New South Wales Ambulance reveals what the helipad symbols actually mean
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Paramedics reveal what ‘secret codes’ and markings on a hospital helipad really mean: ‘This is fascinating’
- The NSW Ambulance shared the meaning of the symbols
- Supporters of the service were very interested in the decryption.
The little-known meaning behind the hidden codes and markings on a hospital helipad has been revealed.
The NSW Ambulance decrypted the encryption, which is normally understood only by helicopter pilots, after continued requests from supporters.
The symbols tell pilots how much weight the helipad can hold, the flight path, where and which way to take off and land, and the location of hospital equipment that could disrupt the helicopter’s magnetic compass.
The real meaning behind the hidden codes and markings on a hospital helipad has been revealed (pictured)
Are you losing sleep night after night thinking about all those marks on the hospital helipads? The ambulance service wrote.
They revealed that the big red H is on a 9m x 9m white cross or square and always faces north to help helicopters land.
The name of the hospital and its aviation code identifier are always painted in white and also face north.
At the bottom right of the H, the top number refers to the maximum takeoff weight limit and the bottom number is the maximum width diameter of the helicopter’s main rotor.
The NSW Ambulance decoded the encryption, which is normally only understood by helicopter pilots and paramedics.
The helipad also reveals the maximum weight and width it can support; for example, a mark of 6.8 out of 14 means that the maximum weight of helicopters using the platform must be 6,800 kg and their rotors must not be more than 14 m wide.
One NSW Ambulance feature revealed that interested many people is that MRI machines can sometimes interfere with the helicopter’s magnetic compass.
Sometimes a notebook will have the words MRI, a distance, and an arrow written in black, so that the pilot is aware of the machine.
The helipad also has yellow directional lines to indicate where the helicopter should land and take off.
The yellow and black stripes show personnel where it is safe to walk to approach and exit the helicopter.
Many people were fascinated by the decoded patterns.
‘Wow – really interesting read. Thanks for sharing,” said one woman.
“I’ve never wondered this before, but it’s fascinating,” wrote another.
‘Interesting! I live close to my local hospital and on the flight path of rescue helicopters and have been a patient in a rescue helicopter so this is very interesting information,” another commented.