Night Operations and NVG - Aeromed Africa · Night Operations and NVG March 15, 2012 8 Mishap Avoidance •Preflight planning –weather, mission, etc. •Onboard crew coordination

Federal AviationAdministration

Federal AviationAdministration

Night Operations

and NVG:

Presented to: AeroMed Africa 2012

By: Stephen Barbini, Rotorcraft Directorate, ASW-111

Date: March 15, 2012

The Need and Challenges of

Introducing These Operations

2Federal AviationAdministration

Night Operations and NVGMarch 15, 2012

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Objectives

• After this presentation, the audience will:

– Understand the benefits of using NVGs during night

flight

– Understand the scope and constraints of NVG

usage

• “Can’t get something for nothing”

– Understand how to mitigate the risks of an NVG

operation



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Benefits of NVG Use

• Primary goal of NVG use:

– Enhanced visual flight at night by improving

nighttime visual awareness



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Benefits of NVG Use

• Improved visual awareness:

– Terrain avoidance

– Obstacle avoidance

– Improved visual

navigation

– See air traffic



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Constraints of NVG Use

• Aircraft design

- Incompatible lights

- Structural limits to NVG

scan

- Windscreen transmission

• No operational credit

- Assumes visual flight

rules



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Constraints of NVG Use (continued)

• System design characteristics

- Reduced aided field-of-view (40o vs. ~170o)

- Weight of NVGs

- Monochromatic image

- Tube limitations

• Environmental conditions

- Significant water vapor (clouds, fog, haze) or solids

(rain, snow, sand, smoke, etc) decrease

performance

- Light & infrared energy must be present



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Constraints of NVG Use (continued)

• Physiological conditions

- Increased pilot workload

- Decreased pilot task performance

- Neck strain: 1.5 lbs (goggles & hardware) + helmet

- Impaired depth perception and distance estimation

- Decreased visual acuity: approx 20/30-40 with

goggles

- Increased propensity to spatial disorientation



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Mishap Avoidance

• Preflight planning – weather, mission,

etc.

• Onboard crew coordination– Cockpit and cabin

• External coordination with others– Police, Fire, ground EMS, ATC, news media

• Utilize correct NVGs

– Class A versus Class B



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Mishap Avoidance (continued)

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2

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Allowable Energy Spectrum

Visible Energy Spectrum Filtered By

the NVG and Allowed in Cockpit

Energy Spectrum Not

Filtered and available to NVG

Bad

Good

Class B NVG Intensifies

GoodNVG

Cockpit

Class A NVG intensifies NVG Filters this energy

Class A Allowable Spectrum

Class B Allowable Spectrum

Class A NVG Intensifies

Class B Allowable Spectrum

NVG

NVG

Cockpit

Cockpit

NVG Filters this energy

NVG Filters this energy

USE NVGs THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE COCKPIT



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Class A NVGs Class B NVGs

Effects of Cockpit Lighting on Different NVGs



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• Channelized attention

– Narrowed focus of attention can occur more readily

under goggles due to fatigue, increased need to

concentrate, reliance on focal vision

• Complacency

• Inappropriate instrument scan

• Spatial disorientation, visual illusions and

misperceptions



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• Training / Currency – initial and recurrent

• Maintain night proficiency– “NO WAY”! It’s dark out there.”

– Be prepared to transition to unaided flight

• Maintain NVGs per manufacturer’s recommendations– Refer to ICAs

• Maintain lighting– Degradation of filter material or lights



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Mishap Avoidance: Maintenance

& Pilot Preflight/Acceptance• “Simple” changes to a cockpit can destroy the NVG

compatibility of an NVIS cockpit…

– Replacement of analog clock with digital clock

– Addition of post lights or map lights

– Flight/NAV Instruments with OFF flags

– Addition of “MILSPEC” equipment (e.g., tactical radios)

– Some equipment needs additional modifications/configuration

to be NVIS compatible (e.g., comm / nav)

• An evaluation is required after any replacement of

light-emitting equipment



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& Pilot Preflight/Acceptance



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Green-Yellow Bands Must be Legible



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Questions???

Night Operations and NVG - Aeromed Africa · Night Operations and NVG March 15, 2012 8 Mishap Avoidance •Preflight planning –weather, mission, etc. •Onboard crew coordination

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