3.0 Lighting

  3.1 The safe landing area (SLA) should be delineated by green perimeter lights visible omnidirectionally from on or above the landing area. These lights should be above the level of the deck but should not exceed the height limitations in Section 3 paragraph 3.2. The lights should be equally spaced at intervals of not more than 3 metres around the perimeter of the SLA, coincident with the white line delineating the perimeter (see section 4 para 2.1).

In the case of square or rectangular decks there should be a minimum of four lights along each side including a light at each corner of the safe landing area.The 'main beam' of the green perimeter lights should be of at least 30 candelas intensity (the full vertical beam spread specification is shown in Table1). Flush fitting lights may be used at the inboard (150° LOS origin) edge of the SLA.

  3.2 Where the declared D-value of the helicopter landing area is less than the physical helicopter landing area, the perimeter lights should delineate the limit of the safe landing area (SLA) so that the helicopter may land safely by reference to the perimeter lights on the limited obstacle sector (LOS -150°) 'inboard' side of the helicopter landing area without risk of main rotor collision with obstructions in this sector. By applying the LOS clearances (given in Section 3 paragraph 3.4) from the perimeter marking, adequate main rotor to obstruction separation should be achieved. Touchdown for normal landing should be made by reference to the aiming circle. On helicopter landing areas where insufficient clearance exists in the LOS, a suitable temporary arrangement to modify the lighting delineation of the SLA, where this is found to be marked too generously, should be agreed with the Aviation Inspection Body by replacing existing green lights with red lights of 30 candelas intensity around the 'unsafe' portion of the SLA (the vertical beam spread characteristics for red lights should also comply with Table 1). The perimeter line, however, should be repainted in the correct position immediately and the area of deck between the old and new perimeter lines should be painted in a colour that contrasts with the main helicopter landing area. Use of flush fitting lights in the 150° sector perimeter will provide adequate illumination while causing minimum obstruction to personnel and equipment movement.

  3.3 The whole of the safe landing area (SLA) should be adequately illuminated if intended for night use. In the past, owners and operators have sought to achieve compliance by providing deck level floodlights around the perimeter of the SLA and/or by mounting floodlights at an elevated location 'inboard' from the SLA, e.g. floodlights angled down from the top of a bridge or hangar. Experience has shown that floodlighting systems, even when properly aligned, can adversely effect the visual cueing environment by reducing the conspicuity of helicopter landing area perimeter lights during the approach, and by causing glare and loss of pilots' night vision during hover and landing. Furthermore, floodlighting systems often fail to provide adequate illumination of the centre of the landing area leading to the so-called 'black-hole effect'. It is essential therefore, that any floodlighting arrangements take full account of these problems.

  3.4 The floodlighting should be arranged so as not to dazzle the pilot and, if elevated and located off the landing area clear of the LOS, the system should not present a hazard to helicopters landing and taking off from the helicopter landing area. All floodlights should be capable of being switched on and off at the pilot's request. Setting up of lights should be undertaken with care to ensure that the issues of adequate illumination and glare are properly addressed and regularly checked. Adequate shielding of 'polluting' light sources can easily be achieved early on in the design stage, but can also be implemented on existing installations using simple measures. Temporary working lights which pollute the helicopter landing area lighting environment should be switched off during helicopter operations.

  3.5 It is important to confine the helicopter landing area lighting to the landing area, since any light overspill may cause reflections from the sea. The floodlighting controls should be accessible to, and controlled by, the officer(s) in charge of the landing area operations team(s) or Radio Operator.

  3.6 In seeking to develop an alternative system to conventional floodlighting, it has been demonstrated that arrays of segmented point source lighting (ASPSL) in the form of encapsulated strips of light emitting diodes (LEDs) can be used to illuminate the aiming circle and landing area identification marking ('H'). This arrangement has been found to provide the visual cues required by the pilot earlier on in the approach and more effectively than by using floodlighting, and without the disadvantages associated with floodlighting such as glare. Large Yacht owners are encouraged to consider appropriate systems in lieu of conventional floodlighting. A specification is available from the UK Aviation Inspection Body (see UK National Annex).

  3.7 The quoted intensity values for lights apply to the intensity of the light emitted from the unit when fitted with all necessary filters and shades (see also paragraph 4 below).

  3.8 The emergency power supply of the vessel should include the helicopter landing area lighting. Any failures or outages should be reported immediately to the helicopter pilot/operator. The lighting should be fed from an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) system capable of providing the required load for at least 15 minutes. This can be a stand alone supply or be an additional loading requirement for the vessel's emergency power supplies.