Four-Part Program is WINGS-Approved

Members of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) recently developed an online course for the FAA Safety Team entitled, Night Vision Goggles (NVGs). Night vision technologies can offer great safety enhancements for select nighttime flight operations. If not properly used, however, NVGs have the potential to cause accidents.

According to course content creator Pat Knight, who is a Master Instructor and Designated Pilot Examiner, “Operational use of NVGs should be undertaken only after pilots have received extensive ground and in-flight training with the equipment. The new course provides an important part of the overall training required.” The presentation incorporates a review of pilot vision with video incorporated from the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI), including details of night vision, impairments of night vision, and principles of dark adaptation. The course explains the basic operation of NVGs, how they increase safety during nighttime missions, how an accident can occur when misusing or failing to use NVGs, the advantages and limitations of NVGs, and the operations, training, and currency requirements from the Code of Federal Regulations.

Master Instructor Russ Still of The Gold Seal Aviation Network packaged the content into the final product for use by the FAA Safety Team. The NVG course is divided into four parts: Introduction, Section One–Video, Section Two–Course Material, and Review/Exam. The course is available at FAASafety.gov.

SAFE represents more than 500 of the industry’s top aviation educators, including numerous local and national General Aviation Award winners in the flight instructor, aviation maintenance, avionics, and FAA Safety Team categories. SAFE is also chairing the GA Pilot Training Reform Symposium in Atlanta, GA on May 4-5, 2011.

For more information:

FAA Safety Team – www.FAASafety.gov

SAFE – www.SafePilots.org