A heliport is a special landing area designed for helicopters. Unlike airplanes, which need long runways to take off and land, helicopters can rise straight up and down, so a heliport can be much smaller: just a flat, clear space marked with a large “H.”

You'll find heliports on top of tall hospital buildings, where medical helicopters can quickly bring injured patients for emergency treatment. Downtown skyscrapers sometimes have rooftop heliports so business executives can fly over traffic instead of sitting in it. Oil rigs far out in the ocean have heliports because there's no other way for workers to get there besides by boat or helicopter.

Some heliports are permanent structures with fuel stations and maintenance facilities, while others are just painted circles on the ground. Police departments use heliports to launch their helicopters for chases or rescue missions, and news stations use them to get their helicopters in the air quickly to cover breaking stories.