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.[1]
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".[2][3]
In Canada the term heliport is legally only used for a certified aerodrome for helicopter use.[4]
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. These are, the 'Touch-down and Lift-off' (TLOF) area, the 'Final Approach and Takeoff' (FATO) area and the 'Safety Area'.[1][5]
The TLOF is a load-bearing, generally paved area, normally centered in the FATO, on which the helicopter lands and / or takes off. The FATO 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 elevation is the lowest elevation of the edge of the TLOF. The Safety Area is a defined area on a heliport surrounding the FATO intended to reduce the risk of damage to helicopters accidentally diverging from the FATO.[1]
Purpose
In a large metropolitan and urban areas, a heliport can serve passengers needing to quickly move within the city, or to outlying regions. Generally, heliports can be situated closer to a town or city center than an airport for fixed-wing aircraft. The advantage in flying by helicopter to a destination, or even to the city's main airport, is that travel can be much faster than by surface transport.[6][7] 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 a base for police helicopters, and larger departments may have a dedicated large heliport facility dedicated such as the LAPD Hooper Heliport.[8]
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.[9][10]
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.[11]
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.[12]
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, in line with the preferred approach / departure direction.[1]
An information box should also be included in the TLOF area, which provides the aircraft gross weight the helipad is rated for, as well as the maximum size helicopter the helipad has been designed to accommodated, which is based on the helicopter rotor diameter and overall length of the largest design helicopter that will service the helipad. Under normal conditions, it is standard practice to paint the maximum gross weight a helipad is designed to support in either metric tonnes, kilograms, or thousands of pounds, along with the maximum helicopter dimensions in metres or feet. Arrows are oftentimes painted on the heliport to indicate to pilots the preferred approach / departure paths. Other common markings can include ownership, radio frequencies, company logo(s), and magnetic north.[1]
Lighting
To conduct night-time operations, a heliport must have lighting installed that meets specific aeronautical standards. Heliport perimeter lights are generally installed around the TLOF area, and may be flush mounted on the TLOF itself, or mounted just off the TLOF perimeter on short metal or concrete extensions.[1]
One alternative to lighting the TLOF if certain criteria are met, is to light the area of the FATO instead. Some locations, due to environmental conditions, illuminate the TLOF and FATO. Lighting should never constitute an obstruction that a helicopter may impact, and for this reason, in the U.S., heliport lighting is not allowed to extend above the TLOF or FATO more than 2 inches (51 millimetres). Current standards recommend that all perimeter lighting be green. Prior standards recommended amber lighting for perimeter lights; however this wavelength has been shown to interfere with night vision goggle (NVG) operations, when used with older incandescent lighting.[citation needed]
In the past, lighting has been traditionally incandescent, but increasingly, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are being incorporated, due to lower power requirements and increased life. While flood lights may be used to enhance surface operations, they should not interfere with flight crew night vision, and should be kept off during flight operations, and only used when conducting ground movement operations. To conduct night operations, a lighted wind cone is also required. At ground-based heliports, lead-in lights may be incorporated to identify the preferred approach / departure direction. Visual slope guidance systems (such as HAPI, PAPI, etc.) are recommended options in both ICAO and FAA documents. While airports commonly use 6.6A direct current power,[citation needed] heliport lighting is normally AC powered. Radio control of the lighting by the pilot via an automated ground-based controller is also common.[citation needed]
To provide for a safe environment to perform normal helicopter landing and take-off operations, each heliport must have unobstructed approach / departure paths.[1]
The minimum recommended separation between flight paths is 135 degrees.[1] A heliport approach path is broken down into two distinct airspace surfaces; the Approach Surface, and the Transitional Surface. The approach surface begins at each end of the heliport primary surface with the same width as the primary surface, and extends outward and upward for a horizontal distance of 4,000 feet (1,200 metres), where its width is 500 feet (150 metres). The slope of the approach surface is 8-to-1 for civil heliports. The Transitional Surfaces extend outward and upward from the lateral boundaries of the primary surface, and from the approach surfaces, at a slope of 2-to-1 for a distance of 250 feet (76 metres), measured horizontally from the centerline of the primary and approach surfaces. Approach paths can either be straight or curved to accommodate obstructions and avoidance areas.[1]
Recent Regulatory Developments
EASA Certification Specifications: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has introduced new Certification Specifications (CS-HPT-DSN) for surface-level Visual Flight Rules (VFR) heliports. This regulation aligns with ICAO Annex 14, Volume II, and establishes requirements for heliport infrastructure, including Final Approach and Take-off Areas (FATO), Safety Areas, and Touchdown and Lift-off Areas (TLOF). Aerodrome operators are now responsible for demonstrating compliance with these specifications to ensure safety and operational efficiency at heliports located at airports[13].
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.
^Transport Canada (28 April 2022). "Canadian Aviation Regulations SOR/96-433". lois-laws.justice.gc.ca. Retrieved 29 April 2022. heliport means an aerodrome in respect of which a heliport certificate issued under Subpart 5 of Part III is in force
