Monday, May 20, 2019

Useful And Essential Facts About Helicopter Landing Lights

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.

One more vital light fixture apart from the beacon light is an approach light. This is normally a white sequence flashing light. The light is employed as a guidance for approach when helicopters are landing at a helipad. The pilot relies on this light to instruct them on the direction of approach. These fixtures can be situated outside the circumference of the heliport in one-way or two-way installations. The lights should be five in every group.

It is also vital that the upright perimeter light be installed on a helipad. Normally, the light is installed in an upright position and it emits a constant green light. Usually, the green light emitted is omni-directional during both day and night. The purpose of the low visibility light is to enable the pilot to see the takeoff area and the perimeter of the area.

The perimeter light shows the pilot which part of the helipad is safe to land on. Landing outside the perimeter lights can be dangerous to both the aircraft and people or buildings in the area. The area outside the perimeter of the helipad is usually not lit, which means that the pilot will have no visibility at all if they decide to land there. The lamp should be able to remain functional in harsh environments.

All light fixtures that are used in heliports should have high service temperature so that they do not malfunction when they are most needed. Low service temperature may also cause the lamps to fail to often, which may raise the maintenance cost of the helipad. The lamps should also be made out of material that offers good aging resistance and a good flammability rating.

The FAA has strict regulations concerning the type of lighting fixtures that can be used at heliports countywide. The lights are mostly kept on the entire duration of their use. Therefore, it is vital that they have low power consumption. They also must be long lasting and efficient.




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