There is no doubt that an engine-out in a single at night is objectively more dangerous than in the daylight. Unless you happen to be on top of a lighted airport, knowing what you are going to find when you meet the earth is a bit of a dice roll. Synthetic Vision is a big help in keeping you out of the big rocks of course, but wouldn’t it be nice to actually SEE a mountain clearing, a large field, or a country road? How about if you pick out a nice unlighted runway shown on your EFIS – but it happens to be a night-time party spot for deer or wild horses? They aren’t going to show up in the computer models! What you need is a way to see in the dark…
I have been flying recently with just such a way – a FLIR pod (Forward Looking InfraRed) that is offered by Grand Rapids Technology, with the video displayed on the Hx (and now Hxr) screen with flight data overlaid. It looks for all the world like what you might see on a Predator video on the evening news. The Pod mounts to an inspection cover under the wing of the RV, and adds no noticeable drag or yaw moment. The wiring is simple, and a little video converter turns the composite video into a USB data stream that feeds into the GRT EFIS. GRT is needing to do some tweaks right now to the video interface because the folks that build the converter changed something, which means GRT needs to do some re-coding….so they told me to say that they can’t fill orders for it immediately – but they are hoping to make it a priority. They’ve actually had the FLIR pod for a couple of years, pretty much as long as the Hx has been around, and had video capability….they just haven’t been marketing it much. I, for one, think they should!
I posted two videos to YouTube that we shot out at Big Bear Lake during the Thanksgiving timeframe. They say a lot more about what this thing can do than any words I can use! Make sure that you select the highest quality video – 720p is what I was able to see – that makes the video crisp.
The first is a video of the just the FLIR screen through about 140 degrees of turn and then back the other way. The location is just west of the Big Bear Lake Dam, and the view sweeps from southwest to near north and then back. You can see Lake Arrowhead near the end, just before the LA Basin comes into view. I shot this with the camera held at my chest while Louise flew from the back seat – see how well she was able to hold altitude, at night, with no view of the panel!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM-KkjmcljQ
And this one is a left-hand traffic pattern, low approach, and climb-out at Big Bear Lake, runway 26. It was shot shortly after sunset and includes a view of both the Synthetic Vision screen, FLIR Screen, and out the window (over the glare shield) all at the same time. It starts late on downwind – you might want to bring up the area on Google earth to familiarize yourself with the terrain. On downwind, you can see a flat narrow valley on the FLIR out in the distance. In the turn to base, that valley and a dry lakebed to the east of Big Bear is clearly visible. HiTS is enabled on the Synthetic Vision screen and was used for glide slope reference. Note that on short final, you can see the runway markings on the FLIR - it is very readable! (The ear tube on my Halo gets in the way at one point – sorry!) This was shot by Louise holding the camera over my shoulder from the back seat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IxBaoKR3A0
Necessary for flight? No, of course not....but it does mitigate some risk of night and low weather operations. Another way to mitigate those risks is not to fly in those conditions of course. The FLIR simply adds to the toolbox for those who want a little bit more margin.
Enjoy!
Paul
I have been flying recently with just such a way – a FLIR pod (Forward Looking InfraRed) that is offered by Grand Rapids Technology, with the video displayed on the Hx (and now Hxr) screen with flight data overlaid. It looks for all the world like what you might see on a Predator video on the evening news. The Pod mounts to an inspection cover under the wing of the RV, and adds no noticeable drag or yaw moment. The wiring is simple, and a little video converter turns the composite video into a USB data stream that feeds into the GRT EFIS. GRT is needing to do some tweaks right now to the video interface because the folks that build the converter changed something, which means GRT needs to do some re-coding….so they told me to say that they can’t fill orders for it immediately – but they are hoping to make it a priority. They’ve actually had the FLIR pod for a couple of years, pretty much as long as the Hx has been around, and had video capability….they just haven’t been marketing it much. I, for one, think they should!
I posted two videos to YouTube that we shot out at Big Bear Lake during the Thanksgiving timeframe. They say a lot more about what this thing can do than any words I can use! Make sure that you select the highest quality video – 720p is what I was able to see – that makes the video crisp.
The first is a video of the just the FLIR screen through about 140 degrees of turn and then back the other way. The location is just west of the Big Bear Lake Dam, and the view sweeps from southwest to near north and then back. You can see Lake Arrowhead near the end, just before the LA Basin comes into view. I shot this with the camera held at my chest while Louise flew from the back seat – see how well she was able to hold altitude, at night, with no view of the panel!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM-KkjmcljQ
And this one is a left-hand traffic pattern, low approach, and climb-out at Big Bear Lake, runway 26. It was shot shortly after sunset and includes a view of both the Synthetic Vision screen, FLIR Screen, and out the window (over the glare shield) all at the same time. It starts late on downwind – you might want to bring up the area on Google earth to familiarize yourself with the terrain. On downwind, you can see a flat narrow valley on the FLIR out in the distance. In the turn to base, that valley and a dry lakebed to the east of Big Bear is clearly visible. HiTS is enabled on the Synthetic Vision screen and was used for glide slope reference. Note that on short final, you can see the runway markings on the FLIR - it is very readable! (The ear tube on my Halo gets in the way at one point – sorry!) This was shot by Louise holding the camera over my shoulder from the back seat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IxBaoKR3A0
Necessary for flight? No, of course not....but it does mitigate some risk of night and low weather operations. Another way to mitigate those risks is not to fly in those conditions of course. The FLIR simply adds to the toolbox for those who want a little bit more margin.
Enjoy!
Paul
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