Sunday, June 2, 2019

By Stephanie Howard


The pilot should be able to communicate with individuals on the ground so that operations on a helipad can run smoothly. Also, the pilot should receive instructions or directions from the ground in regard to taking off and landing. The instructions are relayed in form of lights. The messages pilots receive are different depending of the different kinds of lights. This is worth knowing about Helicopter landing lights.

One important lighting fixture that is installed on helipads is the light beacon HP-50/A. This light beacon is usually designed in the form of white flashing light that is used as a distance visual guidance. The beacon is used in situations where ambient light in the location is making it hard for the pilot to see the helipad. The FAA requires every helipad to have a minimum of 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.

Upright perimeter light is another very important lighting fixture in any helipad. This lamp is usually installed to be upright and to emit constant green upright light. The green light emitted is usually omni-directional during both day and night, with low visibility. The low visibility light is meant to show the pilot the perimeter of the land and take off area.

The perimeter light indicates the safe area in which the pilot can land. Landing outside these lights can be hazardous to the aircraft, people, and buildings around. The area past the perimeter of the helicopter is normally not lit, which means that should the pilot land there, there would be no visibility at all. These lamps should be able to maintain their functionality 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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