Final Approach & Take Off Light | FATO | ZA293L

A heliport can consist of several application to aid the safe landing and take-off of aircraft.

One of the applications is a final approach and take off area (FATO) which surrounds the Touchdown and Lift-Off (TLOF) zone. The relationship in design between the FATO to the TLOF and the Safety Area can be found in several FAA / CAA publications.

The size of a FATO is dependent on the type of helicopter that will use the pad. Commonly, the FATO should be square or rectangular in shape and the minimum length of which should be the rotor diameter multiplied by a factor of 2 but suggested not to be less than 60 meters.

From a lighting perspective, white lights should be used to define the FATO edge, with a minimum of 4 light fixtures per side of the square or rectangle, with a light being installed at each corner of the FATO area. The lights along each edge should be uniformly spaced but the distance between each fixture should next exceed 50 meters. The light fixtures used to illuminate the edge can be either of the inset or elevated type.

Where a circular FATO is required to be defined, a minimum of ten lights at intervals of not more than 5 meters should be used. The height of these lights should not exceed 25 centimetres above the surface. Consideration for the use of inset fixture is needed if helicopter operations could be endangered by the use of the elevated.

The ZA293 or ZA293(L) inset fixture is designed to be used for this application.  The fixture can be powered by the use of a constant current regulator, CCR, the same type used for airfield lighting. However, it is more common to see helipads powered by 230/120 volts AC. This option simplifies and the supply voltage required is available from the local power infrastructure. Should there be a requirement for the fixtures to be powered from a 24vDC supply this option is available upon request.

The ZA293 uses a tungsten halogen lamp to provide the minimum 100 candela light output that is required. Alternatively, the ZA293(L) uses an internal electronics package which provides a regulated supply to light emitting diodes (LEDs).