Helicopters land on pads or platforms especially designated for them. These areas must have helipad lighting to aid in safe and accurate landing. The landing areas are flat, hard surfaces with clear markings to signal correct information to helicopters in the air.
The lighting in the take-off area and final approach, also known as FATO, is positioned in a circle or square around it. Inside FATO is the touch-down and lift-off area, known as TLOF. TLOF is inside FATO, and also has its own designated lighting set. These lights are supposed to be all white, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Federal Aviation Administration. However, some areas still prefer yellow or amber lights, as this used to be the standard.
The variance in color of these lights depends on the jurisdiction and owner. They used to be brightly glowing as well, but are now offered as diodes with brightness controls. In addition to this lighting, the TLOF and FATO areas can also implement surface flood lights or lead-in lights for ground landing pads. In all situations, lighted wind cones are required.
Pilots are provided with automated ground-based control to change the lighting with radio control. Also, while airports use 6.6A direct current powers, the lights on helipads utilize AC power instead. The ICAO and FAA organizations recommend that helipads have visual slope guidance systems, but this is often ignored because these systems are quite costly.
Helipads can be located in all sorts of places. They can be on heliports or airports that have fuel, air traffic control, and service facilities. Most helipads, however, are placed in remote areas away from these larger places because of costs and spaces available. Many office towers have them as well on their roofs for air taxi services or for evacuation purposed in case of an emergency. Police departments use dedicated police helipads at heliports as well. Naval structures like ships and oil rigs also often have helipads for quick transport. These are called helidecks.
Most hospitals have helipads on the premises for MEDEVACs and air ambulances to come and go. These are useful in transferring patients to trauma units, and also patients from remote regions where capable hospitals are not available. Most hospitals in urban areas install these pads on the roofs.
Helipads are often issued location identifiers along with a large letter "H", but this isn't the case for every helipad. The FAA, ICAO, TC, and IATA are all U. S. Based organizations that issue these identifications. Helipads aren't restricted to one identifier, and may have multiple differently formatted and named ones.
A large letter "H" is usually marked inside a circle and placed right in the middle of a helipad. This way, they are visible high up from the air. Helipads, however, aren't always concrete-based, as forest fire fighters will often build temporary timber ones to receive supplies. Helipads can also be built with rig mats, but only if it can withstand situations like ice accumulation. A rooftop helipad will also provide a two-digit number representing the weight limit, and a second number representing the maximum rotor diameter.
The lighting in the take-off area and final approach, also known as FATO, is positioned in a circle or square around it. Inside FATO is the touch-down and lift-off area, known as TLOF. TLOF is inside FATO, and also has its own designated lighting set. These lights are supposed to be all white, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Federal Aviation Administration. However, some areas still prefer yellow or amber lights, as this used to be the standard.
The variance in color of these lights depends on the jurisdiction and owner. They used to be brightly glowing as well, but are now offered as diodes with brightness controls. In addition to this lighting, the TLOF and FATO areas can also implement surface flood lights or lead-in lights for ground landing pads. In all situations, lighted wind cones are required.
Pilots are provided with automated ground-based control to change the lighting with radio control. Also, while airports use 6.6A direct current powers, the lights on helipads utilize AC power instead. The ICAO and FAA organizations recommend that helipads have visual slope guidance systems, but this is often ignored because these systems are quite costly.
Helipads can be located in all sorts of places. They can be on heliports or airports that have fuel, air traffic control, and service facilities. Most helipads, however, are placed in remote areas away from these larger places because of costs and spaces available. Many office towers have them as well on their roofs for air taxi services or for evacuation purposed in case of an emergency. Police departments use dedicated police helipads at heliports as well. Naval structures like ships and oil rigs also often have helipads for quick transport. These are called helidecks.
Most hospitals have helipads on the premises for MEDEVACs and air ambulances to come and go. These are useful in transferring patients to trauma units, and also patients from remote regions where capable hospitals are not available. Most hospitals in urban areas install these pads on the roofs.
Helipads are often issued location identifiers along with a large letter "H", but this isn't the case for every helipad. The FAA, ICAO, TC, and IATA are all U. S. Based organizations that issue these identifications. Helipads aren't restricted to one identifier, and may have multiple differently formatted and named ones.
A large letter "H" is usually marked inside a circle and placed right in the middle of a helipad. This way, they are visible high up from the air. Helipads, however, aren't always concrete-based, as forest fire fighters will often build temporary timber ones to receive supplies. Helipads can also be built with rig mats, but only if it can withstand situations like ice accumulation. A rooftop helipad will also provide a two-digit number representing the weight limit, and a second number representing the maximum rotor diameter.
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