Heliport Design - Advisory Circular 150/5390-2D - Standards for planning, design and construction

Oct 23, 2026

Uploaded by Miles

This Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular (AC 150/5390-2D), dated 1/5/2023, sets forth recommended standards and guidance for planning, design, and construction of heliports serving single, tandem, or dual rotor helicopters. It cancels AC 150/5390-2C and explains when conformity is voluntary versus mandatory under specific federal grant and Passenger Facility Charge programs. The AC also describes applicability limits, related documents, principal reorganization, and references to figures, appendices, and feedback channels.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages156

Reading Time6 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose

Cancellation

Applicability

Related Documents

Principal Changes

Using this Document

Use of Metrics

Where to Find this AC

Feedback on this AC

Chapter 1. Introduction

Background

General

Facilities

Planning

Existing Heliports

Location

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular Subject: Heliport Design Date: 1/5/2023 Initiated By: AAS-100 AC No: 150/5390-2D Change: 1 Purpose. This advisory circular (AC) provides standards for the planning, design and construction of heliports serving helicopters with single, tandem (front and rear) or dual (side by side) rotors. 2 Cancellation. This AC cancels AC 150/5390-2C, Heliport Design, dated April 24, 2012. 3 Applicability. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends the standards and guidelines in this AC for uniformity in planning, design, and construction of heliports. This AC does not constitute a regulation, is not mandatory and is not legally binding in its own right. This AC will not be relied upon as a separate basis by the FAA for affirmative enforcement action or other administrative penalty. The standards and guidelines contained in this AC are practices the FAA recommends for establishing an acceptable level of safety, performance, and operation for heliports. Conformity with this AC is voluntary, except for the projects described in subparagraphs 1, 2, and 3 below: Use of these standards and guidelines is mandatory for projects funded under Federal grant assistance programs, including but not limited to the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport Grants program. See Grant Assurance \#34 . Heliport sponsors should familiarize themselves with the obligations and assurances that apply to each grant program from which they obtained grant funds. This AC is mandatory, as required by regulation, for projects funded by the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program. See PFC Assurance \#9 . This AC has no applicability under Title 14 Code of the Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 139 due to an exemption for heliport operators per § 139.1(c)(5) . Other federal agencies, states, or other authorities having jurisdiction over the construction of heliports not funded with AIP, CARES Act, or PFC funds have discretion in establishing the extent to which these standards apply. 4 Related Documents. ACs and Orders referenced in the text of this AC do not include a revision letter, as they refer to the latest version. See Appendix E for a list of associated publications. 5 Principal Changes. The AC incorporates the following principal changes: Complete reorganization of this AC: a. Consolidated Chapters 2, 3 and 4 (GENERAL AVIATION, TRANSPORT, and HOSPITAL heliport chapters, respectively) into Chapter 2. b. Consolidated Chapter 7 (Heliport Gradients and Pavement Design) into Chapter 2. c. Included a separate Chapter 3 on Heliport Taxiways, Taxi Routes, and Helicopter Parking. d. Included a separate Chapter 4 on Heliport Markings and Lighting. e. Included a separate Chapter 7 on Heliport Site Safety Elements. f. Added new Appendix B, Pre-designated Emergency Landing Areas (PELAs) . g. Incorporated Engineering Brief \#87, Heliport Perimeter Light for Visual Meteorological Conditions, into this AC to address specific heliport lighting requirements. Heliport lighting design requirements are included in Appendix G. Revised figures and tables to correspond with the design requirements and dimensions for GENERAL AVIATION, TRANSPORT, and HOSPITAL heliports. Enhanced the figures to include dimensional, layout, and offset requirements. Updated the format of the document and made minor editorial changes throughout. Included a heliport evaluation process flow chart in Appendix F. 6 Using this Document. Hyperlinks (allowing the reader to access documents located on the internet and to maneuver within this document) are provided throughout this document and are identified with underlined text. When navigating within this document, return to the previously viewed page by pressing the “ALT” and “ ←” keys simultaneously. Figures in this document are general

FAQs

What is the purpose of AC 150/5390-2D?

It provides standards for the planning, design, and construction of heliports serving helicopters with single, tandem, or dual rotors.

Does this advisory circular have legal force?

Generally, it is not mandatory or legally binding; the FAA recommends the standards and guidance as acceptable safety and performance practices. Certain federally funded projects and PFC-funded projects require compliance as described in the AC.

When does AC 150/5390-2D apply or not apply?

It recommends standards for uniformity in heliport planning, design, and construction, but it notes no applicability under Title 14 CFR Part 139 for exempt heliport operators per § 139.1(c)(5). Other authorities may decide how much to apply when not funded by specified programs.

Oct 23, 2026

Uploaded by Miles