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Essential Heliport Lights Installation Ideas

By Kerri Stout


Aircrafts will most likely crash or overrun the runway if there were no lighting systems in the airports. Heliport lights play the same role as those in airports but they are made specifically to be used in heliports. Some guidelines have been laid down on what kind of lights and how these light bulbs should be installed both on the helipad and the heliport whether it is on ground level or on rooftop

The landing direction for a helicopter should be indicated by the approach lighting. This gives the pilot and his team the best approach route for successful landing. The system should have three light rows that are uniformly spaced with 30 metres gap between them. An eighteen meter crossbar should be situated ninety metres away from the area of take-off and approach perimeter that is last. In 4.5 metre intervals perpendicularly bisecting the lines of approach lights are crossbar light bulbs.

Additional light bulbs can be added beyond the crossbar at intervals of 30m if the final approach needs to be made more visible. The light can either be flashing or steady whichever suits the environment best. The light should be at least 210 meters in length if the approach lighting for a non-precision final approach and take off area.

Lighting for the final approach and take-off area (FATO) established at the ground level should be done at the edges in all of the FATO. For square or rectangular shaped area there should be a minimum of 4 lights done at intervals of 50m with a light at every corner. Any other shaped area will take a minimum of 10 lights at 5m intervals. It should be white steady Omni-directional lighting.

Aiming point light is another set of light bulbs that have to be installed. Their structuring should be to form a wedge like shape that points to the area of landing. The wedge shape so formed consists of not less than six light bulbs with a light at each of the six vertices.

Flood light bulbs or perimeter lights form the touchdown and lift off areas. If the helipad has FATO light bulbs then there is no need to use very bright light. Instead luminescent light bulbs are used which are 1.5 metres from the touchdown area or at the edges. Within 3 metre intervals for elevated areas and 5 metres for the ground level, not less than four light bulbs are installed. They should be steady and green in color. Floodlights are installed, within an interval of not more than ten metre intervals at the floor levels.

Taxiway and apron lightings also need to be installed if they are required. They should be facing all directions made of a blue glass dome. The bulbs should be powered by a 240V AC low voltage transformer.

Heliport light installation guidelines can be found from ICAO. The brilliancy of the light should adjustable to control light intensity in different weather conditions. Lightings should be done correctly in heliports for safety purposes.




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