Worked With Authorities In Europe, US, Canada

Talk about a team effort. Eurocopter recently worked with the airworthiness authorities EASA, the FAA and Canada's TCCA to earn the first certification providing the EC145 with an Night-Vision Goggle (NVG) aided operation capability. Eurocopter is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to offer this capability to civil operators.

The certification program has been performed on an EC145 configuration based on the French Sécurité Civile configuration. This configuration is using, among others, the MEGHAS display systems and CMA3000 flight management system.

Eurocopter says the certified configuration consists of the installation of a Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) including internal and external aircraft lighting and the operation presently with the following Night Vision Goggles: ITT F 4949 and/or NOGALIGHT NL-93 as well as of application of the rules defined in the dedicated Flight Manual Supplement (FMS 9.2-48).

The helicopter manufacturer called certification a major step enabling civil operators to access NVG operations, thus increasing their mission capabilities and safety during night operations.

Besides the advantage represented by an amended type certificate permitting certification of a complete fleet, this certification offers the implementation of a fully integrated and comfortable solution, developed by the manufacturer itself. This capability extension may be offered for helicopters already in service, even if its implementation is primarily intended for new helicopters.

Two technical requirements have to be fulfilled to extend a configuration to NVG aided operation capability, according to Eurocopter:

• Application of the NVIS rules to all the light sources in the helicopter, which implies adaptation or replacement of all devices not compliant with NVIS. The effort linked to this action depends on the content of each respective helicopter configuration.
• Adaptation of the lighting setting system.

The next step for Eurocopter is to extend this NVG aided operation capability also to the EC135 platform and, on customer request, to develop and certify other configurations, supporting, if required, also further night vision goggle systems.

FMI: www.eurocopter.com, www.easa.int, www.faa.gov, www.tc.gc.ca