thumb|A heliport at [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada]]

thumb|The [[Hernesaari Heliport in Hernesaari, Helsinki, Finland]]

thumb|Heliport of [[Uniklinikum Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany]]

thumb|Heliport in the mountains of [[Loen, Norway|Loen, Norway]]

A heliport is a small airport which has a helipad, suitable for use by helicopters, powered-lift craft, and other types of vertical-lift aircraft.

Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. In some larger towns and cities, customs facilities may also be available. The broader term vertiport refers to take-off/landing sites for all aircraft landing vertically.

Early advocates of helicopters hoped that heliports would become widespread, but they have become contentious in urban areas due to the excessive noise caused by helicopter traffic.

In American use a heliport is defined as "an area of land, water, or structure used or intended to be used for the landing and takeoff of helicopters and includes its buildings and facilities if any". A heliport will consist of one or more helipads, which are defined as "a small, designated area, usually with a prepared surface, on a heliport, airport, landing/take-off area, apron/ramp, or movement area used for takeoff, landing, or parking of helicopters".

In Canada the term heliport is legally only used for an aerodrome certified for helicopter use.

Heliport airspace

The airspace immediately surrounding the heliport is called the primary surface. This area coincides in shape and size with the designated take-off and landing area. This surface is a horizontal plane equal to the elevation of the established heliport elevation. The primary surface is further broken down into three distinct regions: the touch-down and lift-off (TLOF) area, the final approach and takeoff (FATO) area, and the safety area.

The TLOF area is a load-bearing, generally paved area, normally centered in the FATO area, on which the helicopter lands or takes off. The FATO area is a defined area over which the pilot completes the final phase of the approach to a hover or a landing, and from which the pilot initiates take-off. The FATO area elevation is the lowest elevation of the edge of the TLOF area. The safety area is a defined area on a heliport surrounding the FATO area intended to reduce the risk of damage to helicopters accidentally diverging from the FATO area. As an example, the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City provides scheduled service to John F. Kennedy International Airport, and is used to move wealthy persons and important goods quickly to destinations as far away as Maryland.

Police departments use heliports as bases for police helicopters, and larger departments may have large dedicated heliport facilities such as the LAPD Hooper Heliport.

Some skyscrapers feature rooftop heliports to serve the transport needs of executives or clients. Many of these rooftop sites also serve as Emergency Helicopter Landing Facilities (EHLF), in case emergency evacuation is needed. The U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles is an example.

Helipads are common features at hospitals, where they serve to facilitate helicopter air ambulance and MEDEVACs for transferring patients into and out of hospital facilities. Some large trauma centers may have multiple helipads, while most small hospitals have just one. Helipads allow hospitals to accept patients flown in from remote accident sites, where there are no local hospitals or facilities capable of providing the level of emergency care required.

The National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA) has published multiple white papers, surveys and safety recommendations for the enhancement of hospital helipad operations to improve patient safety.

Heliport markings

While heliports can be oriented in any direction, they will generally have very definitive approach and departure paths. However, heliports are not numbered in the same way that runways at airports are. Recommended standard practice by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is to orient a H in the center of the TLOF area aligned with the preferred approach and departure direction.

  • FAA Advisory Circular Updates: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) updated its Advisory Circular (AC 150/5390-2D) in May 2023, which provides comprehensive design standards for heliports. This document outlines planning, design, and construction guidelines to ensure safety and operational performance for various types of heliports, including those serving emergency services and general aviation. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to these standards for projects funded under federal assistance programs.

See also

  • Helicopter deck
  • List of countries by number of heliports
  • List of helicopter airlines
  • List of heliports in Turkey
  • List of heliports in Canada
  • List of heliports in Singapore
  • List of heliports in Washington, D.C.

References

Footnotes

General sources

  • de Voogt, A.J. 2007. Helidrome Architecture. Rotterdam: 010 Publishers.
  • ICAO Annex 14 Aerodrome Standards, Aerodrome Design and Operations
  • ICAO 1995. Heliport Manual. Montreal, Canada: ICAO Publications.
  • Frost, John B. 1996. British helipads. Chester, UK: Appledore Publications.
  • UK CAA, CAP 437 Standards for Offshore Helicopter Landing Areas (September 2018)
  • UK CAA, CAP 1264 Standards for Helicopter Landing Areas at Hospitals (First amendment edition, August 2019)
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 418 Standards for Heliports, 2016.
  • International Fire Code
  • International Building Code
  • National EMS Pilots Association Hospital Helipad Safety
  • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular AC 150/5390-2C - Heliport Design..
  • Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) Airfield and Heliport Planning, UFC 3-260-0,1Nov 2008
  • National Interagency Fire Center PMS 510, Interagency Helicopter Operations Guide, Chapter 8 Helicopter Landing Areas, Feb 2013.
  • Helitecnica Light Heliports
  • Point Lighting Corporation Helipad/Helideck Lighting - Wind Cones - Obstruction Lighting