I've recently been reading the pretty interesting Final Project Report of our great new temporary helipad. There were quite a few interesting facts like 3 casevacs (casualty evacuations) per week on average in 2003 and an estimated cost of HK$ 0.8M to pour a 25-metre square area of concrete and painting a circle on it with a big "H" in the center.

But there was a truly shocking little remark, one paragraph hidden deep in the document (linked above in PDF format):

"Helipad operation: Nov 2003 - Oct 2004:
The temporary helipad would cease operation when construction works for the permanent helipad commence. Operation of the temporary helipad is not possible due to flight safety concerns posed by tall construction plant / equipment. The permanent helipad will be located approximately 50 metres north of the proposed temporary helipad site."

Checking with several govt. sources so far, this seems to be true, they knew it all along and even the Environmental Permit for the temp helipad has only been issued till end of Oct, as I found out on the EPD website. Just finished at CNY in Feb, a few weeks ago, it'll only be used for another half a year...

Even Lammadonna didn't know, being most surprised when I told her today. She'll follow up, as she, like everybody, expected to keep the temp helipad till the new permanent one will be completed. So it might be back to the power station helipad till late 2006...

Any comments?

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Complete idiocy. So for a few months we have a helipad, then for a couple of years we do without again, while the local concrete mafia earn 800k.

Why on earth not use part of the reclamation further away? It's mostly still unused. Say between the football field and the new pier -- all they'd need to do there is relocate a couple of lampposts, or if they want to give Fung Loi some more money, they could pave one of the empty lots.

The helipad saga continues:

The poster below just went up at the Main Street fence of the VV Parking Lot, opposite the new amber shop and the Chinese bakery. The Chinese poster has been up for quite some time already.

What's going on here? I thought that the permanent helipad was approved to be built this year? It'll be built on a new platform in the harbour outside the sewage collection area in the harbour reclamation, just vis-a-vis the existing temporary helipad. Talking to Lammadonna's staff, who got the poster put up, it seems that the Environmental Protection Dept. is opposing the noise either of the current temporary or future permanent helipad, delaying the start of construction even longer. Which leaves the local construction lobby (see poster) frustrated and in a twist as this is a $16-million project.

Almost everybody is quite happy with the temporary helipad, but the govt. might take it away at any time when they finally make up their mind if they want to start building that long-planned major sewage treatment plant at the end of the reclamation where the temp helipad is located now. That area has been reserved for the sewage treatment plant (serving much more than just Lamma Island) since the reclamation was completed something like almost ten (?) years ago, being empty and unused like most of the reclamation.

We all seem to agree, across the entire political spectrum, that we need an emergency helipad in Yung Shue Wan, close to the clinic. So what's the holdup and how to remove it, I wonder.

One more twist (of the helicopter blade?) is that they might shut down the temp helipad during most of the construction period of the permanent one (almost 1.5 years). Govt. Flying Services claims it not to be safe to land there anymore when the high cranes and piledrivers of the nearby permanent helipad construction site will be "blocking" the flght path. So the helipad will move back to the Powerstation till the permanent one will be finished 1.5 years later. This willagain make the bumpy 25-minute transfer from the clinic to the Powerstation necessary, a MAJOR step backwards.

By the way, it'll take 20 pylons to be driven 20 metres (?) into the seabed, taking about half a year of pile-driving in the middle of YSW harbour!

The most sensible option, available now and not costing a single dollar extra, doesn't seem to stand a change in the in-fighting between govt. departments and the lack of local, sensible long-term planning and eagerness for even more construction:

Just keep the temp helipad as long as possible, make it permanent, ideally for a long, long time!

Anybody knows more background and what's going on here?
I'll get the official line from Lammadonna & friends very soon, but more facts and opinions from anybody else would be most welcome. All my facts above are from last autumn and some of them might be out-dated now?

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OK, the next chapter in the long-running soap opera surrounding the helipad is afoot. See poster on our City Hall entrance below.

Supposedly, if we're all really noisy during that time along the beach, does that mean the "Premanent Helicopter Site" (see banner with typo above, a new Lamma nickname is born!) could be built, as the difference between a helicopter landing and the ambient noise would not be that big if we're all really noisy during the measuing? This should come natural to many of us, but the timing in the early afternoon might be a problem to mobilise the local masses...

I might try to test the Stay-away! warning in the announcement and take some noisy photos...

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There's a new notice up by the police box saying works will begin on the permanent helipad (pilings, etc) "by October".

Not sure if this really means construction or investigatory work.

Yes, here's the map of the notice. It says "...the Government plans to gazette the helipad works...by October this year".

It's just been announced recently that the helicoper noise testing beginning of Aug by the Environmental Protection Dept. was positive, so no more objection by them holding up the helipad construction.

As the Sewage Treatment Works is going forward in the borrowed area of the current temp helipad, there seems to be no other option left than building this new helipad platform adjacent to the shore of the reclamation, very close to the North Lamma Clinic. They're finally going ahead with it end of this year, it seems, but it'll take up to 18 months to build.

Click for the high-resolution map:



More details to follow soon from the govt.

It might be time to start looking for a good Lamma nickname for this fancy, high-tech sea-based circular platform. The govt. calls it simply "Yung Shue Wan Helipad, Lamma Island".
Who can do better?
"Lamma's Official UFO Landing Site"?

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I didn't notice this banner at the bridge over to the Library (facing the village) till somebody pointed it out to me.
Lammadonna & co. are claiming credit for the helipad construction, a pet project of hers as it's high-profile, high-face-value and widely popular. It could save the life of anybody getting into a medical emergency...

But who are these "Wai Chow Clansmen" and the "Grazier Union" claiming credit as well on the banner?

"Lamma's Official UFO Landing Site" has been gazetted now at the notice boards and at City Hall. Construction of this HK$16 million project is scheduled to last from April next year to July 2007:

a bridge, road & platform, 20 pillars pile-driven 20 metres deep into the seabed and will make up a total of 641 square metres more fresh concrete built out into the harbour. Can you hear the distant sound of the construction lobby rejoicing?

The Govt. Flying Services has given up their former objection to using the temporary Helipad during the construction (safety concerns).
The construction of the Sewage Treatment Works in the area of the temp helipad will also wait for the completion of the permanent helipad, so we'll have uninterrupted heli emergency services in YSW for the foreseeable future. GREAT!

So, let's continue with the naming process! We need a good "Lamma nickname" for this project!
I'm sure somebody can come up with something better than "Lamma's Official UFO Landing Site", even though I like it a lot and it seems very fitting???

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I noticed last week that the "helipad" signage has been removed from the "temporary" one at the end of the reclamation, the gate isn't locked now either. And on the main gate of the soccer pitch is a notice I don't recall seeing before, saying that is an "emergency" helipad, telling people to keep it clear.

So are they going to go back to landing at the soccer pitch, as they did before all these millions were invested in the temporary and upcoming permanent pads?

Yes, the smell of the pork barrel is strong. Why did I ever doubt the lobbying abilities of YLF?

may we use the helipad too please?

http://www.HeliAdventures.com

Happy Birthday Mate.. G..

Lamma Grazier’s Union?? Jeez. Let’s not get left behind in claiming credit. Let’s hear it for the:

Lamma Opal Miners Association
Lamma Aerospace Engineers
Lamma Ostrich Farm employees
Lamma High Court
Lamma Sumo Wrestlers Association
Lamma Hula Dancers
Lamma Big Game Safaris Inc
Lamma Dog Sled Rescue Team

Anybody I've missed out?

Why does it take 4 months to build a flat bit of land for a helicopter to land on? YLF can give herself a big pat on the back for negotiating a permanent helipad, for gadsake the Govt were going to do it anyway!

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Not without the support of the Graziers Union. Where would we be without them? I'll have to check out their next meeting, I need to find what's the appropriate sheepdip for my Merinos.

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Actually, why not? As there are only about 1-2 emergency flights per week - each landing for not more than a few minutes - it looks kind of wasteful not to use it for other heli flights as well, including private ones, especially as the future $16 million-helipad will be paid for by public money.

I'll be looking into this in due course...
First stop: Lands Dept., I think?

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Since 2004-01-04 HK02A - Hong Kong - LAMMA YUNG SHUE WAN (TEMPORARY) helicopter landing site [HLS] Grid KK019605 - 20' ASL, has been classified as a category 3 HLS.

Category 3 Sites are those sites that tend to be located in a non-urban area, having both clear approach and departure paths and a reasonable reject area. Use of the site presents no risk to third parties on the ground and only minimal risk to the aircraft....

Prior permission [PPO] is not required to use this HLS.

The HLS maybe used D/N [day or night]

the only critical obstacle in safe sector: movement of surface vessels

and a note is made: avoid overflying the ferry pier

However a futher remark contradicts and states : For CASEVAC & Emergency Use ONLY

this is BS..


Suggestion for amendments to the Directory of Helicopter Landing Sites should be forwarded to:-

Helicopter Landing Site Officer
Government Flying Service
18 South Perimeter Road
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong

Fax No. 2753 8420

Though you may have personal or business reasons to want to use the helipad, helicopters undoubtedly are a public nuisance from the noise impact alone.

Like the one yesterday morning (sunday of all days) flying over YSW with the megaphone blaring out.
Was this one of Lammadonnas publicity stunts ?

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My inability to tolerate your ambiguity is compounding my neurosis

Yesterday...in the morning?
Whew! I thought you were talking about me!

My flight over YSW was also yesterday, late afternoon, and we didn't have a megaphone, as far as I remember. But I might be wrong as they gave us all radio headphones blocking the heli noise and letting us talk to each other...

Story & pictures coming up, Lamma becoming a megacentre for heli tourism:
"High-Flying Heli Hippies" or something like that...

So what was the megaphone announcing? Any Cantonese speaker who could let us know, please? Maybe it was the same message as on the banner when you just exit the ferry arriving in YSW:
"We successfully connvinced the Govt. to build a permanent helipad..."

Announcing this by heli would somehow be an adequate publicity stunt, no?

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I think it was an NH-90, commonly known as - it's not commonly known.

The NH90 is an advanced medium utility helicopter. It is capable of undertaking a wide variety of roles (such as troop transport, search and rescue and counter terrorism).

Built by Eurocopter & Augusta it's the A380 of helis battling for presidential and military orders against Boeing.

They're brand new and until yesterday they've never been in HK.

Maybe on loan for WTO stuff and here on test flights? Interestingly though, the tail rotor appears to be on the opposite side, suggesting maybe an Eastern Block designed drive unit, production out of China ???? mmmmmmmmm

Either way, you Guys certainly have an eye for a fine bird..

How about we only use it whilst the Opera is in full swing?