Searchable Helispot Database Improves Safety

Safety is paramount in the EMS industry, especially when air ambulances are involved. To help improve and aid safe operations, Protean created the LZControl database.

LZControl is a free database that allows for greater communication and safety in the air ambulance community. The program includes a searchable helispot database with contact information, coordinates and IFR information.

The database’s maps have satellite images of air ambulance destinations and provide full zoom control and the ability to upload your own images. LZControl also provides weather reports from nearby stations and, if necessary, gives users alternate landing sites, precision approach information and more.

The information in the archive is crowdsourced through users and cross referenced to ensure accuracy. Registered users, once verified by the company, can provide updates to existing landing zones or create new entries. Crowdsourcing the information for the landing zones also allows users to see updates in real time.

Users can also submit photos to supplement the satellite map and provide more context for pilots to use as they approach the landing zone.

Site-specific contact information is provided for users as well, so air ambulance crews can easily find and utilize phone numbers or radio frequencies if necessary.

The main beneficiary of this program is air ambulance crews who need to find a place to land.

“Landing in a location that no one has ever landed a helicopter in before, especially at night, is one of the most challenging things you can do,” says Mark Bohn, one of LZControl’s three developers, in a 2014 interview with ROTOR Magazine. “We rely on a lot of resources and years of experience to make sure the scene remains as safe as possible.”

The database also includes possible hazards at each landing site so air ambulance pilots know what to look for when landing their craft, again putting an emphasis on the safety of the pilot and crew.

LZControl was launched in 2013, and has since amassed more than 4,000 entries in the landing zone archive and was given the Airbus Helicopters Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award in 2014. The award helps promote safety in the air medical industry and recognizes companies that have demonstrated a commitment to aviation safety.

LZControl is available to users across the United States. In the future, LZControl plans to expand to include landing zones outside the United States. For more, see LZControl.com.