photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Don Boyd | all galleries >> People, Family and Friends Photo Galleries >> Don Boyd or Don with Friends - 1970's, 80's and 90's > 1988 - Don Boyd at MIA's Skyport elevated helipad facility (now closed)
previous | next
1988

1988 - Don Boyd at MIA's Skyport elevated helipad facility (now closed)

Skyport, Miami International Airport


The Skyport facility was opened in the 80's to serve helicopters bringing in or picking up passengers at the main terminal. Personnel in my section had to travel from Airside Ops to the front of the terminal to man the landing pads for each landing or takeoff in the event of a malfunction or crash requiring the fire suppression system to be activated. I also approved helicopter operators for usage of the facility.


other sizes: small medium original auto
comment | share
Don Boyd04-Jul-2008 06:39
The story we were given was that the facility would need expensive structural repairs if we continued landing helicopters on it, as if the building wasn't designed and built for that purpose.

We never saw the helicopter traffic develop as originally envisioned and at the low rate we charged helicopters for landing it would have taken 1439 years to recoup the cost of building the structure with only a few landings, if that, per day. And that didn't include the manpower cost to have a trained attendant standing by the emergency fire equipment for every landing and takeoff.

I think it would have been a different story if one of the area helicopter companies had established a flight schedule to transport passengers to and from general aviation airports and/or private helipads, utilized the facility more heavily and provided an employee to man the fire fighting equipment all day long.

Don
Ray02-Jul-2008 01:51
I took my class to get an Airport ID there. I was wondering, why was the helipad closed? I know a couple downtown on tall buildings were also closed. Same reason?

Ray