How is heliport lighting inspected and maintained?
Walk the site, check every group of lights, fix what is found, confirm the fix and record it.
Heliport lights protect pilots only while they work, so they are inspected on a planned schedule. A walk of the site checks each group in turn: the FATO and TLOF lights, the floodlights, the lit windsock, the obstacle lights, and the power and control behind them. Frequent visual checks catch dark, dirty or knocked lights quickly. Deeper periodic checks cover alignment, mounting, cables, earthing and electrical condition, including insulation resistance and earth resistance tests.
Maintenance follows the findings: clean, realign, replace and repair, then confirm the fix and record it. Floodlights are checked for glare, pilot-controlled lighting is tested to confirm it switches on and steps correctly, and standby power is tried. After a storm, a lightning strike or any repair, the affected group is checked again. A light that cannot be restored at once is reported as unserviceable so pilots can be warned.
Finds the fault. Look, measure and record.
Fixes it. Clean, realign, replace, then confirm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is heliport lighting inspection and maintenance?
A planned routine of checking the heliport's lights and their power and controls, then fixing what is found. Inspection finds faults by looking, measuring and recording. Maintenance clears them by cleaning, realigning, replacing and repairing, and then confirms the fix.
Q2What is checked on a routine walk of the site?
Each group in turn: the FATO and TLOF lights, the floodlights, the lit windsock, the obstacle lights, and the power and control behind them. For each, the check covers whether it is lit, clean, aimed and mounted correctly, and whether any light is dark, dim or damaged.
Q3How does it differ from maintaining airport AGL?
The principles are the same, but a heliport system is usually smaller, may be on a rooftop or elevated platform where access and fall protection matter, and often includes pilot-controlled lighting that must be tested. Some sites rely on standby or battery supplies that need their own checks.
Q4How often are heliport lights checked?
The operator's maintenance programme and the regulator set it, usually as frequent visual checks with deeper periodic checks, plus a check after a storm, a lightning strike or any repair. Confirm the intervals against the rules in force for the site.
Q5What happens when a light fails?
It is repaired or replaced and the fix is confirmed and recorded. If it cannot be restored promptly, it is reported as unserviceable so pilots can be warned, and the report is cleared once the light is working again.
Q6Which standards and references apply?
ICAO Annex 14 Volume II sets the heliport lighting requirements, and the ICAO Heliport Manual (Doc 9261) gives practical guidance. National heliport rules and the manufacturer's maintenance data add detail, including any NVG settings. Confirm against the standard in force.
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