London Heliport

London Heliport
IATA: none – ICAO: EGLW
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Reuben Brothers
Operator	The London Airport Ltd.
Location	London, United Kingdom
Elevation AMSL	18 ft / 5 m
Coordinates	51°28′12″N 000°10′46″W / 51.47000°N 0.17944°WCoordinates: 51°28′12″N 000°10′46″W / 51.47000°N 0.17944°W
Website	www.londonheliport.co.uk
Map
EGLW Location in Greater London
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 02/20 38 × 16 125 × 52 Concrete
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]

London Heliport (ICAO: EGLW), previously called Battersea Heliport and currently officially known as the Barclays London Heliport for sponsorship reasons, is London's only licensed heliport. The facility, which was built by W. & C. French and opened in 1959,^[2] is located in Battersea on the south bank of the River Thames, 3 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) southwest of Westminster Bridge and between Wandsworth Bridge and Battersea Railway Bridge.^[1]

The heliport, once owned by Westland and then Harrods, is a very small site, making use of a jetty to provide a helipad for take-off and landing, and onshore parking for three to four aircraft, depending upon their size. The heliport provides landing, parking and refuelling services between 08:00 and 21:00 (flights are permitted between 07:00 and 23:00), albeit parking is normally restricted to smaller helicopter categories.^[3]

A Sikorsky S-76 landing at London Heliport. Battersea Railway Bridge is seen in the background.

Flight conditions and procedures at the heliport prescribe a circuit height 1,000 ft (305 m) above the Thames, in an extended figure-of-eight over the water, to seek to minimise noise pollution for residents in the area and to constrain flight operations to over the river, away from the built-up area. Ground running of rotors is restricted to a maximum of five minutes for the same reason.^[4]

In December 2003, London Heliport was acquired by Weston Homes.^[5]

Since May 2011, the heliport is known as the Barclays London Heliport, after Barclays bank signed a branding deal with the owner. In February 2012 the heliport was acquired by Reuben Brothers, which owns London Oxford Airport,^[6] for £35 million.

The nearest mainline railway station is Clapham Junction, and the nearest Underground station is Fulham Broadway.

Accidents and incidents

On 16 January 2013 a helicopter diverting to London Heliport in adverse weather collided with a construction crane and then crashed into the street, killing the pilot and one person on the ground. This was the first fatal helicopter crash anywhere near the heliport since records began in 1976.^[7]

London Heliport has a fully licensed rescue and firefighting service who are on duty for all aircraft movements at the port as well as providing an emergency response to any helicopter incident within the London area. The Heliports Fire Service also conducts regular training alongside their colleagues in the London Fire Brigade and RNLI and offer training in helicopter emergencies to any emergency service.^[8]

References

1. "London Heliport - EGLW". NATS (Services) Limited. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
2. "Westland Heliport Opening" (PDF). British Universities Film and Video Council. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
3. "Fees and charges" (PDF). London Heliport. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
4. "Conditions of use" (PDF). London Heliport. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
5. "Rosier Future for London Heliport?". AIN on line. 31 January 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
6. "Reuben Brothers buy London Heliport in Battersea". BBC News. 23 February 2012.
7. "London helicopter crash: Two die in Vauxhall crane accident". BBC. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
8. "London helicopter crash: What are the rules for pilots?". BBC News (BBC). 16 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.

External links

• London Heliport website
• EGLW on Helipaddy