A Federal Aviation Administration reviewed landing zone is desirable at hospitals that frequently use Survival Flight. At other sites, including accident scenes, certain rules should be observed for safe operations.
Requirements
- Landing zone (LZ) area must be obstacle free; this includes wires, trees, signs, debris, stumps and trash.
- The LZ should be 100 feet X 100 feet and as flat as possible.
- The LZ should be marked with flares or lights. Keep lights shining downward to avoid blinding the pilots. Weighted cones are acceptable for daytime operations.
- Notify Survival Flight communications by phone, and the flight crew via the 800 MHz radio of any obstructions on or near the LZ.
- At least one individual on scene should monitor the aircraft during takeoff and landing, that individual should have a radio to communicate with the aircraft during these critical phases of flight.
- Keep the entire area clear of people and vehicles.
- All persons should stay away from the aircraft until told to approach by the pilot or crew.
- Landing zone acceptance or general LZ suitability is at the discretion of the pilot. Landing of multiple aircraft requires additional 100’ X 100’ LZs for each additional helicopter. Simultaneous operations of multiple aircraft will only be performed when the pilot of the landing aircraft is able to communicate his intentions with other pilots using the LZ.
- Survival Flight reserves the right to deny transport of patients deemed by the Incident Commander as a Hazardous Materials Incident or a scene involving a reportable quantity of hazardous materials release.
Regional Landing Zone Classes
We provide regional landing zone classes designed to maximize safety during scene operations for fire, police and EMS agencies. For more information, please visit the Outreach and Education page.