roberttwt-ga:
Thank you for your Question regarding the types of different places
that helicopters can land at. I hope that the following Answer meets
your needs.
Summary:
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In the United States as well as in Canada, helicopters are generally
able to land anywhere that the pilot deems safe. The basic rule is
that the pilot must have or obtain the permission of the property
owner to permit the landing(otherwise this would be trespassing). Many
public facilities and institutional campuses have policies in place to
approve helicopter landings, to ensure that the landing will not
contravene local noise and public safety bylaws. When operating within
the area controlled by an airport's air traffic control center,
helicopters are subject to the specific flight directions of the air
traffic controller, and may only land where instructed. Helicopters
are also subject to the FAA flight restriction forbidding aircraft
operations within 3 nautical miles (and below 3000 feet above ground
level) of any major sporting event or other major gathering of people,
with some exceptions for law enforcement, military, and medical
purposes. Other than this, there are no restrictions on where
helicopters can land, so long as it is safe to land.
Details and Links:
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Many large campuses have enacted policies and guidelines to ensure
that helicopter landings are conducted safely. The primary concerns
are that the users of the campus are not unnecessarily disturbed by
the noise and movement restrictions required for the landing, and that
any security requirements on the ground can be prepared for. Some
examples of policies at American universities include:
James Madison University:
http://www.jmu.edu/safetyplan/aviation/approvinghelicopters.shtml
Oregon State University:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/security/helicopter.html
Helicopter pilots are trained to survey any potential landing area for
flight hazards before proceeding to land. This is most important when
the location is not normally used for helicopter landings. For an idea
of what they look for, refer to these guidelines prepared by the
National Inter-agency Fire Center:
http://www.nifc.gov/ihog/pdf/chapters/ch08.pdf
FAA rules governing air operations at an airport can be found at:
http://www2.faa.gov/arp/certification/index.cfm?ARPnav=cert
More specifically, the requirements for Helicopter Operations at an
airport are outlined here:
http://www1.faa.gov/atpubs/atc/Chp3/atc0311.html
Additional Links:
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FAA Guidance on Helicopter Noise Complaints:
http://www.aea200.ea.faa.gov/aea60/noise/helicopter.htm
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Search Strategy:
helicopter landing restrictions
://www.google.com/search?q=helicopter+landing+restrictions
If you require any clarification to this Answer, please let me know by
using the Request Clarification button.
Regards,
aht-ga |
Clarification of Answer by
aht-ga
on
24 Aug 2003 17:47 PDT
roberttwt-ga:
The FAA is not very clear on the definition of "major gathering of
people". For sporting events, they have stated that a "major sporting
event" is one that takes place at
"any stadium having a seating capacity of 30,000 or more in which a
Major League Baseball, National Football League, NCAA Division One
football, or major motor speedway event is occurring, unless under ATC
control for arrival/departure procedures at an airport adjacent to the
stadium. This restriction does not apply to Department of Defense, law
enforcement, or aeromedical flight operations that are in contact with
ATC."
- excerpt from http://www.iaam.org/Facility_manager/Pages/2002_Nov_Dec/LEGAL.HTM
However, for a "major gathering of people" such as a county fair, the
rule of thumb being used is 10,000 people. Pilots can apply to the
local office of the FAA for a waiver to this restriction to allow them
to operate within the restricted area of such an event, should the
need arise.
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