Home / Night landings / Portable lights
The kinds that exist, what the official documents say about them, and the honest answer on whether any are "approved".
We found none. We read the CAA documents that bear on helicopter sites (CAP 3043, CAP 2543, CAP 1264, CAP 168 and CAP 437) and the CAA regulatory library text for the relevant operating rules. None of them lists, certifies or approves any portable light for a private helicopter site. Read in the source We could not read ICAO Annex 14 Volume II or Doc 9261, and did not find anything on portable lights in what we did read. Verify
Because of that, this page does not recommend products, name brands or link to shops. What the documents do say is below.
The list below is our own plain description of the product categories. It is not from an official document.
| Kind | What it does | Things to think about |
|---|---|---|
| Battery or solar perimeter markers | Small lights set round the edge of the landing area | Steady green is the colour used in the CAA hospital and offshore schemes; height and spacing figures there (25 cm, 3 m) are references, not rules for private sites. Secure against downwash. Check the battery lasts the whole night. |
| Lanterns and light bars | Brighter lamps, or a row of lights, to show a line or a corner | Check they do not shine into the pilot’s eyes on the approach. |
| Strobes and flashing units | Make a spot easy to find from a distance | Flashing signals mean things in the official schemes (a flashing red light means do not land offshore). Ask the operator before using them. |
| Hand lights and marshalling wands | A person guides the pilot | The person needs to stand clear of the downwash and the landing area, and to be briefed. |
| Vehicle lights | Headlamps pointed at an area, or at an obstacle | Glare is the risk. Official hospital and offshore guidance says to keep dazzle away from the pilot. |
| Tower or tripod floodlights | Light a large area, or light up a tree or building | The CAA says floodlights are a poor primary cue and can dazzle; switch off on request. |
We found none. We read CAP 3043, CAP 2543, CAP 1264, CAP 168 and CAP 437 and none lists or approves portable lights for private helicopter sites. The Air Navigation Order sets the purpose; the operator and the CAA judge whether lighting is adequate.
CAP 3043 (1.8) says many operators use portable lighting systems so the pilot can see the aiming point of the landing area and the obstructions, so the idea is recognised. Whether a given set of lights is enough is for the operator and pilot to decide.
Flashing lights carry meaning in the official schemes: in the offshore standard a flashing red light means do not land. Avoid flashing red at a private site, and ask the operator what pattern it prefers.
Downwash blows loose items about. CAP 3043 tells the pilot to check for loose articles and blown debris, so a light needs to be heavy, low and secured, and the guidance for fixed lights warns about raised fittings that could snag skids.
Where a line is tagged Verify we could not read the primary text, or the source does not state it. Treat it as unconfirmed until you have checked.
