Search
Close this search box.

Helipad Sizing & Locating

One-Stop Shop for Everything Heliports

FEC Heliports can assist in all phases of the design and implementation process. Whether you are just starting to conceptualize or ready to build, we can help. We can also recommend the necessary lighting, fire suppression and paint markings to ensure a safe landing area. As a design-build operation you can rest assured that your project is in the right hands. Your project will not be outsourced to inexperienced subcontractors – our in-house team that manufactures our helipads is the same team that installs them.

Let's Get Started

How Does the Process Work?
When collaborating with FEC Heliports on a helipad design, we will conduct an onsite visit to thoroughly assess all relevant factors. We will address any site-specific concerns, industry requirements, and personal preferences you may have, and offer a comprehensive analysis of all available options along with a tailored recommendation. Contact us today for an onsite consultation or get started with our design resources.

Helipad Size

Design Aircraft

Perhaps the most basic element of helistop design is ensuring that it meets applicable dimensional clearances, obstruction clearances, load bearing and fuel retention criteria. These clearances are generally based on a “design helicopter,” the largest helicopter expected to land at the facility on a regular basis. In some cases, the design helicopter may be a composite of critical criteria from two or more aircraft.

TLOF

The physical landing pad is known as the touchdown and liftoff area (TLOF). The TLOF size will depend on the design aircraft. The minimum TLOF surface size is one main rotor diameter which, of course, varies with the design helicopter size.

FATO

The final approach and takeoff area (FATO), an obstruction-clearance surface surrounding the TLOF, is a horizontal plane in the surrounding airspace. The FATO sizes would be 66 feet, to meet the FAA Guidelines.

Safety Area

The FATO is surrounded by a “safety area”, also a horizontal surface at TLOF elevation. The minimum safety area is 1/3 the main rotor diameter of the design helicopter.

Flight Path

Obstruction Clearances

Obstruction clearance is one of the most critical factors in helistop design. The criteria have been established by the Federal Aviation Administration in concert with the helicopter industry. They are defined in Part 77, Objects Affecting Navigable Airspace, of the Federal Aviation Regulations. It is critical that any selected helistop site comply with the obstruction-clearance criteria from a permitting standpoint, but even more importantly, from operational safety and the Hospital’s liability standpoints. This means that we need to ensure that nearby objects (other buildings, power lines, trees, flag poles, etc.) will not penetrate the defined obstruction-clearance surfaces.

Approach/Departure Path

8:1 approach/departure surfaces along each identified flight path. Penetrations of these surfaces should not be allowed with unless pre-approved by the flight team as a non-risk.

Transitional Surfaces

2:1 transitional surfaces to the sides of each flight path. Penetrations of these surfaces should not be allowed with unless pre-approved by the flight team as a non-risk.

Prevailing Winds

Helicopters, like fixed-wing airplanes, gain performance and safety advantages by taking off and landing into the wind. Whenever possible, helistops should be located so that approach and departure flight paths can be aligned as closely as possible to prevailing wind directions. If this is not possible due to other factors, quartering headwinds are normally acceptable. However, from an operational safety standpoint, locations that only allow tailwind approaches or departures should be avoided.

Patient Transport Time

Logically, it makes sense to locate the helipad as close to where the patient, passengers, or cargo needs to go. A hospital, for example, can provide better results by locating the helipad as close to the emergency room as possible for faster service and less patient handling. When choosing a site for a ground helipad transport time must be balanced with enough distance to avoid disturbances and other issues where applicable, such as noise and debris from spinning rotor blades of the aircraft.

Cost

Cost is obviously always a significant consideration. In terms of materials, it is generally less expensive to build a ground helipad versus an elevated helipad. Estimates can be provided for said material to build a helipad, but site preparation, general contractor and subcontractor costs, permitting and all other considerations must be developed by the facility to get a full understanding of the cost impact for the helipad site in question.

Additional Factors

Visibility

This factor tends to vary somewhat from one facility to another. Some prefer for their helistop to be prominently positioned to advertise to the public that they can provide this key rapid transport service. Others prefer that the helistop be somewhat hidden, especially if helicopter transports are controversial with nearby residents. In most cases, however, this is not a major concern one way or another and is overshadowed by the more significant factors listed above.

Secondary Functional Uses

In some cases, the siting of a helistop could preclude a facility from putting the selected area to other uses. This is more of a consideration for ground level helistops than for elevated facilities. With a ground level helistop, the owner must preserve not only the land specifically needed for the TLOF, FATO and safety area but also enough land to ensure that there will be no obstructions in the surrounding airspace. If it is only used sporadically and is part of a parking lot, there must be a plan in place to evacuate any pedestrians of vehicles when the aircraft is en route to the facility.

Neighborhood Concerns

Noise and safety are clearly concerns, although often overstated, of many members of the public who may have little direct personal experience with helicopters. It is important to satisfy neighbors’ concerns as they are the greatest reason for local denial of permits. Key strategies of course are to position the helistop so that it is not adjacent to residential neighborhoods and to minimize overflights of residential areas during approaches and departures.

Heliport Services

Services to assist you in the planning, designing, manufacturing, and installation of your heliport project.

Helipad Siting

FEC Heliports can assist in all phases of the design and implementation process.

Architects Resources

Your One-Stop Shop for Everything Heliports

Search
Close this search box.