Heliport Guidance Systems

Heliport Lighting Guidance System is one of the most important systems on a heliport. This system is made of lights, marking, and other indications on the helipad giving visual indications for pilots regarding the approach directions, angle of landing, speed of the wind, etc.

The guidance system depends on the location of the heliport, on the obstacles around, and can be simple or more complex.

The minimum visual indication for a pilot must be the speed and direction of the wind. This is shown by the wind direction indicator. This system must be installed on any helipad.

If the helipad is in an area where are many lights the pilot can be disturbed by the surrounding lights and it will be not so easy to identify the location of the heliport. This is a situation when a Heliport Beacon can be used.

The direction of landing can be indicated using APPROACH lights, the Visual Alignment Guidance System, or ALIGNMENT lights.

The slope or angle of landing can be indicated using Abbreviated Precision Approach Path Indicator – APAPI system, Helicopter Approach Path Indicator – HAPI system, or the Glide Path Indicator – GPI.

The taxiway has to be also marked. This is using blue omnidirectional lights. Sometimes the Air Transit Route Markers can show the way.

All these lights systems are completed with marking on the platform.