FAA awards NVG training contract to ASU

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has renewed its training contract with Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) for the provision of night vision goggle (NVG) training to its fixed-wing pilots.

The contract covers both initial and recurrent training for the FAA’s fixed-wing flight standards operations inspectors and aircraft certification pilots.

For initial NVG flight training, FAA pilots and inspectors will receive eight hours of classroom training, 1.5 hours of daytime flight training, and 5.5 hours of NVG flight training. ASU will also conduct recurrent training at its site in Boise, Idaho.

The contract is the third contract for fixed-wing NVG training that ASU has been awarded – the company has been providing these services since 2017. This arrangement was then renewed under a second contract in 2020.

ASU has also been providing training to the FAA’s helicopter pilots since 2007 – the most recent NVG training contract for rotorcraft was awarded earlier this year.

“We have worked hard to earn not only the fixed wing training but also the rotorcraft training contract with the FAA,” said ASU President Joe Estrera. “We appreciate the FAA and look forward to continuing our working relationship with them.”