Dallas Executive Airport’s heliport/ vertiport is pretty cool

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the convention center in Dallas where the Heli-Expo helicopter show is taking place. Dallas stands out because of the Dallas Executive Airport Heliport/Vertiport. The Vertiport plays a unique role in this year’s Heli-Expo, as it is reserved for rotorcraft demos and public tours.

Opened in the mid-1990s, the heliport/vertiport features a 169,000-square-foot flight deck, conference rooms, and a pilots’ waiting area. It is different from other heliports because it is elevated and was designed for rotorcraft and tiltrotors such as Bell’s Osprey V-22. Up to two tiltrotors and three helicopters can use the facility at the same time. Anyone who operates a rotorcraft may fly into the vertiport, but it is mainly used by law enforcement, traffic watch, private charters, and media helicopters. Darrel Phillips, the manager of the vertiport, told BJT that approximately 900 to 1,000 flights take off from the facility annually.

Phillips has been working there since April 2014. However, he grew up in the Dallas area and knew of the vertiport for years before coming on board. Along with the vertiport staff, he help pilots flying into the facility to use all of its services, including parking and local transportation. Ultimately, it is Phillips’s job to ensure that everything in the vertiport is working safely and appropriately, since there is often a high amount of traffic. For this reason, he also pays close attention to the impact the rotorcraft have on the environment.

The vertiport follows strict environmental regulations to ensure that the helicopters do not disturb the surrounding neighborhoods. For example, the vertiport will see high volumes of helicopter activity during the week before and during Heli-Expo. Besides sending out public notices, workers scheduled special routes for flights (such as along the adjacent freeways) to keep noise away from residential areas. Phillips explained, “We are very concerned with the public and public input on noise, so we do monitor noise. It is very important for us to make sure we’re a good neighbor at all times.”

During the show, the vertiport is dedicated to manufacturers for demo rides in their rotorcraft. Parking is not available, but the area is open for dropping off and picking up Heli-Expo attendees.

Looking forward, Phillips sees big plans for the vertiport. There is currently a request for proposal to provide fuel services, which currently are not available. Once approved, fuel could be available before the end of 2017. Phillips said the fuel service could help the vertiport become a full-service facility that would be open full time during the day and offer self-service fuel at night. Phillips also says the military has shown interest in a contract with the vertiport if the fuel facility comes through.

“It’s an amazing facility,” Phillips told BJT. “It’s something that a lot of communities—a lot of cities—do not have. It’s one of the largest in the country. It’s something the city of Dallas should be proud of, something we need to utilize and put into service. It will definitely be of great service for the city of Dallas through [future] economic development and…any type of emergency situations as well.”