Analysis
In planning for the heliport, Children's Memorial Hospital retained a team of five expert organizations with specific specialties: Landrum & Brown, aviation; Thomas E. Salaman, Federal Aviation specialist; Barry Technologies Inc., sound and noise technology; Vertical Aeronautics International, heliport construction consulting; and RWDI Group, wind consulting and analysis.
In 2007, the following analyses were completed:
- Safety studies, including flight path analysis and Homeland Security review;
- Noise monitoring studies, including the results from an actual helicopter flight to the site;
- Wind data analysis, including results from one month of data from weather stations on top of Prentice and the American Dental Association.
In addition, wind studies conducted by RWDI, the international leader in this field, were completed and are the most comprehensive wind studies ever conducted by a hospital heliport applicant in Illinois.
Further, a Heliport Safety Plan is part of the amendment to Institutional Planned Development that was approved by the City of Chicago related to the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.