The Devon and Cornwall Constabulary helicopter says it has become the first aircraft to be certified by the CAA for full-time use of NV goggles by the pilot and observer. Captain Ian Payne told EBAN: “The military has been using these goggles for some years, but this is the first civil registered aircraft in the UK to have them. Other European emergency agencies have in fact been using them with great success for some time, for example Rega, the Swiss air rescue service.”

The goggles allow the pilot to operate in pitch black conditions, by electronically magnifying the amount of ambient light going in. Payne elaborated that a full moon allowed the pilot exceptionally clear vision, as the number of electrons available are amplified and projected onto a phosphorescent screen.

At present there are certain parameters laid down in the police air operations manual, regarding the ability of an aircraft to hover above a place without visual references. Payne admitted that it was very difficult to hover a helicopter in these situations: “The only light in some areas that we operate would be the car headlights on a police van. And if the helicopter itself has a spotlight, the pilot may focus on it too much and even descend without noticing,” he said. “With these goggles you can see someone lighting a cigarette from a couple of miles away, so it is far easier to manoeuvre the helicopter into the right position when looking for a missing person.”

Around fifty per cent of the constabulary’s helicopter deployment involves searching for either a vulnerable runaway, missing person or a disappearance after a criminal act. “The outskirts of somewhere like Plymouth leads straight out onto moorland, and there’s a huge amount of recreational activity at this time of the year, which obviously leads to people getting lost,” said Payne.

Although he believes it is entirely justifiable, Payne said that the expense of operating with the NV goggles will prevent a number of forces from using them. The goggles themselves cost between £10-15,000, and the cockpit must then be adapted to NVG compatibility at a cost of around £90-100,000. This is crucial, as the goggles actually shut down if a bright white light is shone at them, so any lighting in the cockpit which is not green or blue has to be filtered. Although this particular BK117 is a one-off adaptation, Payne says the cost would fall if spread over a number of aircraft, such as the EC135 or 902 models.

Regarding future modifications of the product, Payne said: “Although the cockpit is now certified for NVG operations, there will always be improvements in the goggles themselves, for example making them lighter weight. We are already using generation three goggles.”