I guess I better put every one in the picture seeing that I have been intimately involved in the CASA approval of NVGs in Aust. and working towards this for the past 8 years!
1. The Compliance Management Instruction (CMI) 04/74 Version 1 for Night Vision Goggles for Helicopter Operations was indeed signed by Head of Compliance, CASA in November of this year.
2. A copy is available in all CASA regional offices (or so it should be)
3. IT IS NOT AN INDUSTRY STANDARD. It is a compliance matter only not a Standards regulation. It was drafted over the past 2 years in response to Victoria Police Air Wing's formal application to conduct NVG operations as a result of it's successful NVG trial conducted November 2002 (Post Trial Report available if you email me).
4. The CMI is to guide CASA Compliance to issue a concession to CAR174B to allow operations at night before LSALT (in Australia there is a rule prohibiting flight by anyone at night below a LSALT).
5. Until such time as CASA Standards can regulate NVGs through the normal industry process into Part 133 the CMI is an interim measure to start operating on NVGs now with some measure of control to allow maturity and experience to be gained by the civil sector.
6. Although this CMI was written in response to our application obviously it cannot be denied to anyone else, therefore anyone can apply for the use of NVGs in Australia if complying with the requirements of the CMI.
7. VPAW had a personal meeting with Mr. Bruce Byron, CEO of CASA last week to lobby for the regulatory process on NVGs to be given a higher priority so that it can be incorporated into the new CASR Part 133. This will require industry input through the DP and NPRM process and therefore will become the industry standard. Mr. Byron gave an undertaking to examine prioritising the regulation of NVGs.
8. The CMI has gone one step further than most regulatory operators overseas...there are two parts to NVG ops under the CMI, (a) Wx below Night VFR minimums and (b) Wx that is night VMC. In the former if wx is not VFR NVG ops will still be able to be done as long as the pilot is IFR rated and current and the aircraft IFR capable. In the later if the wx is VMC then only require a night VFR rating in a NVR capable aircraft. Also NVG flight can be conducted in all phases of flight from T/O to landing.
9. Two crew will be required during NVG flight in the front of the cockpit. This was a hard fought battle as CASA wanted two pilots but VPAW convinced them that this was unacceptable in the civil sector and a compramise was reached whereby the use of a NVG qualified pilot and NVG qualified crewmember can be used in lieu of two pilots.
10. Another battle was NVG training hours but CASA would not budge from a 10 hour endorsement for pilots and 6 hour endorsement for flightcrewmemember (an overkill for NVG civil ops but something that can be adjusted later once some experience is gained to argue otherwise).
11. The CMI as whole is a very workable document and goes further than other overseas regulatory bodies in some aspects of NVG use, especially in poor wx conditions (read IMC conditions).
12. During the NVG trial we looked at 6 objectives, one was SAR and AUSSAR was onboard. NVGs do allow effective searching at night and allows a more effective use of the FLIR especially in mountainous terrain. Instead of waiting for first light before launching (and hence more often than not looking for a body) the helo can be activated immediately to start a search therefore ensuring a better and more successful outcome for the survivor(s).
The effective regulation and safe use of NVGs will not only enhance an operators capability, it will increase levels of safety in SAR, EMS and Law enforcement roles.