base for a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) for the Norwegian Air Ambulance. Grønneviksøren is also used by the Royal Norwegian Air Force's 330 Squadron's Westland Sea King search and rescue helicopters.

Førde Heliport, University Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of Førde Central Hospital in the Vie neighborhood of Sunnfjord, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The base is owned by Førde Hospital Trust.

Stavanger Heliport, University Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of Stavanger University Hospital in the Våland neighborhood of the city of Stavanger in the municipality of Stavanger in Rogaland county, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The base is owned by Stavanger Hospital Trust. When it opened in 1981, it was the second such base in the country.

Bergen Heliport, Nygårdstangen was a heliport situated at Nygårdstangen on the shore of Store Lungegårdsvannet in Bergen, Norway. It was solely used for air ambulance services to Haukeland University Hospital. The heliport was owned and operated by Hordaland County Municipality, with helicopter services provided by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA). The base opened in 1987 as a temporary facility. It was closed in 2002 and replaced by Bergen Heliport, Grønneviksøren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arendal Heliport, Hospital</span> Airport in Heimdal, Arendal

Arendal Heliport, Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of Arendal Hospital in the Heimdal neighborhood of Arendal, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The base is owned by Sørlandet Hospital Trust.

Ålesund Heliport, Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of Ålesund Hospital in Ålesund, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to an AgustaWestland AW139 operated by Lufttransport on contract with the Norwegian Air Ambulance. The base is owned by the Møre og Romsdal Hospital Trust. The base opened in 1988.

Trondheim Heliport, Rosten is a heliport situated in Vestre Rosten in the Tiller neighborhood of Trondheim Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance missions, it serves as a base for a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The original heliport was situated at Brøset Hospital and opened in 1988. The base moved to Vestre Rosten in the mid 1990s.

Urban air mobility (UAM) is the use of small, highly automated aircraft to carry passengers or cargo at lower altitudes in urban and suburban areas which have been developed in response to traffic congestion. It usually refers to existing and emerging technologies such as traditional helicopters, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (VTOL), electrically propelled vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (eVTOL), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These aircraft are characterized by the use of multiple electric-powered rotors or fans for lift and propulsion, along with fly-by-wire systems to control them. Inventors have explored urban air mobility concepts since the early days of powered flight. However, advances in materials, computerized flight controls, batteries and electric motors improved innovation and designs beginning in the late 2010s. Most UAM proponents envision that the aircraft will be owned and operated by professional operators, as with taxis, rather than by private individuals.

Dallas CBD Vertiport is a city-owned public heliport/vertiport in the city of Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, United States. The facility is located at the south end of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in the Dallas Central Business District, and is claimed to be the world's largest elevated heliport/vertiport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced air mobility</span> Next generation aviation

Advanced air mobility (AAM) are systems that incorporate support for next-generation transport such as such as remotely piloted, autonomous, or vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. This includes those powered by electric or hybrid-electric propulsion.

References

  1. ↑ "Home - Vertiport Chicago". Vertiport Chicago. Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
  2. ↑ "Vertiport opens in downtown Chicago". wgntv.com. 30 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  3. ↑ FAA Advisory Circular 150/5390-2B Archived 2009-11-23 at the Wayback Machine page 51
  4. ↑ "Helicopter landing at Point Sonam Siachen". adm.helipaddy.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
  5. ↑ Nick Easen (2003-09-17). "Siachen: The world's highest cold war". CNN. Archived from the original on 2016-08-23. Retrieved 30 March 2009.

Bibliography

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