GC37NR8 AV8 - Home Hospital Heliport (Traditional Cache) in Indiana, United States created by JZIULKOW

This cache has been archived.

Hoosier_Reviewer: Since there has been no response to my previous note, I am archiving the cache.

While we feel that Geocaching.com should hold the location for you for a reasonable amount of time, we cannot do so indefinitely. In light of the lack of communication regarding this geocache, it has been archived to free up the area for new placements. You will not be able to unarchive this listing. If you haven’t done so already, please pick up this geocache or any remaining bits as soon as possible.

"If a geocache is archived by a reviewer or staff for lack of maintenance it will not be unarchived."

Thank you,

Hoosier Reviewer
Community Volunteer Reviewer - Indiana

GC37NR8 ▼

A cache by JZIULKOW Message this owner

Hidden : 11/13/2011

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

This is the FOURTH in a series of Aviation inspired geocaches, placed by
pilots, designed to educate cachers about the Aviation field!

All of the other AV8 caches are listed below:

GC1G8NT	AV8 - GPS killed EARLE!
GC29K1T	AV8 - BOILER Cache
GC2AQ0B	AV8 - Aretz Airport
GC37NR8	AV8 - Home Hospital Heliport

Welcome to the old Home Hospital Heliport!

Lafayette Home Hospital Heliport (3II4), Lafayette, IN

The Lafayette Home Hospital Heliport was, according to FAA Records, opened in March 1983. Due to the clearance required to land, and the small roof area on top of the old hospital, the helipad was located in a location somewhat distanced from the actual hospital. Helipads such as these are very common at most hospitals across Indiana. A simple glance at the Lafayette areas aeronautical sectional chart (SHOWN BELOW) would lead one to believe that nothing aeronautical existed in this location. In fact, most pilots to this day, do not know of this Heliport's existence.

The reason that it is not located on the aviation chart is because the heliport is listed as a Private airport. In aviation a "Private" airport just means that prior to landing, the pilot must receive permission to use the Helipad. In the FAA registry there is listed a phone number to call to receive this permission. The heliport is further listed as a "MEDICAL USE" facility. This is to be expected with hospital helipads. The helipad is further listed as "unattended" meaning that the lights that light the pad and nearby windsock are more than likely not always lit; rather, turned on when a medical helicopter is inbound.

Lafayette Home Hospital was a 270 bed medical center in Lafayette, Indiana owned by the not-for-profit St. Elizabeth Regional Health, a division of Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. Greater Lafayette Health Services announced in late 2005 a plan to close Home Hospital, and construct a new facility called St. Elizabeth East on the city's southeast side. Work on the new facility commenced in late 2006, with completion and occupation occurring on February 25, 2010. Plans for how the Home Hospital complex will be used are still being considered. The facility ceased all medical services on February 25, 2010. One might be led to believe that the heliport was officially closed in February 2010 too; however, according to FAA records, the 3II4 Heliport is still listed as active, as of Nov 2011. Though the only thing that remains of the FAA-required windsock, is its frame and orange mounting pole.

Now a little bit about the 3II4 Heliport. It has a heliport elevation of 680' ASL (above sea level) which is 74' higher than the nearby Purdue University Airport. It is under control of the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (aka Chicago Center) and has only one "runway". Since all runways have numbers, this helipad too has a number, though not printed on the concrete itself. It is designated as "runway" H1. H1 is a 30'x30' concrete pad with a wind indicator (windsock) and is lighted. Of note, you will also notice orange "balls" on the nearby power lines. This is always an indication of aircraft operations in the vicinity. These mark hard to see power lines for pilots landing and departing. Though the heliport is lighted, there exist no instrument procedures for landing when visibility is poor. Instrument procedures or "approaches" are used by pilots as a way of descending through the clouds on a bad weather day (when the ground is not visible at altitude) in order to breakout of the clouds and see the runway visually for landings in less than questionable weather.

ON TO THE CACHE...... it is located within an easement adjacent and near the location. It does not require you to disassemble any of the nearby lights or windsock frame. Please keep in mind that while this is still listed as active, the heliport is NOT used, and children can be seen playing around the vicinity of the pad. You will not be in danger of getting "landed on" by helicopters. Cache is a small container (one of our favorites) and contains a log - but no pen BYOP! Parking is available in nearby medical complex lots, I have listed a few coordinates. Please return the cache as you have found it when you have signed the log.

Happy caching, Have fun, and hopefully this has given you some insight into another neat aviation cache location!

Congratulations to guillermospapa for the FTF on this one!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Erzrzore sebz gur qrfpevcgvba gung: gur yvtugf ner abg nyjnlf ba.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)

This cache has been archived.

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AV8 - Home Hospital Heliport Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

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Geocache Description:

Attributes

Inventory

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