adverse event means any event or incident in which life, health or property is:
(a) lost or damaged in, on or by a helicopter in which NVIS are used; or
(b) at significant risk of loss or damage in, on or by a helicopter.
Note The following are some examples of significant risks: a near miss; NVIS equipment failure, malfunction or abnormal operation; the failure, malfunction or abnormal operation of NVIS-related or affected equipment; unintentional I.M.C. penetration; inadvertent loss of visibility; abnormal degree or accelerated onset of fatigue.
aerial fire fighting means an operation, in an operational area for a fire, to fight the fire from the air using:
(a) a flight crew of 2 pilots, or at least 1 pilot and 1 aircrew member; and
(b) either:
(i) a helicopter from which incendiaries for controlled burning are dropped by means of a device operated by a person specifically carried for that purpose (incendiary dropping) provided that the operation is supported by an operational safety case approved in writing by CASA; or
Note If acceptable to CASA, an operational safety case may be in the form of, or include, relevant additions or supplements to the operator’s operations manual for the aerial fire fighting.
(ii) a helicopter in accordance with clause 3C in Appendix 3.
aerial fire fighting support means an operation for:
(a) the tactical insertion or extraction of firefighting crews in an operational area for a fire; or
(b) the carriage of persons to map, locate or observe fires, or to control or direct firefighting operations.
Note In this Order, aerial fire fighting support does not include aerial fire fighting in the form of, for example, water bombing.
aided flight means a flight in which NVIS are used in an operational position by trained personnel to enhance night vision.
Note Aided flight is associated with the procedure of goggle-up where the crew member places NVIS in the operational position.
aircrew member means a crew member of a helicopter (other than a supernumerary crew member) assigned by the operator:
(a) to assist the pilot in the operation of the helicopter; or
(b) to operate the winch on the helicopter; or
(c) to supervise rappelling or sling load operations; or
(d) to supervise or assist a medical, paramedical or rescue crew member in the performance of his or her duties on the helicopter; or
(e) to use an auto-hover system to position, or reposition, the helicopter by inputs to an auto-hover trim control (this is known as crew hover).
approved operator means an operator who has the approval mentioned in subparagraph 1 (c) (iii) of Appendix 1 to use NVIS.
CAR 1988 means the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988.
CASR 1998 means the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.
conforming HLS means a HLS that:
(a) conforms to the guidelines contained in CAAP 92-2(2) for a Secondary HLS, as if those guidelines applied for an NVIS operation; or
(b) under the requirements of a risk assessment prepared by an NVIS operator for a particular operation, has a level of safety at least equivalent to that arising under subparagraph (a).
de-goggle means the action of transferring from NVIS flight to non-NVIS (unaided) flight by removing the NVIS from a usable position.
Note The expression is also used as a command and is opposite to goggle-up.
Department of Defence support means an operation, carried out by a civilian NVIS operator, which meets each of the following requirements:
(a) the operation is:
(i) approved in writing by the Department of Defence (DoD) as being in support of the functions of the DoD; and
(ii) provided at the request of the DoD; and
(iii) carried out under a written agreement with the DoD;
(b) the operation is for 1 or more of the following:
(i) aerial surveillance, or assisting with aerial surveillance;
(ii) aerial photography, or assisting with aerial photography;
(iii) retrieval, or assisting in the retrieval, of inanimate objects.
devoid of surrounding cultural lighting means that at 500 ft above the terrain, and any object on it, in an area there is insufficient ground lighting to maintain an unaided visible horizon.
disaster or emergency relief means an operation:
(a) by an operator who has been requested, by the government of a State or Territory which has declared a disaster or a state of emergency, to carry out an operation requiring use of NVIS to assist in controlling, mitigating or managing the effects of the disaster or emergency; and
(b) that is not otherwise an NVIS operation under this Order.
emergency medical services means an operation where transportation is required to facilitate emergency or medical assistance by an aircraft carrying 1 or more of the following:
(a) medical personnel;
(b) medical supplies (including equipment, blood, organs or drugs);
(c) ill or injured persons, and other persons directly involved in, or associated with, their retrieval or care.
FAA means the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States.
fire mapping, as a form of aerial fire fighting support, means the carriage of 1 or more persons to map, locate or observe fires.
GNSS means the Global Navigation Satellite System.
goggle-up means the action of transferring to NVIS flight by placing the NVIS in a position where it may be used by the crew.
Note The expression is also used as a command and is opposite to de-goggle.
head of operations for a Part 141 operator, has the same meaning as in Part 141 of CASR 1998.
Note The head of operations (however described) is one of the key personnel for a Part 141 operator. See regulation 141.020 of CASR 1998.
head of operations for a Part 142 operator, has the same meaning as in Part 142 of CASR 1998.
Note The head of operations (however described) is one of the key personnel for a Part 142 operator. See paragraph 142.025 (b) of CASR 1998.
HLS means a helicopter landing site.
HLS-NVIS standard means a HLS that:
(a) subject to subparagraphs (b) and (c), is a conforming HLS; and
(b) is unlit; and
(c) is not required to have a wind direction indicator.
HLS operations for a helicopter means:
(a) take off or landing at a HLS; or
(b) operations at a HLS that do not involve a landing on skids or wheels; or
(c) HLS similar operations:
(i) that are approach to the hover, winching, sling load operations, rappelling, hovering, deplaning, emplaning or similar types of operations; and
(ii) for the conduct of which each relevant crew member is qualified.
IFR capable, for a helicopter, means that the aircraft is:
(a) equipped for IFR flight in accordance with the regulations; and
(b) operated by a crew who meet the relevant requirements for IFR flight under Part 61 of CASR 1998.
incendiary dropping, as a form of aerial fire fighting, means using incendiaries for controlled burning dropped from a helicopter by a person specifically carried for that purpose.
law enforcement, for an operation, means an operation for the enforcement of the laws applying in Australian territory, including, customs, waterways or border protection laws.
lowest safe altitude, or LSALT, has the same meaning as in the CASR Dictionary.
Note Under Part 1 of the CASR Dictionary, lowest safe altitude (LSALT) has the same meaning as in the AIP.
marine pilot transfer means an operation, in accordance with Civil Aviation Order 95.7.3, to transfer a marine pilot from:
(a) land to ship; or
(b) ship to land or
(c) ship to ship.
minimum NVIS crew means the minimum number of NVIS pilots and NVIS crew members required for a particular flight or operation.
Note CASA approval is not required for a person to use NVIS only for observation or surveillance that is not the primary means of terrain avoidance for safe air navigation using visual surface reference external to the aircraft. However, a person engaged in such unapproved use is not part of the minimum NVIS crew.
MOS means Manual of Standards.
NVD, or night vision device, means night vision enhancement equipment fitted to, or mounted in or on, an aircraft, or worn by a person in the aircraft, and that can:
(a) detect and amplify light in both the visual and near infra-red bands of the electromagnetic spectrum; or
(b) provide an artificial image representing topographical displays.
NVFR means night visual flight rules.
NVFR capable, for a helicopter, means that the aircraft is:
(a) equipped for flight in night VMC in accordance with the regulations; and
(b) operated by a crew who meet the relevant requirements for NVFR flight under Part 61 of CASR 1998.
NVIS, or night vision imaging system, means a self-contained binocular night vision enhancement device, usually including goggles, that:
(a) is helmet mounted or otherwise worn by a person; and
(b) can detect and amplify light in both the visual and near infra-red bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.
NVIS aircrew member means a person who:
(a) has successfully completed NVIS aircrew member training and is qualified in accordance with this Order; or
(b) is an NVIS aircrew member instructor.
Note An NVIS pilot, NVIS flight instructor, NVIS flight examiner or a CASA FOI may qualify as an NVIS aircrew member or an NVIS aircrew member instructor by complying with the relevant training and competency requirements of Appendix 3.
NVIS aircrew member instructor means an NVIS aircrew member qualified in accordance with this Order to instruct NVIS aircrew members.
NVIS basic HLS means a HLS that conforms to the guidelines contained in CAAP 92-2(2) for a Basic HLS, as if those guidelines applied to an NVIS operation.
NVIS CCF, or NVIS capability check flight means a periodic check of the capability of an NVIS aircrew member in accordance with this Order.
NVIS checking pilot has the same meaning as in subclause 17.2 in Appendix 3.
NVIS compatible lighting means aircraft interior or exterior lighting with spectral wavelength, colour, luminance level and uniformity, that has been modified, or designed for use with NVIS, and does not degrade or interfere with the image intensification capability performance of the NVIS beyond acceptable standards.
NVIS competency training means training undertaken by an NVIS pilot, or an NVIS aircrew member, for NVIS flight in accordance with the relevant training requirements and competency standards mentioned in this Order.
NVIS co-pilot means a person who:
(a) is the holder of an NVIS rating with an NVIS endorsement in accordance with Part 61 of CASR 1998; and
(b) is not an NVIS PIC, an NVIS PICUS or an NVIS pilot dual.
NVIS flight examiner means:
(a) a person who, in accordance with Part 61 of CASR 1998, is the holder of:
(i) an NVIS rating with an NVIS endorsement; and
(ii) a flight examiner rating with an NVIS flight test endorsement; or
(b) a CASA NVIS FOI.
NVIS flight instructor means a person who, in accordance with Part 61 of CASR 1998, is the holder of:
(a) an NVIS rating with an NVIS endorsement; and
(b) a flight instructor rating with an NVIS rating training endorsement.
NVIS flight time means time spent in NVIS-aided flight by an NVIS aircrew member, an NVIS pilot or a person receiving NVIS flight training, during an NVIS operation.
Note NVIS flight time should be logged in the specialist column of the aircrew flying log book.
NVIS FOI means a CASA flying operations inspector appointed in writing to carry out some, or all, of the duties of an NVIS flight examiner.
NVIS initial training means training to qualify a person for an NVIS aircrew member qualification.
NVIS operation means 1 or more of the following operations under the VFR or the IFR using NVIS as the primary means of terrain avoidance for safe air navigation by means of visual surface reference external to an aircraft:
(a) search and rescue;
(b) law enforcement;
(c) aerial fire fighting;
(d) aerial fire fighting support;
(e) emergency medical services;
(ea) disaster or emergency relief;
(f) marine pilot transfer;
(fa) Department of Defence support;
(g) pilot training for 1 or more of the operations mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (f);
(h) an NVIS flight for demonstrating NVIS technology;
(i) a positioning flight for an operation mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (f);
(j) training, testing and proficiency checking in accordance with Part 61 of CASR 1998 for an NVIS rating or endorsement;
(k) NVIS competency training for:
(i) an NVIS pilot conducted by an NVIS operator’s TCO or Part 142 operator in accordance with this Order; or
(ii) an NVIS aircrew member conducted by an NVIS operator’s TCO in accordance with this Order.
(l) training and testing for a person to qualify as an NVIS aircrew member in accordance with this Order for 1 or more of the operations mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (f);
(m) an NVIS CCF for an NVIS aircrew member in accordance with this Order.
NVIS operator means an operator approved by CASA under clause 2 of Appendix 1 to conduct 1 or more NVIS operations, and whose approval has not been suspended or surrendered.
NVIS pilot means a person who is the holder of an NVIS rating with an NVIS endorsement in accordance with Part 61 of CASR 1998.
NVIS proficiency check means a proficiency check of an NVIS pilot in accordance with the requirements under Part 61 of CASR 1998 for such a check.
NVIS training pilot has the same meaning as in subclause 17.1 in Appendix 3.
old NVG training provider means an NVIS operator who:
(a) immediately before 1 September 2014 — was, in Australia, an “NVG training provider” within the meaning of that expression as defined in subsection 1 of this Order as in force immediately before 1 September 2014; and
(b) is approved in writing by CASA, on or after 23 December 2016, for this definition.
operator means an AOC holder, a Part 141 operator or a Part 142 operator.
Part 141 certificate has the same meaning as in Part 141 of CASR 1998.
Part 141 operator means the holder of:
(a) a Part 141 certificate under which Part 141 flight training for an NVIS rating or NVIS endorsement is approved; or
(b) a CASA approval under regulation 141.035 of CASR 1998 for Part 141 flight training for an NVIS rating or NVIS endorsement.
Part 142 authorisation has the same meaning as in Part 142 of CASR 1998.
Part 142 operator means the holder of a Part 142 authorisation under which Part 142 flight training for an NVIS rating or NVIS endorsement in multi-crew operations is authorised.
resolution means the capability of NVIS to present an image that makes clear and distinguishable the separate components of a scene or object.
RTCA/DO-275 means the document titled Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Integrated Night Vision Imaging System Equipment, referenced RTCA/DO-275, dated 12 October 2001, of RTCA Inc., Washington, USA.
search and rescue means an operation by an aircraft to search, locate, rescue, or provide immediate assistance to, a person threatened by a grave and immediate danger or a hostile environment.
system, for NVIS, means the system in which all of the elements required to operate an aircraft effectively and safely using NVIS are integrated, including NVIS and associated equipment, NVIS compatible lighting, other associated aircraft components and equipment, associated training and recency requirements and continuing airworthiness.
Note NVIS is synonymous with aviator night vision imaging systems, sometimes called ANVIS.
the regulations means CASR 1998 and CAR 1988.
TCO, or training and checking organisation, means a training and checking organisation approved by CASA under subregulation 217 (1) of CAR 1988 for this Order.
TSO means Technical Standard Order of the FAA.
unaided flight means the NVIS is in a non-operational position when night vision is not being enhanced by any other means.
Note Unaided flight is associated with the de-goggle procedure where the crew member places the NVIS in the non-operational position.
use, in relation to NVIS, means use as the primary means of terrain avoidance for safe air navigation by means of visual surface reference external to the aircraft.
1A Clarifying definition
In this Order, to remove doubt, the abbreviations IFR, IMC, VFR and VMC have the same meaning as I.F.R., I.M.C., V.F.R., and V.M.C., respectively.