Test flight success for temporary helicopter landing site
The RPA Hospital Redevelopment team celebrated the successful test flights to the temporary helicopter landing site (HLS) located on the rooftop of the RPA Hospital Staff and Visitor Car Park. Day flights were completed in the afternoon on Tuesday 19 November and a night flight took place on Thursday 21 November 2024. The existing HLS will be out of use to allow for the arrival of tower cranes to support construction of the new 15-storey tower on the east campus. Planning for the temporary HLS began in September 2022 and required community consultation throughout this phase in the lead up to starting works. Community engagement has continued throughout construction to ensure all stakeholders remained aware as the project progressed. Construction of the temporary HLS commenced in late 2023 and included the addition of two new lifts and dedicated ambulance bays to transport patients and retrieval teams to ground level from the helipad located on Level 5 of the car park. The temporary HLS will be in use for approximately two years before the permanent helipad is opened on the completed 15-storey tower. Once the temporary helipad is no longer required, the lifts will be made available for public use to enhance accessibility in the car park. With test flights now complete, the project team is finalising the go-live date for the temporary HLS. This work will enable RPA Hospital to continue to provide critical care to the community while the tower cranes are in use on the east campus. Find out more in the fact sheet and works notice.