Night vision goggles may be in your future

Abstract

THE U.S. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINIs t ra t ion (FAA) will soon begin a testing program at its Atlantic City, N.J., U.S. Technical Center to determine if night vision goggles (NVG), now used mainly by the military, might enhance the safety of civilian night helicopter operations. The FAA test program is expected to provide some answers concerning the efficacy of NVG use in the civil sector. However, pilots, FAA officials, and other industry experts agree that solving the various problems of night helicopter operations, especially at low altitudes, will take more than technological advances. The challenges of night flight for fixedand rotary-wing aircraft are similar. Pilots of both aircraft types can lose sight of the horizon and become dangerously disoriented. Pilots must operate their aircraft with reduced acuity and depth perception at night. But the helicopter's unique operational demands, particularly in the areas of emergency medical service (EMS), police surveillance, and rescue operations, place great demands on even experienced pilots. A pilot's ability to see at night is determined first by individual genetics. Yet, no matter how well a pilot sees at night, the eye has universal physical limitations. Color perception becomes