Operators are increasingly adopting the use of night vision goggles (NVG) for both emergency and non-emergency flights as they strive for continuous safety improvement. But preparing the aircraft and the operation for their use requires careful planning, experts advised.
As with any aircraft program, operators must factor in the cost, safety benefits, and any risk involved when planning for NVG modifications, said Jeff Stubbs, senior v-p of operations for systems technology at RebTech. “It is important to understand the cost of the night vision imaging system [NVIS], which comprises the cost of the goggles themselves; shipping the goggles out every six months for calibration; pilot training and recurrent training; cockpit modification; ease of installation; and maintenance,” he said. “There is also the need to ensure to purchase FAA/EASA-accepted goggles. This will reduce potential headaches down the road.”
Indeed, a main factor for consideration is the NVIS safety regulations, agreed Kip McDermott, v-p of aviation services, and Chad St. Francis, v-p of business development and marketing at Aviation Specialties Unlimited. “Within the U.S., the FAA has established regulatory requirements that provide guidance for implementation of a safe and effective NVIS operation/program,” they said. “If an operation is considering NVIS implementation within their operations, the first step should be discussions with the local civil aviation authority to receive the appropriate guidance regarding equipment and training requirements to operate. Once the organization understands the specific NVIS requirements, it should seek certified NVIS modifiers and training companies to partner with on implementation.”
Operators also need support with NVGs, lighting modifications, and training for a complete NVIS program, according to McDermott and St. Francis. “There are many companies who can help with one element. Some companies—such as ours—are able to provide a comprehensive suite of support and do all three due to a ‘one-stop shop’ approach to this need,” they maintained. “The operators could source all of their NVIS requirements with one organization with the experience to assist them in starting their program safely and correctly without having to make the mistakes that may affect safety, timeliness, and/or costs.”
An important requirement is also to assess one’s capability to maintain the system and spares, according to Stubbs. “[An] NVIS program is a significant jump for an organization, so there must be a 100 percent buy-in from management, pilots, and maintenance,” he said. “When working operations at night it should also be considered if unimproved landings are a requirement, and if so, they should be considered”.
NVG Modification Process
According to Stubbs, to modify today’s aircraft, operators must gather a wealth of information that takes the aircraft, crews, maintenance, and logistics all into account. “When we survey an aircraft we evaluate the aircraft first, then we sit down with the pilots and the maintenance crews and discuss their concerns, and then evaluate their logistics situation,” he said.
Cockpit modifications should take everything into consideration, Stubbs added. “For instance, if one has to modify a fleet of 20 aircraft all based at one facility with a huge room of spares, then one has options available that are different compared with a fleet of 20 aircraft all based remotely with only a mechanic and pilot and limited spares,” he said. “Different facilities have different hurdles, and they must be considered when producing a modification kit that will be successful.”
The timeframe for a full NVIS modification will depend on the individual modifier’s process, McDermott and St. Francis explained. “Our process is built around the customer’s need to minimize downtime on their aircraft or fleet. Once we receive a purchase order it takes about eight weeks to attain the design approvals and complete kit production,” they said. “We then travel to the customer’s location and the modification typically requires a week of downtime for installation and return to service which we complete entirely for the customer inclusive of all data and paperwork. After installation, we work with local civil aviation for final approvals and return to service, which can take three to eight weeks dependent on the authority office.”
Non-emergency Operations
Whether NVG modifications are useful also to non-emergency operators doing passenger transport has been a debate since the invention of NVG, observed Stubbs. “I definitely understand the argument ‘we are flying from one helipad to another at a safe altitude,’ but as an engineer, I can never have enough information and I would assume that pilots have the same mindset,” he said. “One time, I had news of a crew that requested and was denied NVIS from their accounting office. I simply suggested taking up the decision-maker one night without goggles and then in mid-flight having him put the goggles on to see the difference. The following week they received the approval for the NVIS program.”
According to McDermott and St. Francis, NVG modifications are useful also for non-emergency helicopter passenger transport. “Both rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft are required to operate within the appropriate NVIS regulations based on regulatory guidance from local civil aviation authorities. We have seen an uptick in business from rotary-wing and fixed-wing operators that need certified NVIS lighting modification, NVGs, and training,” they concluded.