MRH90 Archives - The Rotary Wing Show Podcast

Tony Norton talks about some of the features and operating considerations of FLIR as a pilot vision system.

Forward Looking Infra-red (FLIR) systems have been around for a while and used in a search or surveillance function normally by an operator with a control panel. A small number of aircraft are now incorporating FLIR as a pilot vision tool, tracked to the pilots head, as another way of seeing at night or through obscurants such as smoke or dust.

Tony is currently the senior aviation instructor and and standards pilot for Australian Army Aviation. He is approaching 20 years of military instructing and 10 years as a graduate of the National Test Pilot School in the US.

In Episode 82 Tony shared some of his experiences going through test pilot school and his career in the Army. In this episode we concentrate on the capability that FLIR provides and its use as ‘pilotage FLIR’ for extending the vision cues available to helicopter crews.

We also look at the specifics of how that plays out for pilots of the MRH90 ‘Taipan’ which is the Australian Army variant of the NHIndustries NH90.

FLIR is probably most easily explained in comparison to night vision devices. Where NVD/NVGs amplify visible light in dark settings FLIR devices work by detecting the heat given off by objects and the variation between objects.

The wavelength of infrared that thermal imaging cameras detect is 3 to 12 μm and differs significantly from that of night vision, which operates in the visible light and near-infrared ranges (0.4 to 1.0 μm).
-Wikipedia

It’s surprisingly difficult to find good demonstration images for the FLIR output online however there are a number of videos here below on the page that give an idea of the capability.

Along with the FLIR pod, the other major difference for the MRH90 install is the TopOwl helmet. The aircraft can track the motion of the helmet to know where the pilot is looking. This is used to drive the FLIR pod to align with the pilots sight rather than a controller using a manual joystick. Integral to the TopOwl helmet is the projection system which allows NVD or the FLIR image to be superimposed in front of the pilot’s vision – allowing the pilot to look through the image and select between the different input as well as overlay HUD information.

One interesting effect of that is that the pilot can look ‘through’ the cockpit instrument panel or the floor to where the FLIR sensor is pointing as it has an unobstructed picture from outside the aircraft.

The technology brings with it a number of human factors considerations that crews need to train for and work through during a flight. Two quick examples are that only one pilot can steer the sensor and see the FLIR image on their visor at a time (different visual information between pilots and also crew in the rear) and that the eye point of the pilot is now no longer from their own head position but from the front of the aircraft.

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FLIR pod out of the aircraft with aperture visible. Photo: Leonardo Company

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo3sMOgGPCQ

Elbit Brightnite FLIR Demo

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The bulk of Tony Norton’s career has been spent as a Qualified Flying Instructor and Test Pilot in the Australian Army.

If your perfect day sounds like flying a glider in the morning, testing the HV curve in a Kiowa at lunch and then jumping in a Swedish jet interceptor in the afternoon then Tony ‘Squid’ Norton can tell you what it’s like!

This is a good chance to not only find out about test pilot training but to get an instructor’s slant on it in terms of how some of the approaches that the test flying world takes can be incorporated into everyday helicopter training.

“This engine is going to fail on me. How am I going to get out of it? Then fly that departure or that approach.”

NTPS at Mojave Airport in California, very close to Edwards, AFB. Sonic booms are a daily event.

If, strangely, you have wondered how calculus can be applied to flying then Tony can tell you that too. The test pilot course syllabus is very math and engineering heavy more so than a place where pilots go to develop their flying skills.

Tony has extensive Blackhawk experience and has been the senior instructor for Army on the MRH90 type. He spent 3 ½ years posted as a test pilot for the RAAF’s Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) and has provided test flying support since then.

One of Tony’s test tasks at ARDU was MRH90 Dust ops techniques development, as well as NVG ops/formation flight for the type.

On the side Tony also lectures at Griffith University on their aviation degree program and is a professional fish farmer.

In this episode we cover:

Early military years and deployments
Test pilot course and why Tony specifically wanted to attend the NTPS
Risks faced in test flying and some history
Things that you learn on Test Pilots course that you don’t get exposed to in helicopter training
Test pilot lessons that can be incorporated into basic training

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National Test Pilots School website. This is the only civil test pilot school in the US and was the first outside of the military in the world. It is located at Mojave Airport in California.

Example of FLIR improving visibility through smoke.

Have a comment or feedback about Episode 82? Maybe you have some great tips of your own that others can benefit from. Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Tag: MRH90

RWS 84 – Pilotage FLIR with Tony ‘Squid’ Norton

RWS 82 – Test Flying and Lessons Learnt with Tony ‘Squid’ Norton