Sunday, September 14, 2014

Different Forms Of Helipad Lighting

By Jody Leach


Helicopters that are located on the ground are known as surface level helicopters. They are known to use larger space. Typically, a heliport has several helipads. These are smooth and flat areas which are designed for take-off and landing of helicopters. Helipads are located adjacent to conventional airports, though in the lesser used areas. Helipad lighting is essential as it ensures safety of not just pilots but also passengers and personnel working around the heliport.

Identification of the helipad is very important, which is why beacon lights are used. Provision of the beacons is important in the event that long-range visual guidance is thought to be important. These lights have to be placed in elevated areas so that there is no chance of the pilot getting dazzled at short range. Repeated series of white flashes are emitted by the beacon light. These flashes are spaced at equal intervals. They are in the form if letter H, with the Morse code used.

It is important that beacon lights show at all azimuth angles and have an intensity that is more than 2500 candelas. Brilliancy control settings should be at 3, 10 and 100 percent. There also is the use of floodlights for illuminating touchdown area and the area of lift off. Their location is such that there is no glare to pilots or personnel working close to the area. Horizontal luminance is meant to be averagely 10 lux. In addition, the floodlights illuminate obstacles. Those meant for obstacle illumination should have a luminance of 10cd/m2 on the lower side.

The edges of the final approach and take off area, FATO, are installed with FATO lights. These are omnidirectional, steady, white and usually have intensity of more than 100 candelas. The brilliancy control is similar to that of beacon lights, that is 10, 30 and 100 percent. These are supposed to be placed at the FATO edges at uniform spacing.

The touchdown and lift off areas, TLOF, also needs lighting. This is where TLOF lights come in handy. These are green, steady and omnidirectional. Their intensity has to be 30 candelas and more and are placed at the TLOF edges. A distance of 1.5m is left on the edges. For surface-level helicopters, lights ought to be uniformly placed at intervals that should not exceed 5m. Lights that are rectangular in shape should be 12 in number and the circular ones around 14.

It is always important to display the preferred direction from where the helicopter should approach. This is made possible through the use of approaching lights. They are placed in a straight line along the preferred direction. They are steady, omnidirectional and white or flashing. When identification of the helipad is made difficult because of other lights in the surroundings, flashing lights come in handy. The system should not be less than 210m in the event that approach light system for non precision FATO is offered.

Aiming lights come in handy when it comes to approaching particular points before going to the TLOF. They are usually steady, white and omnidirectional. Their intensity is above 100 candelas. Their brilliancy control is similar to other lights.

Windsock lights help in displaying the windsock and thus enabling the pilot to see the wind direction. At least one direction indicator is required for every heliport. The windsock light used at night needs to be illuminated so that it is easily seen.




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