The Royal Australia Air Force (RAAF) 285th Squadron has engaged Night Readiness to provide Approach Training for C-130 aircrew using the Virtual Terrain Board (VTB). The VTB is a classroom-based system designed to train aircrew in the use of night vision goggles (NVGs) and forward-looking infrared (FLIR). The VTB projects a large image onto the classroom screen, and when trainees view the screen through their actual NVGs, the projected light stimulates goggles themselves making the scenes look astonishingly real.
A large set of instruction scenarios are included with the VTB allowing instructors to create various curriculums including:
- Fundamentals of the Human Visual System
- An introduction to the their NVGs
- Field of view
- Illumination considerations
- Shadows
- Terrain and cultural albedos
- Cultural lighting
- Misperceptions and Illusions
- The effects of weather and weapons fire
- Under and through the goggle differences including FLIR
- And more
The Approach Landing modules requested by the RAAF include:
- Low altitude approaches under normal and IR lighting schemes
- The effects of ground illumination by normal and IR lighting.
- Many high resolution 3D objects and obstructions on approach.
- Pilot activated lit, IR lit, and unlit airfields under a variety of conditions making acquisition of the runway challenging.
These modules will be modified and adopted into the VTB curriculum.
Night Readiness was also recently mentioned in The Defense News for the overall training role the VTB fills at RAAF. The full story may be found on the Defense News website at: http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/air-force/2016/02/13/synthetic-environment-supports-australian-c-130j-training-remediation-program/80100712/
About Night Readiness, LLC
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Night Readiness, LLC delivers high-fidelity, state-of-the-art yet cost-effective night vision goggle training systems to military (US and International), law enforcement, emergency medical services and other government and public-use civilian agencies.