Headland retractable helipads fit in tight spaces

Headland, a French firm of consulting designers, is determined that all superyacht owners should be able to fly to their boats, no matter how small. This enterprising group of young Paris-based engineers have created and patented a series of innovative retractable helipads installed into restricted spaces, which includes the foredeck of mid-sized yachts. The touchdown zone is made of steel, aluminium or carbon, is raised from the deck opening and unfolded at the touch of a button. The size of a helipad is governed by Large Yacht Code and Maritime Coastguard Agency rules: the minimum diameter corresponds to the diameter of the rotor blades of the helicopter, so each helipad size differs.

Headland has created more than 30 systems, which includes the top-selling 'Box' and 'Umbrella' models.

The 'Box' helipads opens outward, hydraulically, from within the deck, while the popular, and aptly-named, 'Umbrella' helipad emerges from a mast on the deck and folds outward like an umbrella. Development of this flexible yet high-tensile helipad was particularly challenging as it needed to constantly be tensioned.