Victoria police airwing night vision
 

Some positive coverage on Sky News Australia covering the introduction of night vision goggles for pilots.
A recent incident was recounted where a lost walker was found when the light from his cellphone was spotted by flight crew.
Good work.
Greater public awareness that waving a cellphone around in the direction of a heli will aid rescue would be good PR and helpfull all around.

I would like to see comparison between pilot nvg's and thermal camera where the subject is in dense undergrowth.

Mickjoebill

A bad guy sucking on a winnie blue will also help.:ok:

You raise an interesting question MJB. Go to:-
Axsys Technologies
...and click on ADEM demo. (Caution it take a while to load).

The clip is an experiment in IR, from a Cineflex MS2, that shows the use of a cell phone being spotted from 10,000' in an orbiting fixed wing.

I have SAR experience and thermal experience but none in NVG. I doubt that NVG would see that far?.....but of course zooming to a known target and scanning a large expanse of real estate for the lost and confused are two very different objectives.

I guess the follow on question is about how we change our operational techniques to accommodate and fully take advantage of the new technologies. First in isolation, and then as combined assets.

Cheers
JerryG

NVG and lost hiker
 

Cant get the direct video link and this has been out for awhile. Unaided and Aided split screen looking for a hiker

Sonoma County Sheriff Rescue Helicopter - Media Page

Having used both IR and NVG regularly (together in the same aircraft), the major difference is that NVG will only detect light. No light, nothing in those green tubes. An IR will detect heat without light so a baddie/lost person behind a bush who is dark will still be found (as long as not shielded completely by a solid object). If a person has a light, the NVG will pick it up much quicker and the IR can be talked onto target.

With regards to height, slant range detection is what matters and somehting like a cell phone light or key pad is very hard to pick up more than 500m away on NVG. Note the video clip is actually using a torch for added effect.

Using both together is great and not much gets through the net.:)