Essential Heliport Lights Installation Ideas

By Kerri Stout


Aircrafts will most likely crash or overrun the runway if there were no lighting systems in the airports. Heliport lights play the same role as those in airports but they are made specifically to be used in heliports. Some guidelines have been laid down on what kind of lights and how these light bulbs should be installed both on the helipad and the heliport whether it is on ground level or on rooftop

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.

Wherever the final approach need to be made a little bit more visible, just after the crossbars, within 30 metres interval, additional lights can be installed. The nature of the light bulbs depends on the environment. They may be flashing in nature or just steady. The length of these light bulbs needs to be 210 metres or more for a final approach that is non-precision in nature and for the area of take-off.

Lighting for the final approach and take-off area (FATO) established at the ground level should be done at the edges in all of the FATO. For square or rectangular shaped area there should be a minimum of 4 lights done at intervals of 50m with a light at every corner. Any other shaped area will take a minimum of 10 lights at 5m intervals. It should be white steady Omni-directional lighting.

Aiming lights are also required in heliports. The pilot needs guidance on how to approach the touchdown for safe landing and these lights are his or her guide. They are arranged in such a manner to form a wedge shape pointing the touchdown. 6 white light bulbs make the aiming light with a light at each of the three vertexes.

Touchdown and lift-off area light bulbs should consist of perimeter or flood light bulbs. If FATO lights are available luminescent panel light bulbs are used. They are place at the edge or 1.5m from the touchdown area. At least 4 lights on each side at 3m interval for elevated and 5m interval for ground heliport should be installed. The color of these light bulbs should be green and they are set to be steady. Floodlights are place on floor level at a maximum of 10m spacing.

Taxiway and apron lightings also need to be installed if they are required. They should be facing all directions made of a blue glass dome. The bulbs should be powered by a 240V AC low voltage transformer.

Heliport light installation guidelines can be found from ICAO. The brilliancy of the light should adjustable to control light intensity in different weather conditions. Lightings should be done correctly in heliports for safety purposes.




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