AMC2 SPA.NVIS.130(f) Crew requirements for NVIS operations

CREW TRAINING AND CHECKING — NVIS OPERATIONS UNDER IFR

(a) The minimum crew should be two pilots, or one pilot and one NVIS technical crew member.

(b) The crew training and experience should ensure:

(1) efficient scanning of the instruments with the night-vision goggles (NVGs) flipped up or down as defined in the standard operating procedures (SOPs);

(2) proficiency during the transition phase;

(3) proficient use of the NVGs on the visual segments of the flight during which they are expected to be used;

(4) the continuity of a crew concept.

(c) A crew member that is involved in NVIS operations under IFR should undergo initial and recurrent training using a suitable FSTD as part of the normal crew complement. The training should cover at least the following items under a variety of weather conditions and cultural lighting:

(1) transition from instrument to visual flight during the final approach;

(2) transition from visual to instrument flight on departure.

(d) In addition to (b) and (c), a technical crew member that is involved in NVIS operations under IFR should be trained to perform navigation and monitoring functions under IFR, as described under AMC3 SPA.NVIS.130(f). The training should include all of the following on the given helicopter type:

(1) initial and recurrent general training;

(2) initial and recurrent monitoring training;

(3) initial and recurrent navigation training;

(4) initial and recurrent aircraft/FSTD training focusing on crew cooperation with the pilot;

(5) LIFUS.

(e) An FSTD suitable for the NVIS training described in (c) should meet all of the following criteria:

(1) be a helicopter FSTD;

(2) have a NVIS-compatible cockpit;

(3) have a night visual system that can be representative of different moon phases and allows external visual cues to be adjusted to the point where they are no longer visible without NVGs and remain visible with NVGs, when simulating night conditions;

(4) The night visual system should be able to support atmospheric conditions such as:

(i) more than one cloud layer or one cloud layer with a geographically variable cloud base;

(ii) variable visibility; and

(iii) snow, light rain and heavy rain with and without NVGs;

(5) be of a helicopter type on which the crew member is current unless the crew member receives additional training for the use of the FSTD.

(f) The person conducting the training defined in (c) above should be a NVIS instructor and should hold an instrument rating in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011.

(g) The training should have a validity of 12 calendar months. The validity period should be counted from the end of the month when the training was taken. When the training is undertaken within the last 3 months of the validity period, the new validity period should be counted from the previous expiry date.

(h) The flight crew operator proficiency check should include one transition from instrument to visual flight during the final approach, using NVIS. This manoeuvre may be combined with a 2D or 3D approach to minima.

(i) NVIS operations under IFR on more than one type or variant with different levels of automation

(1) The crew member should be provided with differences training or familiarisation.

(2) The flight crew member should perform the manoeuvre defined in (h) each time on a different type or variant.