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Helicopter Operations
Helicopter Operations is the equipment that lets an offshore rig or vessel receive helicopters. It spans four groups: the helideck structure with its lighting and motion monitoring, the foam system that protects the landing area, the Jet A-1 refuelling package, and the aeronautical radio and beacons used to talk to the aircraft.
Every item is sized against the largest helicopter the deck will take and checked against CAP 437 and ICAO Annex 14 Volume II.
Four systems around one landing area
An offshore helideck only works when its structure, fire protection, fuel and radio are designed together. Each piece has its own standard and its own inspection regime, and a used item has to fit the other three.
| Sub-Category | What it does | Main design driver |
|---|---|---|
| Helideck systems | Landing surface, lighting, motion data | D-value, t-value, deck motion |
| Helideck foam systems | Fire cover for the landing area | D-value circle, foam performance level |
| Helicopter refuelling systems | Store, filter and deliver Jet A-1 | Fuel quality, tank certification |
| Aviation radio systems | Air-ground voice, beacons, weather reports | Licence and frequency at the location |
The deck, lighting, nets and helideck monitoring systems are in helideck systems. Monitors, deck-integrated nozzles and foam skids are in helideck foam systems. Transit tanks, pump skids and filter vessels are in helicopter refueling systems. Aeronautical VHF sets and non-directional beacons (NDBs) are in aviation radio systems.
The design helicopter sets the numbers
CAP 437 defines two values for the largest helicopter a deck accepts. The D-value is its overall length with rotors turning. The t-value is its maximum take-off mass in tonnes.
- Deck size and the obstacle-free sectors follow from D. CAP 437 keeps a 210 degree obstacle-free sector and a 150 degree limited obstacle sector around the landing area.
- Structural design, including the support steel, follows from t.
- The foam rate is calculated over a circle of diameter D.
- The perimeter lights mark the edge of the final approach and take-off area.
- The refuelling hose must reach the aircraft's fuel point when it sits on the touchdown marking.
Get the D-value and t-value from your helicopter contractor before you look at any used item. A deck, foam skid or lighting set certified for a smaller aircraft will not carry over to a larger one.
Standards across the group
- ICAO Annex 14 Volume II (Heliports) sets the international standards and recommended practices for helidecks.
- CAP 437, "Standards for offshore helicopter landing areas", is the UK Civil Aviation Authority's document. It governs the UK continental shelf, and many helicopter contractors apply it worldwide.
- In the UK, the Helideck Certification Agency (HCA) inspects helidecks and issues the certificate that lets flights start.
- Class societies add helideck notations for mobile units and vessels, such as DNV's HELDK.
- The IMO MODU Code has a chapter on helicopter facilities for mobile offshore drilling units.
- Fuel systems follow the Energy Institute (EI) 1500-series standards for filtration, hoses and vessels.
- Electrical items near the deck or fuel system follow IEC 60079 for hazardous areas, marked ATEX or IECEx.
Integration questions that cut across the group
- Fire water. A foam system needs a fire pump with enough flow and pressure at the helideck elevation, plus a second source if the first fails.
- Power. Helideck lighting, the HMS and aeronautical radio should run from a UPS so they keep working through a main power loss. For the lighting, CAP 437 recommends at least 30 minutes of UPS time.
- Hazardous areas. The fuel package creates its own zone, and the lighting and radio equipment near it must be rated for that zone.
- Motion data. On a floating unit, the helideck monitoring system takes input from a motion reference unit and feeds the radio operator's reports to the pilot.
- Drainage. The deck must drain burning fuel away from the landing area without sending it to the fuel tanks below.
Sourcing used helicopter equipment
Three rule changes catch out older equipment.
- Floodlight-only lighting. The lit touchdown and positioning circle and H have been required for night flights on the UK continental shelf since 1 April 2018.
- Fuel filtration. JIG standards dropped filter monitor elements from 1 July 2023 and the EI withdrew EI 1583. CAP 437 now makes a filter water separator to EI 1581 the primary filtration, and new systems should not use combined three-stage vessels.
- Motion monitoring. On the UK continental shelf, CAP 437 has required an HMS to Rev. 9 or later of the HCA standard since 1 April 2021, and to Rev. 9c from 1 October 2025. Elsewhere, ask your helicopter contractor which revision they accept.
Unused surplus from cancelled newbuilds often meets a recent edition, but still check its dates. Whatever you buy, the reinstalled system needs a helideck inspection and a new certificate before the first landing. Naventr can arrange an independent inspection of a used item on request before you commit.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does CAP 437 apply outside UK waters?
CAP 437 is legally tied to the UK continental shelf, but many helicopter contractors apply it worldwide. Outside the UK, the national aviation authority's rules and ICAO Annex 14 Volume II govern, and your helicopter contractor's own standards often call up CAP 437 on top. Ask the contractor which edition they audit against before you specify used equipment.
What do D-value and t-value mean on a helideck?
The D-value is the helicopter's overall length with rotors turning, and the t-value is its maximum take-off mass in tonnes. A helideck is certified for a D-value and t-value. Deck size, structure, foam rate and lighting layout all follow from them, so match every used item to the largest helicopter that will land.
Can a used helideck system be installed on a different rig or vessel?
Yes, if it is re-engineered and re-inspected for the new location. The structure, foam rate, lighting layout and fuel system must suit the new D-value, obstacle sectors, hazardous zones and power supply. The receiving unit then needs a helideck inspection and certificate, from HCA in UK waters, before flights start.
Which used helicopter equipment most often fails current rules?
Lighting, fuel filtration and motion monitoring are the usual failures. Floodlight-only decks lack the lit touchdown circle and H needed for UK night flights since April 2018. Systems built around EI 1583 monitor elements need reworking to a filter water separator to EI 1581. A helideck monitoring system older than Rev. 9 of the HCA standard no longer meets UK rules.
What certificate does a helideck need before the first landing?
A helideck needs a current certificate from the body your helicopter contractor recognises, which is HCA on the UK continental shelf. The inspection covers the structure, markings, lighting, friction, fire-fighting equipment, refuelling and radio. A mobile unit may also need its class society's helideck notation and flag state approval.
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