Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) has been awarded a US Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contract for Night Vision Goggle Pilot Training. Under the contract, ASU will provide the FAA initial and recurrent ground school and flight training in the use of night vision goggles to FAA commercial helicopter-rated inspectors and pilots.
The contract began in late January 2023 and includes the provision of an additional four option years upon completion of the initial base year.
“Winning this contract is a testament to the ASU team and our commitment to night vision training,” said Dr Joseph Estrera, President of ASU. “Not only will we be training FAA employees on night vision helicopter operations, but ASU also holds the night vision training contract for fixed-wing training.”
The contract will also include FAA Air Flight Test Engineers (FTE), providing the opportunity to attend ground school and observe flight training in the aircraft, incorporating compatible instrument panels for night vision goggle operations.
The training will be conducted from its base in Boise, Idaho, allowing inspectors training in remote areas with low-light conditions to experience the challenge of changes in elevation as well as mountainous and desert conditions.
“Boise is an ideal place to conduct training,” added Tony Tsantles, Director of Operations, ASU. “ASU has trained numerous pilots, crew members and FAA inspectors since the company began in 1995. Our goal is to make everyone safer by exposing them to the low-light conditions that enable them to learn to use NVGs more effectively.”
Image: ASU
