FAA certification for ASU’s UH-60 NVIS
Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) has obtained a supplemental type certificate (STC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) use on the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter
The aircraft, owned by Firehawk Helicopters, will be used for firefighting. “This certification is essential to Firehawk’s firefighting mission, providing their crews the ability to operate their UH-60 fleet safely while utilizing night vision goggles,” said ASU Director of Business Development Chad St Francis. “Firehawk can continue the ‘air attack’ into the night, taking advantage of the favorable environmental factors common after dusk, such as decreased winds, lower temperatures, and humidity. Also, ground crews and spotter aircraft can utilize ‘IR pointers’ seen only through night vision devices, providing increased situational awareness, identification and tactical management of priority target areas for an efficient night air attack.”
“This aircraft was originally configured for military use, which meant the cockpit lighting was minimal for covert operations. We added NVIS compatible flood and map lights and modified several pieces of equipment to optimize the lighting for both daytime and NVG operations,” explained James Haney, ASU Repair Station quality control manager. “We were pleased with the modification and enjoyed working with the Firehawk team.” Firehawk currently operates a mixed fleet of nine UH-60 and S-70s, and seven Airbus H125s to support wildland firefighting and other commercial endeavors.