Heliport

A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars. In larger towns and cities, customs facilities may be available at a heliport.

The early advocates of helicopters hoped that heliports would become widespread, but they have become contentious in urban areas due to the unpleasant noise caused by helicopter traffic.

Purpose

In a large metropolis, a heliport can serve passengers needing to quickly move within the city or to outlying regions. Generally heliports can be situated closer to a town or city centre than an airport for fixed-wing aircraft. The advantage in flying by helicopter to a destination or even to the city's main airport is that travel can be much faster than driving. As an example, the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City provides scheduled service to John F. Kennedy International Airport and is used to move wealthy persons and important goods quickly to destinations as far away as Maryland.

London Heliport

London Heliport (ICAO: EGLW), previously called Battersea Heliport and currently officially known as the Barclays London Heliport for sponsorship reasons, is London's only licensed heliport. The facility, which was built by W. & C. French and opened in 1959, is located in Battersea on the south bank of the River Thames, 3 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) southwest of Westminster Bridge and between Wandsworth Bridge and Battersea Railway Bridge.

The heliport, once owned by Westland and then Harrods, is a very small site, making use of a jetty to provide a helipad for take-off and landing, and onshore parking for three to four aircraft, depending upon their size. The heliport provides landing, parking and refuelling services between 08:00 and 21:00 (flights are permitted between 07:00 and 23:00), albeit parking is normally restricted to smaller helicopter categories.

Flight conditions and procedures at the heliport prescribe a circuit height 1,000 ft (305 m) above the Thames, in an extended figure-of-eight over the water, to seek to minimise noise pollution for residents in the area and to constrain flight operations to over the river, away from the built-up area. Ground running of rotors is restricted to a maximum of five minutes for the same reason.

Seal Cove

Seal Cove may refer to: