Are there any reg's on civilian's wearing NVG's just for fun? I've seen that they can be had from places like ebay. Just wondering if there has to be some sort of formal training, or perhaps it would obviously be smart to have a safety pilot or regular CFI next to you on stand-by if you botch a landing because of peripheral vision. I've seen some jobs requiring or prefer NVG time which would be hard to obtain unless you are a mil. pilot or in some other related field which would require them. Thoughts?

 

no NVG training and haven't seen a job that wants that experience(other than B.P.) but what kind of drugs are you going to be transporting. BTW what is a dime bag going for these days.

 

ha! nothing illegal, just genuine curiosity. what about civilian helo pilots wanting to branch into medevac flying or really any kind of low level night time flying? just spitballing here really.

 

To answer honestly I would say maybe find somewhere you can learn about NVG and use them(non-flying). Apply to said positions and state you have experience with them. Hopefully that will satisfy their requirements and will train you on what that have along with flying with them.

 

NVGs offer some great capabilities; however, you do NOT want to go flying with them until you've been trained on them, and I would not use them beyond novelty (with a Safety Pilot) in an aircraft not specifically equipped for NVG with specific procedures mapped out.

A couple reasons for this:

- Your aircraft isn't set up for NVGs. Lighting isn't compatible and will wash them out, and if you turn the lights down so they don't, you're setting yourself up for SD/UA with no instruments to recover. Many of our early NVG CFIT mishaps were in aircraft jury-rigged for NVG flight (green glow sticks on velcro over the ADI, Glendale Green taped all over the cockpit, etc).

- NVGs have limitations that you won't notice, and they do such a cool job at what they do, you can be drawn into a false sense of security, not realizing that you aren't seeing the power lines in front of you, or the rocks in the shadows, or that those stars above you are actually the lights from an oil field below you, or reflections on the lake. In the military, we do extensive training for guys before they go out and fly w/NVGs, and they still mort by running into the ground and other aircraft every once in a while (like a very good bud of mine did last year).

- The NVGs you'll be able to buy are the earlier ones (though maybe pretty close to the ones we used when we were first introducing them). Narrow FOV and absolutely no peripheral vision. Grainy and inprecise pics. Think trying to fly an aircraft with 20/100 uncorrected vision.

Again, for the untrained/unequipped pilot, NVGs might be a cool novelty if you're acting as a passenger while someone else is the pilot flying, but don't go do pilot/crew duties on them. Remember: the only thing that turns night into day is the sun.

 

Excellent advice. More than a few highly trained individuals have flown into the ground wearing top of the line MILSPEC NVG's. Buying something off eBay and trying to actually employ them at night, especially by someone not formally trained in the optics, limitations, and illusions (never mind formal flight training with them) is a recipe for disaster.

 

Don't play around with NVG's in an airplane unless you are formally trained to do so (see above).

 

There is also a FAR 61.31(k) endorsement required to act as PIC on an aircraft while wearing NVG's as of 10/20/2009.

 

I just looked this up on www.faa.gov and it's a pretty interesting read. Just what I was wanting to know.

 

NVGs might be all cool looking and what not, but flying with them just isnt to great. Having used them on the uh-60 in the army I can tell you it screws with your depth perception. We did have a HUD available for it to assist in keeping your eyes out in front. Just very easy to lose orientation. Study up on your night flying and fun things like flicker vertigo and illusions inflight. Personally I do not miss NVGs. Flying IFR is good enough for me.

If you want to fly with NVGs join the army, flying in a helo is another world with the nvgs.