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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 an important lighting fixture which is installed on heliports. The beacon is a white flashing light which functions as a system for distance visual guidance. The purpose of the beacon is to enable the pilot to view the helipad in locations where ambient light is not enough. The FAA stipulates that every helipad should have at least one light beacon.

The installation of the light beacon should be done above or close to the helipad. Installing the beacon in an elevated location is more preferable. Light from the beacon should not cause glare to the pilot when they are nearing the helipad to land or to take off. The material used to make the lamp should have excellent impact resistance. Its level of transparency should be high as well as the level of transparency.

Another important light fixture besides the beacon light is the approach light. This is usually a white sequence flashing light. It is used for approach guidance for helicopters that are landing at the helipad. The pilot depends on this light for instructions regarding approach direction. These fixtures can be installed outside the perimeter of the heliport in one- or two-way installations. There should be 5 lights per group.

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 pilot knows which side is safe to land with the help of perimeter lights. It is dangerous to the plane, building, and people around the heliport area if the pilot lands outside the perimeter lights. The area surrounding the perimeter is normally not lit, and as such, it has no visibility for the pilot to land there. These lamps ought to remain functional in harsh environments

The lighting fixtures used in heliports must have high service temperatures to avoid inconveniences in case they malfunction when they are needed the most. In case they have low service temperatures, they may fail most of the time which may in turn increase the maintenance cost of the heliport. In addition, the lamps should have good flammability rating and aging resistance.

The FAA strictly regulates the kind of lighting features that can be used at heliports across the country. The lights usually remain on most of the duration they are in use. As such, it is important that they have a low level of power consumption. They must also be very efficient, with a long lifespan.




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