NVG's
Most know that NVG's are useful aid to safer night flying...that is if used correctly, with proper training and procedures in place. However, it is also a double edged sword where it can be one's worst nightmare.
I certainly feel that its about time that civvy ops eg EMS and police work be given the green light for countries still opposing it.
Civvy regulators IMO should take the more prudent step in adopting the procedures and measures that the military have in place and not try to "re-invent the wheel". These measures can then be tailored accordingly to the demands of civil operations over time.
There have been countless accidents in the military when NVG's were first used and we should learn from these mistakes.
The US army flightfax magazine is an excellent resource for lessons learnt with lots of info on NVG's.
Just an example:
NVG Currency
Perishable Skill — Currency is Not Proficiency
Perishable Skills. We have all heard the phrase, “That's a perishable skill,” but what does it really mean? I have heard it for almost 20 years and always thought of my golf swing as my most “perishable skill.” But a recent accident investigated by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center brought the phrase back to mind in a much more appropriate way.
This UH-60L accident serves as a prime example of how perishable some skills really are. It involved a crew that no one ever expected to have an accident.
The instructor pilot had over 8000 hours of rotary-wing experience; the PI was young but highly thought of; and all the crew members had flown together many times in the past. Both aviators were qualified and current for the night vision goggle environmental training mission.
The problem? Neither crewmember had significant recent experience in NVG flight. The hostile conditions overcame their skills. They became disoriented during a takeoff and crashed, destroying the aircraft. Fortunately, everyone on board will fully recover from their injuries.
We are all aware of “NVG currency” requirements as stated in the Aircrew Training Manual (ATM) for each aircraft. Instructor pilots and unit commanders constantly monitor aviators to ensure that everyone remains current by flying at least one hour every 45 days under goggles. As long as we maintain that standard, we can report combat-ready goggle crews to the chain of command every month.
But, in the back of our minds, we all know that one flight every 45 days does not maintain the proficiency necessary to execute the tough missions we may be called upon to complete. This mission is a perfect example.
The aviators involved in this accident were NVG current. They met the ATM standards required to conduct the mission. However, neither crewmember had flown more than 3 hours of NVG flight in a single month for over 7 months. We have all seen this in our units at one time or another. Other mission requirements, administrative obstacles, or flight time restrictions have put nearly everyone in this position at some time. Most often, we manage to get the mission accomplished when called on. The problems arise when an aviator who is just maintaining currency is placed in conditions with which he is unfamiliar and that requires real proficiency rather than currency.
In this case, we put these aviators in a dusty, windy environment, with low illumination, with little recent experience under NVGs, and all these things added up to a situation primed for an accident. The cumulative effect of the 16 risks associated with this mission exceeded the capability of the crew, and a major accident was the result.
If any one of the conditions — low recent experience, dust, winds, or low illumination — had not been present, perhaps the accident would not have occurred. If the aircrew had more recent experience, they would have been better able to deal with the harsh environment. If the illumination had been better, their low recent experience might not have been a factor. If the conditions had not been as dusty, perhaps the crew would not have become disoriented. If, if, if...
The key lesson to be learned is that there are perishable skills. Night vision goggle flight is one of the most perishable skills in our business. When circumstances force us to maintain NVG currency rather than proficiency, we must be aware that those aviators are not ready to proceed directly into harsh environments. Commanders must transition through the crawl, walk, run scenario. NVG currency is the crawl. NVGs in adverse conditions, such as the desert or other severe environments, are Olympic events. We can't expect aircrews to go straight from one to the other.
Just my opinion