Coto de Caza : Helipad Approved for Ex-AirCal Chairman

More than a year after he began using a residential helipad at his sprawling Coto de Caza estate, developer and former AirCal chairman William Lyon got formal permission Tuesday from the Board of Supervisors. His is the first such helipad in Orange County.

The board unanimously approved an after-the-fact permit for the helipad, a mosaic of turf and cement blocks that has already served as a helicopter landing spot for notables such as Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.).

A consultant for Lyon said the developer simply did not realize that a permit was needed until the helipad was already constructed beside his lavish mansion, which sits on more than 130 acres on the outskirts of the development.

The helipad still must be approved by the state Transportation Department’s aeronautics division, but that action probably won’t occur until fall.

Lyon declined to comment on the helipad, but a report from the county staff said the millionaire developer’s Bell 206L-3 LongRanger will be based at John Wayne Airport and ferry passengers from the Coto de Caza house about three to five times a week.