Sussex county helipad
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Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Under the clag EGKA
Sussex county helipad
Good morning, there has been some social media speculation about the new helipad on the Sussex county hospital in brighton. It doesn’t appear to have been used. Does anyone know the reason for this?
thank you in advance from someone who didn’t have the hands for rotary.
thank you in advance from someone who didn’t have the hands for rotary.
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Escaped from ABZ...
Not surprisingly the pandemic has caused some problems in getting the helipad commissioned, but this wouldn't really explain why over 2 years after it was supposed to enter service it still remains out of use. The last explanation that I heard was that there were problems with manning of the helipad with appropriately trained personnel - not sure if it is/was budget related.
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Essex UK
I don't think it's a manning or training issue, I have made numerous approaches to them since the project was first muted with regards to providing cost effective in house training / or providing professional helideck staff and never received a reply. Several years ago I was told by one of the hospital fire officers that he had never been included in the consultation, design or building of the project and subsequently wanted nothing to do with it. I was delivering a Helideck training course at a London hospital recently and was in discussion with a colleague about SCH and he had been told by a contact at SCH that it was possibly because the CEO does not want it opened in case it increases casualty overload into the ED!!! How true that is I don't know but whatever the reason it is a travesty that this facility is not being used.
Last edited by FC1; 15th June 2022 at 09:28.
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Brighton
The local story is that there is a problem with the cladding on the tower below the helipad - not stressed for the rotor downwash, and it has to be replaced on about the top 3 stories. However, when eventually approved for use, there will still be weather problems. I can see the pad from home, and when there is a SW wind, especially in winter, the top of the hospital is often in cloud. I expect there will be many occasions when the air ambulances will still need to use the existing helipad in Sheepcote Valley. I've not heard any timescale for the allegedly required works.
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: canada
The local story is that there is a problem with the cladding on the tower below the helipad - not stressed for the rotor downwash, and it has to be replaced on about the top 3 stories. However, when eventually approved for use, there will still be weather problems. I can see the pad from home, and when there is a SW wind, especially in winter, the top of the hospital is often in cloud. I expect there will be many occasions when the air ambulances will still need to use the existing helipad in Sheepcote Valley. I've not heard any timescale for the allegedly required works.
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Brighton
Update today from the BBC:
The pad was originally scheduled to open in 2019. The latest issue is one of window strength in the top 2 floors of the tower - that the fixings may not be strong enough to cope with rotor downwash. Tests should be completed by the end of the year.........................
Watch this space, but do not become over-excited.
How did we get this far without a basic understanding of what's needed? Wish I knew.
The pad was originally scheduled to open in 2019. The latest issue is one of window strength in the top 2 floors of the tower - that the fixings may not be strong enough to cope with rotor downwash. Tests should be completed by the end of the year.........................
Watch this space, but do not become over-excited.
How did we get this far without a basic understanding of what's needed? Wish I knew.
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Under the clag EGKA
Having a chat today with a hospital bod about the helipad. He said that they had asked CAA if a test landing was feasible. Doesn’t sound likely to me. I’m guessing that it will just rot there.
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Brighton
News of progress, according to the local press.
The required strengthening to cladding and windows in the tower below the pad is due for completion by the end of this month. Test flights will then be flown as a prelude to full clearance.
There are some rather stiff restrictions in the planning permission that has been given:
Annual limit of 70 flights (Recent years have seen over 200 landings at the existing remote site)
Daylight only
Hours limited to 0900-1900 local time
These limits can be overridden for a "major incident"
But - it's also noteworthy that the tower and helipad are often in cloud when we get a moist winter south=westerly wind, as has been the case for most of the last few weeks.
The required strengthening to cladding and windows in the tower below the pad is due for completion by the end of this month. Test flights will then be flown as a prelude to full clearance.
There are some rather stiff restrictions in the planning permission that has been given:
Annual limit of 70 flights (Recent years have seen over 200 landings at the existing remote site)
Daylight only
Hours limited to 0900-1900 local time
These limits can be overridden for a "major incident"
But - it's also noteworthy that the tower and helipad are often in cloud when we get a moist winter south=westerly wind, as has been the case for most of the last few weeks.
