Thursday, September 4, 2014

Tips When Installing Heliport Lights

By Kerri Stout


The lights in Airports guide the activities of airplanes to prevent occurrence of crashes or airports. Heliport lights serve the same purpose but to helipads which may be on the ground level or on top of buildings. There are several guidelines on the on the quality and type of light bulbs to be installed on these important structures to ensure standardisation and workability.

Approach lighting should be installed to indicate the best approach direction for a landing helicopter. The light guides the pilot on the desirable approach he or she should approach the heliport. This lighting system should have uniformly space three rows of light. The spacing between them should thirty meters. A crossbar18 meters long should be located 90 meters from the take off area and the final approach perimeter. The crossbar lights are put in such a way that they perpendicularly bisect the approach light lines in intervals of 4.5 meters.

Beyond the crossbar more light can be added for better visibility of the final approach at 30 meters intervals but this should be done only where it is required. Depending on the environment the heliport is located, the lights can be made steady or flashing. The length of the light for a non-precision final approach and take off area should be at a minimum of 210 meters

Final approach and take off area lighting system which are at the ground level should be built at the edges. Areas that take square shapes or are rectangular, the light bulbs should beat least four within 50 metre intervals. Each of the four corners should also have a light. The areas that take other shapes will be endowed with not less than 10 light bulbs within five metres of each other. The omni directional light bulbs should be steady and white.

Another lighting that should be installed is the aiming point light bulbs. They are set is such a way that they form a wedge shape pointing to the landing area. At least 6 white light bulbs are used to form the wedge with one at each vertex.

Floodlight and perimeter light bulbs is another part of the lighting system which is installed in the touchdown and lift-off area. In case the FATO lights are installed then luminescent panel light bulbs should be used at a spacing of 3m in elevated ones and for the ground ones a spacing of 5m. Green is the color of these lights and they should be steady with a minimum of 4 light bulbs each side. If floodlights are to be used then they are placed at 10m intervals on the floor. The light bulbs should be either at the edge or at a maximum of 1.5m away from the touchdown

If there is need for apron or taxiway lights, they should be installed. The blue glass dome made light bulbs should be multi directional. The transformer used should be a 240voltage AC with low voltage.

ICAO has set some more clear guidelines on heliport light installation which are made for your safety. The light used should have brilliancy control for use in different situations. The intensity of light need at a clear full moon light is not the same to one needed for a rainy dark night. For a save heliport all the lightings must be done at the right places using the right color of light.




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