Editing Heliport (section)

==Lighting==
To conduct night-time operations, a heliport must have lighting installed that meets specific aeronautical standards.  Heliport perimeter lights are generally installed around the TLOF area, and may be flush mounted on the TLOF itself, or mounted just off the TLOF perimeter on short metal or concrete extensions.<ref name="TC"/>

One alternative to lighting the TLOF if certain criteria are met, is to light the area of the FATO instead.  Some locations, due to environmental conditions, illuminate the TLOF and FATO.  Lighting should never constitute an obstruction that a helicopter may impact, and for this reason, in the U.S., heliport lighting is not allowed to extend above the TLOF or FATO more than {{Convert|2|in|abbr=off}}.  Current standards recommend that all perimeter lighting be green.  Prior standards recommended amber lighting for perimeter lights; however this wavelength has been shown to interfere with [[night vision goggle]] (NVG) operations, when used with older incandescent lighting.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

In the past, lighting has been traditionally [[incandescent]], but increasingly, [[light-emitting diode]]s (LEDs) are being incorporated, due to lower power requirements and increased life.  While flood lights may be used to enhance surface operations, they should not interfere with [[flight crew]] night vision, and should be kept off during flight operations, and only used when conducting ground movement operations.  To conduct night operations, a lighted [[wind cone]] is also required.  At ground-based heliports, [[lead-in lights]] may be incorporated to identify the preferred approach / departure direction.  Visual slope [[guidance system]]s (such as HAPI, PAPI, etc.) are recommended options in both ICAO and FAA documents.  While airports commonly use 6.6A [[direct current]] power,{{Citation needed|date=January 2015}} heliport lighting is normally [[AC power]]ed.  [[Pilot Controlled Lighting|Radio control of the lighting by the pilot via an automated ground-based controller]] is also common.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}