Spontaneously obtaining a landing slot for an international airport can sometimes be difficult. And alternative landing sites are also increasingly scarce in dense metropolitan regions. Well-protected waterways, on the other hand, are far more plentiful, at least in Miami. The shallow waters of Biscayne Bay, for example, run right through the centre of Florida's second largest city. This is precisely where ILandMiami came up with the idea for a floating heliport. The engineering firm produced a 17 x 6 metre pontoon in its own production facility, which the U.S. Coast Guard has classified as a boat. The two hulls form buoyancy bodies made of plastic and the deck is made of aluminium. The 170-kilowatt diesel engine feeds a jet propulsion system that ejects its water at a depth of 45 centimetres. A hybrid drive and solar panels are being planned. Helicopters weighing up to three tonnes can land on the "Marine Utility Vessel" (MUV) under visual flight rules, while seaplanes dock at the side fenders.
However, to ensure safe helicopter operations, the waves must not be higher than one metre and the wind should not blow at more than 30 knots. It would then also be too uncomfortable for the all-round water sports entertainment. Jet skis, Seabobs or SUP and foil boards are launched from the inflatable Nautibuoy side decks. Shuttle boats go alongside and take passengers ashore - or on to yachts that have no landing facilities. A ladder at the stern turns the MUV into a bathing platform with an oversized sunbathing area. However, the purchase price, which according to ILandMiami is between 250,000 and 500,000 dollars, speaks against this sole utilisation option.
The helipad boat could be very profitable as a take-off and landing base for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or manned drones. ILandMiami hopes that in a few years' time, air taxis or transport drones will be requesting permission to land on their MUVs on a continuous basis - perhaps even on the Elbe or Spree and without any immediate inconvenience to city dwellers. The aircraft of the future are likely to be so light and compact that even permanent parking for entire fleets of drones seems realistic.
