NVIS Operations Flashcards
Which cells in the eyes are primarily responsible for night and low-light vision?
Rods
Which cells in the eyes are primarily responsible for day or high-light intensity vision?
Cones
Why must you utilise ‘off-centre vision” and proper scanning techniques to see clearly and accurately at night?
Night blind spot for each eye occur in the central field of view.
Also, binocular vision cannot accomodate for night blind spots.
Name some navigation cues / obstacles
Terrain Hydrographic features - water bodies Vegetation Man- made features - wires - towers / antennas - buildings / infrastructure - roads
With regards to moon phases, what does ‘Wanning’ mean?
Shrinking
With regards to moon phases, what does ‘Waxing’ mean?
Growing
With regards to moon phases, what does ‘Gibbous’ mean?
More than 1/2 moon illuminated
With regards to moon phases, what does ‘Crescent’ mean?
Less than 1/2 moon illuminated
Can an RCM be googled up and have NVIS battery mounted to helmet during a hoist?
No - must be removed prior to hoist
What should be shouted in the event of a ‘Single Tube Failure’ ?
GOGGLE FAILURE SINGLE TUBE Failure and your cockpit/ cabin position, eg:
“GOGGLE FAILURE SINGLE TUBE BACK LEFT”
What should be shouted in the event of a ‘Double Tube Failure’ ?
Goggle Failure and your cockpit/ cabin position, eg:
“GOGGLE FAILURE back left”
What constitutes an HLS-NVIS?
An established and permanently lit helipad,
An airfield, lit or unlit,
A sports field, lit or unlit,
What should a crew member shout if they anticipate a brown out or white out during take off or landing?
“Dust, Dust, Dust”
If a crew member loses visual during white out or brown out conditions during take off or landing, what should they shout?
“Lost Visual”
During NVIS hoisting operations OVER LAND, what are the minimum lighting requirements?
ACM: 2 x white lights controllable by the ACM, shining downward and of suffivcient intensity to illuminate the hoist cable and area directly below
PF: 2 x white lights controllable by the pilot in azimuth and elevation without a need to remove hands from fligjht controls
During NVIS hoisting operations OVER WATER, what are the minimum lighting requirements?
A serviceable pilot-steerable search light, adjustable in both pitch and azimuth for the flight controls, and
Sufficient additional lighting shining downward and of sufficient intensity to illuminate the hoist cable and area directly below aircraft
What should be attached to the hoist hook during NVIS hoisting operations?
A cyalume - yellow or orange ONLY
What environmental factors / conditions may hampen the effectiveness of NVIS?
Moon illumination, elevation and azimuth Dust Cloud - type, cover and base Sand Smoke Haze Fog Snow Humidity Dense rain Dense air pollution
Ideally what parameters should be discussed as part of NVIS flight planning?
10nm LSALT = IMC recovery via = Surveyed NVG-HLS Basic = NVG-HLS Basic height AMSL = NVG-HLS Basic track and distance = Descent from LSALT to 1000’ AGL initiated at = Planned low level Nav corridor/r oute = Last light = Moon data =
What is the minimum criteria for operations to/from unlit HLS or HLS-NVG Basic?
- Crew meets minimum requirements and on NVIS
- Exterior lighting sufficient to illuminate HLS (and surrounds)
- NVIS Crewman positioned in rear cabin (providing clearances)
- Minimum lighting requirements are met:
- NVIS Flight: A serviceable pilot-steerable searchlight, adjustable
in both pitch and azimuth from the flight controls - NVIS operations to an unlit HLS: A minimum of two pilot
controlled, exterior landing or searchlights, one of which is
adjustable in both pitch and azimuth from the flight controls - NVIS Winching: Two white lights controllable by the winch
operator, shining downwards and of sufficient intensity to clearly
illuminate the winch cable and the area directly below the
helicopter
- NVIS Flight: A serviceable pilot-steerable searchlight, adjustable
Two white lights controlled by the pilot in azimuth and elevation without removing his hands from the flying control
Note: A single light having two separate energised filaments or a suitable handheld torch may be approved as meeting the requirements for a second light
What is the minimum criteria for operations to/from a HLS-NVG Standard?
- Established and lit hospital pad
- Established and lit helipad
- Airfield
- Football oval (similar size sport field), normal Approach/Departure
gradients - Lighting should be permanent
- Temporary light provided by vehicles is NOT acceptable
What is the criteria for In Flight & Reduced Flight Planning Weather Minima?
- All Company NVIS flights shall be planned in accordance with the
IFR and NVFR flight planning procedures - For operations below IFR LSALT when using NVIS, the
commander shall not continue aided flight when the following
conditions exist: - IFR capable: any cloud below 1000 feet AGL within a 2 nm
corridor either side of track, or an inflight visibility of less than
5000 m - NVFR capable: any cloud below 2000 feet AGL within a 2 nm
corridor either side of track, or an inflight visibility of less than
5000 m - If inflight weather conditions deteriorate below these minima, the
commander shall land, turn back or climb to IFR LSALT
Navigation Cues - Wires
Are a deadly hazard and virtually impossible to see
- Anticipate their location, assume all buildings, roads and railways
have wires – fly wire aware - Assume inside all valleys and across all rivers there is a wire
strung across it somewhere – fly wire aware - An aid to identifying wires can be locating their clear cut path
through vegetation - Poles, towers and cross bracing will be easier to identify than the
wires they support - The use of white light, aided and unaided scan to identify wires
must be conducted prior to descent into any area of operation - Prior to departing a NVIS HLS the maximum use of white light,
aided and unaided scan is imperative as the area background
may provide the necessary contrast to aid in wire identification - It takes the right amount of illumination, the right angle of light
and the right background contrast to see or detect wires
Identifying and rectifying visual illusions
- False horizons - cross check instruments
- Flicker vertigo – turn anti collision light off
- Fascination (fixation) – good NVIS scan
- Confusion with ground lights – cross check instruments, NVIS
scan - Relative motion – good NVIS scan
- Autokinesis - cross check instruments, good NVIS scan
- Size/distance – good NVIS scan, reference object
- Height/depth perception - cross check instruments, reference
- Structural illusion – adjust head position, good NVIS scan
- Altered planes of reference - cross check instruments, reference
- Reversible perspective – good NVIS scan, red–right-returning
- Crater effect – good use of scanned white light
- Lack of motion parallax – good NVIS scan
What is the RIFTO procedure used for?
The departure to be flown when reduced visibility due to white out or brown out is anticipated on departure
What does the RIFTO departure entail?
- PF to level the helicopter and apply max power,
- Once visual reference is regained, the PF is to initiate forward
speed and climb to LSALT - Non-flying crew should provide guidance regarding:
- aircraft attitude,
- drift (best achieved by viewing directly under aircraft),
- call “Visual” when ground visbility regained,
- call aircraft position with reference to ground obstacles
