HELICOPTERS
Do I need any specialist fire- fighting equipment?
Once my helideck is certified, can I land any helicopter on my superyacht?
The use of helicopters on superyachts is becoming a common means of allowing guests to join at their convenience, and is also invaluable in an emergency. It is therefore important to consider at an early stage in the design process, whether a helideck should be incorporated on the superyacht. With regard to commercial superyachts, ‘touch and go’ helidecks also have to fully comply with legislation. Touch and go helidecks which do not comply are illegal.
• No. The HLAC will indicate the maximum size of helicopter in terms of ‘D’ value and the maximum take-off weight of the heaviest helicopter in terms of ‘T’ value for the helideck. You will not be able to land anything larger or heavier.
• Regardless of whether the helicopter is stored on deck, the helideck structure should be adequate to protect the
superyacht from fire hazards associated with helicopter operations. Fire-fighting equipment should be provided in close proximity to the helideck (near the access point for the helideck) and crew should also be trained in fire-fighting techniques.
Do the captain and crew need additional training?
Helicopters and temporary importation relief
Does the helideck need to comply with any regulations?
How much space will I need for a helideck?
• In accordance with LY3 or PYC, the person in charge of each helicopter landing area operations team should be in possession of an Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) and an Approved Helicopter Landing Officer (HLO) certificate, or a flag-state approved equivalent, while under REG-Y the HLO should be trained by an “appropriate training provider”, and other crew assisting with the helicopter landing area should be trained and certified as Helideck Landing Assistants. All crew should undergo familiarisation training regarding helicopter operations. Don’t be tempted to allow an unqualified person to fly or assist in the landing of the helicopter.
• The helicopter landing area should be designed for the largest helicopter which it is intended to use. It should be large enough to contain a circle of diameter ‘D’ equal to the largest dimension of the helicopter when the rotors are turning. The ‘D’ circle should be totally unobstructed. • This does not have to mean that the entire deck will be devoted to the helideck as the out-board edges of the landing area may be engineered to retract or fold to a closed position when the landing area is not in use, providing the overall safe landing area.
• Do not assume that a superyacht’s 18 month relief extends to helicopters kept on board in the EU. The relief for helicopters is only six months.
• Commercial superyachts seeking compliance with Large Yacht Code (LY3) or Passenger Yacht Code (PYC) require a Helicopter Landing Area Certificate (HLAC) or, from 1 January 2019, the Red Ensign Group Yacht Code (REG-Y) to be issued by an aviation inspection body recognised by the relevant flag. • While a pleasure superyacht does not need to comply with the aforementioned codes, many owners will build their helideck so that it does comply to maximise the superyacht’s resale value, as it potentially allows a future owner to register it as a commercial superyacht, and may make it more attractive to the charter market.
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