“Ever heard of a helipad atop a building?” That’s what makes the Bendix Heliport special. It is not just any landing spot. This heliport has a story connected to innovation. Let’s explore the history of the Bendix Heliport.
The Bendix Heliport is in Southfield Michigan. It sits in Oakland County. The heliport’s coordinates are 42.48059 degrees North and 83.24743 degrees West. It is also visible on the USGS Royal Oak topographic map.
The Bendix Heliport’s story starts with Vincent Hugo Bendix. He founded the Bendix organization in 1911. His first idea was an automatic starter for cars. In 1929 the Bendix Corporation became Bendix Aviation Corporation. This showed the company’s new focus.
Bendix then created a radio division in 1937. This division made avionics for aircraft. By 1944 Vincent Bendix started Bendix Helicopters Inc. The Bendix Model J was a single-seater helicopter. It used coaxial rotors. The Model K followed and flew in 1945.
Interestingly the Bendix Heliport’s elevation is about 715 feet. That is about 218 meters above sea level. It is privately owned by Blue Care Network. The address is 20500 Civic Center Drive Southfield.
Moreover the airport’s identifier is 3MI8. It operates as a private airport. The landing surface is made of mats. The dimensions are 40 by 30 feet. The runway traffic pattern is left.
In 1983 Allied Corporation bought Bendix Corporation and King Radio. They combined them into BendixKing. In 1999 AlliedSignal merged with Honeywell. Honeywell kept the BendixKing brand for its avionics.
Today the Bendix Heliport stands as a testament to innovation. It links back to a time of great change in aviation history. It is more than just a place to land helicopters. It is a piece of the story of Bendix. It is a story of progress in both automobiles and aviation.