For example, one hospital has helipads numbered 1, 2, 3 for the order they would like helicopters to land there. If you came in right behind someone and noticed they parked on the 3 instead of the 1 on the way in, would you mention it to them?

Or let's say there was a commonly used helipad that's big enough to fit 2 helicopters on, as long as both people park on the sides. You happen to come in and see there's someone parked right in the middle and there's not enough room for you to get down, would you mention the local procedure as they lift?

Interested to hear the group's opinion on this. On the one hand if the pilot genuinely doesn't know maybe they'd like to be told the local ways of doing things even though they're not mandatory. On the other hand, it seems like helicopter pilots are always ready to tell other helicopter pilots what they're doing wrong.

to move to the side in order to fit two aircraft, it's not designed for more than one.

was a pretty dumb thing to say 

Short answer yes, just be nice about it.  Between new pilots who cant get briefed on every single helipad within 2 hours of home and float pilots who get tossed into the fray with maybe an hour or two briefing, mistakes will be made.  We have a rooftop pad in our area that was designed to take a VH3, but it fits 2 normal sized aircraft just fine. The paint job is merely two yellow center lines that if you didnt know you would just land in the middle.  As the pilot you do try your best to learn about where you are going, thats when you can use dispatch to call ahead and see if there is anything odd about where you are going.  The local HAA program that serves the hospital you are going to know will know the local deals.

Not necessarily so.  We have a hospital which had a rooftop that was painted with two seperate pads. After a hospital approach was made it was repainted with one pad due to FAA requirement. There is more than enough room for two aircraft as long as you position to the side which the local operators continue to do. 

Years of utility work taught me to always try and park as if another helicopter is going to land. Even in the moiuntains, if there was enough room for two, we made the space. Never know when someone may have to come and get you.

if the guy wants to clue somebody in, they just might know the rules for the place. 

question correctly but don't want to accept the rule.  If the pad is painted for one, it's only legal for one.  If companies informally agree to put more than one there, it's still only legal for one.  Don't be the second guy there on FAA inspection day.

To answer your question; yes definitely tell them. But at the right time and place with the respect and the right attitude. Example, dont bark at them on 123.025 while they are departing. Do call their base later on, introduce yourself and who you're with and fill them in on non mandatory local procedures. Explain in detail you would like to have it explained to you. Your above scenario with 3 pads; 1, 2 and 3 would be a good one to inform others of.  I'd hope a fellow pilot would do the same for me. 

To OG utility pilot, I do agree with leaving room for another aircraft and used to employ that same technique in AK. However, in the if there is an incident / accident at a pad with multiple aircraft when it has been designed or certified for only one there will be an issues. 

Good question: carry on all. 👍

other is now considered a technique lol

the hospital will tell you what pad al d 99% of the time the med crew has been there a 1000 times so let's not get too wrapped around the axle on this 

the investigators that the medcrew said it was okay.  That'll take care of it.

it's a helipad, not ohare. get a grip.

And that mentality is precisely why you get paid cr&p. <laughs all the way to the bank>

on the pad, those little lines are the least of your problems. 

he was supposed to land on one I'd ask him to get his eyes checked 

make the hospitais publish their helipad procedures just like airports do. fine them a million a day if they don't. make helicopter pilots read, refer to, and follow procedures, just like real (airplane...) pilots do. yank their certs for 90 days if they don't. tough love, baby. 

that's a solution in search of a problem bro

We need air traffic controllers at all hospitals 24 hours a day.

first.

but absolutely sad how many "professionals" willingly ignore regulations and advocate for others to place their certificates in greater jeopardy than needed by operating their aircraft outside the rules. 

Sure, the pads may very well safely accommodate a couple of aircraft, but if its marked for only one, you will be on your own if something, anything, happens that invites scrutiny from the FAA. The hospital wont back you up regardless of "local procedures" (they want to keep their pad operating), and your company will toss you because you willfully disregarded FAA regulatory markings.  We're not talking a temporary LZ marked with flashing lights, these pads are marked with the same authority as a hold short line.

lol sure

 be decent, no one cares.

I don't have a dog in this fight , but wouldn't that kind of stuff be covered in a checkride or local area orinitation? 

you have to procrastinate about dealing with he truth this may not be the business for you.  Stones required, allong with diplomacy.