Thu, Aug 18, 2005
First Heliport In Netherlands
OK, let's play word association: Holland. Airfoils. Rotating.
Got it?
If you guessed "windmills," you're not exactly wrong, because
the Dutch are proud to have been using alternative power since
before it was "alternative," but since this is Aero-News, you know
we have to be talking about rotorcraft.
The first Dutch Heliport opened August 3rd in Amsterdam. It
features quick access to ground transport, a VIP passenger lounge,
and offers Jet A1 fuel and limited parking and overnight hangarage
for transient helicopters.
As the image (courtesy Amsterdam Heliport) shows, it's clean and
tidy in stereotypical Dutch fashion. If you've ever been
sandblasted by rotor wash in an untidy helicopter landing zone, you
know why this is a good thing.
Where did Dutch helicopters land before there were heliports?
Well, like anybody else's, they used private property, with the
owner's permission, or public-access airports. Using airports,
though, eliminates one of the greatest advantages of the
helicopter: its ability to land closer to the ultimate destination
than a runway-dependent airplane.
The Amsterdam Heliport should be welcome indeed to executives
traveling into the city; unlike Schipol, the principal commercial
airport in Amsterdam, the Heliport is only ten minutes from the
city's financial center. It is also a welcome facility for medical
evacuation helicopters; the first copter to land at the new
facility was indeed an EMS aircraft (see photo).
The heliport is ICAO-compliant, and will appear on future
charts. Meanwhile you can waypoint it at N 52� 24.88' E
004� 48.29'.
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