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Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) was chosen as the first company ever contracted to train the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight standards operations inspectors and aircraft certification pilots on the use of night vision goggles (NVGs) while operating fixed-wing aircraft. ASU will provide both initial training and recurrent training to the FAA beginning on July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020.
“The FAA has trusted ASU to train their helicopter aviation safety inspectors for years,” said director of operations Justin Watlington. “By awarding this training contract to ASU, the FAA demonstrates that they remain confident in our knowledge and experience. It also affirms our continued focus on saving lives through expansive training. We are committed to making sure that anyone using night vision goggles to aid in nighttime operations has all the tools necessary to come home safely after each flight. A vital part of that is proper training.”
ASU’s training will take place in Boise, Idaho, in the high desert mountains and in remote areas where low-light conditions made it ideal for training. ASU has trained pilots and crews from around the world that fly in extreme conditions for unique missions.
For initial NVG flight training FAA pilots and inspectors will receive eight hours of classroom training, two hours of daytime flight training and 10 hours of NVG flight training. Recurrent training will also be conducted at the Boise ASU site.
“We continue to champion the use of night vision goggles around the world to save lives and increase safety,” said ASU president Jim Winkel. “Our aviation community can look forward to a safer tomorrow as more advocates for flight safety like the FAA receive NVG training and gain valuable insight into safe NVG flight operations. We are committed to allocating resources to further education and training not only in the United States, but also around the world. We appreciate the vote of confidence by the FAA and look forward to working with them soon.”
Earlier in the year, ASU also obtained approval from the FAA as the first 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 single-engine operator approved to fly both cargo and passengers in fixed-wing aircraft while using night vision goggles.
