Definition
An area of land, water, or structure used or intended to be used for the landing and takeoff of helicopters, including any associated buildings and facilities.
Plain English
A place built for helicopters to land and take off. It can be on the ground, on water, or on top of a building, and may include hangars, fueling, and other support facilities.
Context Anchor
Seen on charts, flight planning information, airport and heliport directories, and local procedures for helicopter operations.
Derivation
Formed from 'helicopter' + '-port,' on the same pattern as 'airport' and 'seaport.' The '-port' ending comes from Latin 'portus,' meaning a harbor or place of arrival and departure. So a heliport is simply the helicopter equivalent of an airport.
Why Pilots Care
Helicopter pilots must identify heliports to select appropriate landing sites, follow specific markings and procedures, and account for limited facilities that differ from full airports.
Example Sentence 1
The medevac helicopter departed the hospital heliport and headed for the trauma center.
Example Sentence 2
The sectional chart showed a private heliport with fuel services located near the river.