{"id":11187,"date":"2026-09-23T09:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fecheliports.com\/?p=11187"},"modified":"2026-09-11T17:28:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T17:28:43","slug":"helipads-vs-vertipads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fecheliports.com\/blog\/helipads-vs-vertipads\/","title":{"rendered":"Key Differences and Design Considerations for Helipads & Vertipads"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Table of contents:<\/b>
Terminology<\/a> \u2219 Aircraft Type & Facility Design<\/a> \u2219 Helipad vs Vertipad <\/a>\u2219 Design Considerations<\/a> \u2219 Power, Fuel, & Infrastructure<\/a> \u2219 Fire Protection & Site Safety<\/a> \u2219 Lighting & Markings<\/a> \u2219 Can\u00a0 Existing Heliports Accommodate VTOL Aircraft?<\/a> \u2219 Planning for Helicopters & VTOL Aircraft<\/a>\u00a0\u2219 FAQs<\/a> \u2219 Preparing for Your Helipad or Vertipad<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Terminology: Helipads, Vertipads, Heliports and Vertiports<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Before getting into design considerations for helipads and vertipads, it helps to clarify the terminology. A helipad and vertipad describe landing areas, while a heliport and vertiport refer to the broader facilities that support those landing areas and aircraft operations. Because these terms are often used interchangeably, understanding the differences is an important first step.

The distinction between heliports and vertiports also matters. A vertiport is a type of heliport, but it includes additional design considerations for certain vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The FAA’s Engineering Brief 105A (EB 105A) provides current guidance for vertiport design.

In this article, we’ll clarify these terms further and explore how aircraft type, site, and intended operations influence helipad and vertipad design.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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How Aircraft Type Affects Facility Design<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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If you’re planning infrastructure for vertical flight, the first question is: What aircraft will the facility serve?

The type of aircraft a facility will serve is one of the first considerations in planning a helipad or vertipad. The aircraft you plan to accommodate can influence everything from site layout and landing-area geometry to electrical infrastructure, markings, safety planning, and future operations.

Traditional heliports are designed for helicopter operations. The FAA’s heliport guidance addresses aircraft with conventional rotor configurations, including single, tandem, and dual rotor helicopters.

Vertiport guidance addresses a newer category of VTOL aircraft. Under EB 105A, the FAA’s current design criteria apply to certain powered-lift and special-class rotorcraft with three or more propulsive units that meet the document’s reference-aircraft criteria.

Many of the aircraft being developed for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) use electric propulsion and are commonly referred to as eVTOLs<\/a>, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

However, \u201cvertiport\u201d should not simply be read as another word for an electric-air-taxi landing pad. Aircraft designs, propulsion systems, operational models, and FAA guidance are all continuing to develop.

If you’re new to the technology, read our guide to What Is a Vertiport?<\/a> for an introduction to vertiports and Advanced Air Mobility. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Helipad vs. Vertipad: Quick Comparison<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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<\/div><\/div><\/th>
Helipad<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/th>
Vertipad<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Primary Aircraft<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
Helicopters<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
Certain VTOL\/powered-lift aircraft\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
Energy Infrastructure<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
May support aviation fueling infrastructure\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
May require electric charging infrastructure for battery-powered aircraft\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
Landing-Area Design\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
Designed around the intended helicopter and operation<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
Designed around the intended VTOL aircraft and current FAA vertiport criteria\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
Markings<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
Heliport identification markings\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
\u201cH\u201d identification symbol plus \u201cVTL\u201d marking under current FAA guidance\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
Additional planning considerations\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
Helicopter-specific operational and site criteria\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td>
VTOL geometry, charging, parking, downwash\/outwash, and other emerging standards\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody>\n\t\t\t<\/table>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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At the landing-area level, the distinction is between a helipad and a vertipad; at the facility level, the corresponding terms are heliport and vertiport. The right facility depends on the aircraft, operation, and site. If you’re specifically comparing a helipad and heliport, see our guide to Helipad vs. Heliport.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Design Considerations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The aircraft a helipad or vertipad is designed to serve directly affects its layout and infrastructure. While helicopters and VTOL aircraft share some fundamental design considerations, their criteria can differ.

A helipad project may need to consider elements such as the touchdown and liftoff area, final approach and takeoff area, safety area, approach and departure paths, structural standards, lighting<\/a>, access, and the operational environment.

Many of those same fundamental concepts apply to vertipads, but the design criteria aren’t necessarily identical. The FAA’s updated EB 105A<\/a> includes specific guidance for VTOL operations, including:<\/p>