HOSPITAL HELIPORTS

David Ketchum

Preston Rufe, PE

HISTORY & GROWTH

FLT. INNOVATIONS

CODES

FAA

SAFETY & LIABILITY

• EFFICIENT, FAST, STABILIZED DELIVERY

• ON BOARD CARE

EARLY

CIVILIAN

MASHEarly 1950s

1970s

Loma Linda University

MODERN TURBINE

SYSTEM

AS 350 “A-Star”

990 ROTOR WING

AIRCRAFT

880 ROTOR

WING BASES

DRAMATIC GROWTH

98%

COVERAGE

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

35 YEARS

SHORT

MEDIUM

LONG

100 nm

500 nm

135 mph

250 mph

500 mph

2,700+ nm

FULL EMS BASE

WHEN FIXED-WING

AIRCRAFT ARE USED

INTERMEDIATE

USE OF

AIRPORT

SIKORSKY X2

290 MPH

EUROCOPTER X3

267 MPH

NEAR-FUTURE

TWICE THE

SPEED

Heli

T/Prop

MORE FLIGHTS

DIRECT TO

RECEIVING

HOSPITALS

EXTENDED

HELICOPTER

RANGE

GPS IS

HUGE

TECHNOLOGICAL

IMPROVEMENTS

INSTRUMENT FLIGHT SAFETY

DISPATCH RELIABILITY

FAA FLIGHT CONTROL

NIGHT

VISION

GOGGLES

WIND DIRECTION

WIND VELOCITY

TEMPERATURE

DEW POINT

BETTER LAUNCH DECISIONS

($ - TIME – RESOURCES)

ENROUTE AND ARRIVAL SAFETY

WEATHER INFORMATION

DISCONNECT BETWEEN HELIPORT DESIGN AND

OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES

INCANDESCENT NON-IR

OBSTRUCTION AND PERIMETER LIGHTS

OVERLY BRIGHT FLOODLIGHTS

NO WEATHER INFORMATION

NO PILOT ACTIVATION AND CONTROL

NO AIR-TO-GROUND COMMUNICATIONS

CODES

PUBLICATION 418

Standards for

Heliports

CONFLICTING --

BASED ON PRE-TURBINE PERIOD

H-1 (< 50’) ELEVATED

1 CODE STAIR

1 ADDITIONAL WAY TO REACH THE OCCUPIED

FLOOR BELOW OR GRADE

2 – 20A:160B FIRE EXTINGUISHERS (?)

1 “NO SMOKING” SIGN

1 FIRE PULL STATION

PITCH 0.5 – 2.0 PERCENT

STANDPIPE 150’ IF INSTALLED IN SYSTEM

TERMS ARE IMPORTANT

HELISTOP VS. HELIPORT

FUEL/OIL

WATER

SEPARATORS

&

FIXED FOAM

SYSTEMS NOT

REQUIRED BY

CODE

PRIMARY CODES

FAA AIRSPACE PROCESS

FAR PART 157

REQUIRES

NOTICE

FAA AIRPORTS

DISTRICT

OFFICE

“LINES OF

BUSINESS”

FAA ROLE:

“SAFE AND EFFICIENT

USE OF AIRSPACE”

1. NO OBJECTION

2. OBJECTION W/MITIGATION

3. OBJECTION

1 2 3

SPONSOR

2012 FAA ORDER 8900.1

NOT ANTI-FAA

NOT ANTI-AUTHORITY

PRO CLARITY

May 2012 Change 140 to FAA Order

8900.1

April/May 2014 – letters

Summer 2015 - Change 408

FAA AIRSPACE PROCESS

CODE CONFUSION COSTS $

X’s

F/W SEP

SAFETY NET

HELIPORTS – RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT ACCESSORY USE

UNTIL THERE IS A PROBLEM

SAFETY AND LIABILITY

DOCUMENTATION

STANDARDS AWARENESS

ROUTINE INSPECTION & CORRECTION PROCESS

INVITATION & ACCEPTANCE

MARKINGS & SIGNAGE

OPERATIONS MANUALS

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY PLANS

USING THE 5010 PROCESS

DOCUMENTATION

7480-1 APPLICATION

“NO-OBJECTION” LETTER

(CONDITIONS)

STRUCTURAL

CALCULATIONS

CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT – IF APPLICABLE

HELIPORT

STANDARDS

INSPECTION

INVITATION & ACCEPTANCE

SPECIFICALLY

WRITTEN INVITATION + WRITTEN ACCEPTANCE =

CONTROL AND EXHIBITS CAREFUL MANAGEMENT

ATTORNEY – “DID YOU

AUTHORIZE FIRM X TO

USE YOUR HELIPORT?

H10K

MARKINGS & SIGNAGE

10K

OPERATIONS AND MANUALS

ADMINISTRATION

FACILITY DESCRIPTION

FLIGHT OPERATIONS

MAINTENANCE

INSPECTIONS

TRAINING

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS

UPDATE PROCESS

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY PLANS

ADMINISTRATION

EXISTING PROCEDURES

CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES

VISUAL NOTICE OF OPERATIONS

CONTRACTOR BRIEFINGS

ALL STAFF INVOLVED

UPDATE PROCESS

HELIPORT TO HELIPORT TRANSITION PLANS

(COVER UNTIL READY)

H

USING 5010s

FAA REGULATION

PILOTS TO OBTAIN

INFORMATION

ROUTES OF FLIGHT AND

LANDING AREAS

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

SYSTEMS

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

GENERAL GUIDELINES UAS < 55 LBS OPERATION AT OR BELOW

NON-COMMERCIAL – 400 FT AGL

COMMERCIAL – 200 FT AGL

OPERATIONS REMAIN 5, 3, OR 2 NM

FROM AN AIRPORT (DEPENDING ON

TOWERED, NON-TOWERED, AND IF SIAP

EXISTS)

PIC MUST BE CERTIFICATED

(COMMERCIAL)

FAA’S B4UFLY APP

TAKE AWAYS

VERTICAL FLIGHT EMS IS GROWING AND DEVELOPING

HELIPORT DESIGN NEEDS TO KEEP UP

HELIPORT PLANNING IS MORE THAN DESIGN

TRAINING/ROUTINE DOCUMENTED INSPECTIONS

JURISICTIONAL CLARITY

CODE INTERPRETATION

SERVICES

SITE ASSESSMENTS AND PLANNING

FACILITY PLANNING

TRANSITIONS AMONG FACILITIES

TRAINING

OPERATING MANUALS

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY