Welcome

Helideck Lighting Systems to

meet CAP437 7th Edition
(SAPC IADC Feb 2016)

Daniel Powell
Business Manager – Helideck
Orga BV
E-mail: d.powell@orga.nl
 Content

• History of CAP437 lighting review and up-date

• Visual (lighting) approach cues for pilots

• Helideck perimeter lights

• Lit Touchdown/Positioning Marking and Lit Heliport Identification Marking

(Circle-H system)

• Visual warning system (Status/Wave-off Light system)

• Illuminated Windsock

• Helideck floodlights

• Aeronautical Obstruction Lights

• Conclusions
 History of CAP437 lighting review and up-date

• Initial study started in 1995 aimed at identifying ways of improving the

lighting of offshore helidecks.

• AAIB Report No: 5/1998. Report on the incident to Sikorsky S-76A, G-BHYB
near Fulmar A Oil Platform in the North Sea, 9 December 1997

• AAIB Report No: 7/2008. Report on the accident to Aerospatiale SA365N,

registration G-BLUN, near the North Morecambe gas platform, Morecambe bay
on 27 December 2006

• AAIB Report No: 1/2011. Report on the accident to Eurocopter EC225 LP

Super Puma, G-REDU, near Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) Central
Production Facility platform in the North Sea on 18 February 2009.

• Independent offshore helicopter pilots opinion survey (Paper 97009)

identified 3 problem areas:

• The location of the helideck on the platform is often difficult to establish due to
the lack of conspicuity of the perimeter lights.

• Helideck floodlighting systems frequently present a source of glare and loss of

pilots’ night vision on deck, and further reduce the conspicuity of helideck
perimeter lights during approach.

• The performance of most helideck floodlighting systems in illuminating the

central landing area in inadequate, leading to the so called ‘black hole’ effect.
 History of CAP437 lighting review and up-date

• Dedicated series of 3 trials conducted in UK during 1998-2004 concluding

in a new Helideck Lighting Scheme

• Additional trials 2006-2012 to define Circle-H specification.

• Green perimeter lighting located

around the edge of the helideck
– adopted by CAP437 and ICAO
Annex 14 Vol. II as the minimum
international standard effective
from January 2009.

• A lit yellow Touchdown/Positioning

marking circle superimposed on the
current yellow painted marking
– adopted into CAP437 7th Edition,
Amendment 01/2013.

• A lit green Heliport Identification

marking superimposed on the white
painted ‘H’ – adopted into CAP437
7th Edition, Amendment 01/2013.
 Visual (lighting) approach cues for pilots

• Helideck perimeter lights should be visible at a minimum range of 2Nm

from the helideck.

• The Touchdown / Positioning Marking Circle and the Heliport Identification

marking (H) gives the pilot accurate cueing and positioning information
during approach to the helideck.

• Touchdown / Positioning Marking Circle should be visible at a minimum range

of 0.5Nm from the helideck.

• Heliport Identification Marking (H) should be visible at a minimum range of

0.25Nm from the helideck.
 Helideck perimeter lights

Requirements of helideck perimeter lights to meet CAP437 regulations.

• 30 candela Green with intensity as specified in CAP437.

• Height max. 25cm above deck surface

• Fitted on the boundary line of the landing area with a max. of 3m distance
between each light.

• Available as both a standard and recessed version for helicopter movement to

parking areas.
 TD/PM Circle-H helideck lighting system

New CAP437 (Feb 2013)

helideck lighting design
• Perimeter lights
• TD/PM circle and lit
heliport identification
‘H’(Circle-H)

Old style helideck lighting

design
• Perimeter lights
• 4x Xenon floodlights
 TD/PM Circle-H helideck lighting system
Touchdown /Positioning Marking Circle Lighting.

• Yellow light segments less than 25mm in height

• It should comprise one or more concentric circles each of at least 16 discrete
lighting segments; a single circle should be positioned at the mean radius of
the painted circle.
• The lighting segments should be of such a length as to provide coverage of
between 50% and 75% of the circumference, and be equidistantly placed with
the gaps between them not less than 0.5m.

Heliport Identification Marking (H).

• Green light segments less than 25mm in height

• Outline lit ‘H’ diameters 4m x 3m
 TD/PM Circle-H helideck lighting system

Key installation method decision points

•Low profile design (<25mm) allows direct mounting on helideck

•Integrated anti-slip design and robust cable connection protection

•Flexible solution allows mounting on all deck types, and is suitable for uneven and
distorted decks (weld lines etc.).

•Installation methodology should require minimal deck preparation so as not to disrupt

flights to an operational deck and for deck to accept flights at short notice (30 minute
medical evacuation window).

•No impact to deck structure, use of non-penetration fixing onto steel deck, variable
fixing position onto aluminium with no impact onto structural supports beams or seams.

•Fixing methodology calculated by third party engineering specialist (KCI BV) and
accredited by major inspection houses (DNV LR & ABS).

•Drainage channels within design to prevent pooling.

•Helideck Netting – Following the field trials the CAA (UK) have confirmed that the
lighting system and netting can have an overall height maximum of 50mm (25mm
maximum for each) and the helideck will still be in compliance with CAP437 (will be
confirmed in Edition 8, Mid 2016).
 Centrica CPC-1 Platform

• Completion of CAA trial and installation for first production version of

Circle-H system on the Centrica CPC-1 platform in the Irish Sea in Oct
2012
• Over 15,000 flights have now taken place; from October 2012

• Orga have received approx. 150 orders for Circle-H systems globally
since January 2014.

• Approx. 50 installations now completed (Approx. 50% Aluminum &

50% Steel decks.
 Visual warning system
(Status/Wave-off Light system)

Visual warning system for helicopters, automatically initiated at the

appropriate hazard level (e.g. impending gas release) as well as being
capable of manual activation by the HLO.

CAA Paper 2008/01 provides a specification for a status light system which
is summarised below:

• Status light system should be visible from all approach directions, i.e. 360° in
azimuth.

• The effective intensity should be a minimum of 700 cd between 2° and 10°

above the horizontal and at least 176 cd at all other angles of elevation.

• Manual dimming to an intensity not exceeding 60 cd while the helicopter is

landed on the helideck, if the system is active.

• The colour of the status light(s) should be red as defined in ICAO Annex 14
Volume 1 Appendix 1.

• The light system should flash at a rate of 120 flashes (2hz) per minute.

• The light system should be automatically integrated with platform safety

systems.

• Facilities should be provided for the HLO to manually switch on the system
and/or override automatic activation of the system.
 Visual warning system
(Status/Wave-off Light system)

Status Light Control

Typical helideck status/wave-off light
Panel
system layout. - Activation by alarm
contact
- Dimming local/remote
 Illuminated Windsock

A wind direction indicator (windsock) should be provided and located so as

to indicate the free stream wind conditions at the installation/vessel
location.

• Mounted as close to the helideck as possible

• The windsock should be illuminated for night operations.

• Internally illuminated LED floodlight to prevent glare to pilot.

• Provides wind-speed and direction indication to pilots during landing and take-
off.

• Optional LED AOL of 10cd.

 Helideck Floodlighting

Helideck floodlights can be retained to for the purpose of providing a light

source of illumination for on-going deck operations such as refuelling and
passenger handling.

Unless otherwise instructed by the aircrew the floodlights should be

switched off during the acquisition, approach to hover, landing and take-off
phases.

• No longer required for aviation (pilot) purposes, however used to illuminated

the helideck during personnel movement and maintenance.

• Manual activation only by HLO on the request of the pilot.

• Less than 250mm in height to be mounted directly on the helideck.

 Aeronautical Obstruction Lighting

Omni-directional low intensity steady red obstruction light mounted at the

highest points of the asset (typically jack-up legs and derrick)

• 200cd aeronautical obstruction light to meet CAP437 requirements for marking

of the highest point on a structure.

• Must be visible from 360° to pilot during approach.

• Available as solar power stand alone skids for jack-up legs.

Omnidirectional low intensity steady red obstruction lights should be fitted

at suitable locations to provide the helicopter pilot with visual information
on the proximity and height of objects which are higher than the landing
area and which are close to it or to the LOS boundary.

• 10cd aeronautical obstruction light to meet CAP437

• Mounted every 10m down objects until level with helideck

• Must be visible from 360° to pilot during approach.

 Conclusions

• Visual awareness of the helideck has been greatly improved due to the
new green perimeter lighting

• Circle ‘H’ lighting system has eliminated the so called ‘black-hole’ effect
allowing for significantly increase acquisition and cueing of the helideck
by pilots

• Helideck floodlighting has been replaced with the Circle ‘H’ lighting
system so removing the issue of glare faced by pilots!

• Helideck status light system has been specified to allow for greater visual
awareness during activation

• Edition 8 of CAP437 will be launched by the UK CAA in the middle of

2016. There will be no changes to the requirements for helideck lighting.

• Orga BV are able to offer a full product range to meet the demands of
CAP437.
Orga Helideck lighting products
 Thank you for your attention

ORGA BV
Strickledeweg 13
Schiedam
The Netherlands

T +31 10 208 5555

info@orga.nl
www.orga.nl