Page 11 - Helicopter Safety

Petroleum Extension-The University of Texas at Austin
Safety on the

Offshore Helideck

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ffshore helidecks, heliports, or helipads are designed to pro-
Ovide maximum efficiency and safety for the type and number
of helicopters using the facility. The American National Standards
Institute states that a heliport is similar to an airport because it has
runways, taxiways, and an apron or the area designated for loading
and unloading passengers and cargo. A helipad is the touchdown and
liftoff point of the heliport or can be a stand-alone area of operation.
A helideck is the most commonly used term for the landing site on
an offshore drilling rig or platform (fig. 45). In the North Sea, some
offshore standards refer to a helideck for offshore rigs and heliport
for drillships.

Figure 45. The helicopter landing area
on a helideck—offshore Mexico. (Photo
by Jérome Deulin, Eurocopter)

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