Sunday, June 2, 2019

Here Is Information On Helicopter Landing Lights

By Stephanie Howard


For operations at a heliport to move smoothly and safely, there must be a way for pilots to communicate with people on the ground. Pilots also need to receive directions/instructions from the heliport regarding how to land and take off. The instructions are conveyed in the form of lights. Different lights pass different kinds of messages to pilots regarding how to land and take off from a helipad. Here are facts regarding Helicopter landing lights.

The light beacon HP-50/A is one of the crucial lighting fixtures that are set up on helipads. This light beacon is normally made in the form of while flashing light that acts as a distance visual guidance. This beacon is utilized when the ambient light in the area is making it difficult for the pilot to have a good view of the helipad. The FAA requires all helipads to have at least one light beacon.

The light beacon must be installed near or above the helipad. It is more preferable to have the beacon installed in an elevated location. It is very important to ensure that the pilot does not feel glared by the light from the beacon when they are in close proximity to it. The lamp should be made of material of excellent impact resistance, with a high level of transparency.

Apart from the beacon light, the other vital lighting fixture is the approach light. Normally, it produces white flashing light. The light is used to guide the approach of the helicopter as it lands on the helipad. The light is important as it aids the pilot to see the direction of approach. The fixtures can be installed in the outer region of the heliport in one-way or two-way installation. In each group, there must be 5 lighting fixtures of this kind.

Another important light fixture on a helipad is the upright perimeter light. It is customarily set up in an upright position to produce a constant green upright light. Green light is emitted in all directions at night and during the day and with low visibility. The low visibility is necessary to indicate the landing and take off perimeters for the pilot.

The perimeter light shows the pilot which part of the helipad is safe to land on. Landing outside the perimeter lights can be dangerous to both the aircraft and people or buildings in the area. The area outside the perimeter of the helipad is usually not lit, which means that the pilot will have no visibility at all if they decide to land there. The lamp should be able to remain functional in harsh environments.

All light fixtures that are used in heliports should have high service temperature so that they do not malfunction when they are most needed. Low service temperature may also cause the lamps to fail to often, which may raise the maintenance cost of the helipad. The lamps should also be made out of material that offers good aging resistance and a good flammability rating.

The FAA has strict regulations concerning the type of lighting fixtures that can be used at heliports countywide. The lights are mostly kept on the entire duration of their use. Therefore, it is vital that they have low power consumption. They also must be long lasting and efficient.




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