Hospital helipads, just like any other helipad, should be equipped with a set of lighting systems that supports a pilot during flight operations – especially at night and during bad weather conditions that lower visibility. One of such elements is a heliport beacon.

The regulations say that such beacon should be installed in places where a pilot needs instructions about the approach path from a long distance and where it is difficult to identify a helipad because of surrounding lights. Helipad beacon is placed at an airport or nearby, preferably higher up and not to hinder a pilot’s visibility with a flash when a helicopter is low. Exceptionally, if a beacon hinders visibility, it can be turned off during the last stages of landing.

What kind of lights should a beacon give?

It gives a series of short flashes every 0.8, 1.2, and again 0.8 seconds. The duration of a flash reaches from 0.5 to 2.0 milliseconds.