Elbit Systems performed a series of successful demonstration flights using the BrightNite system, a solution that enables utility helicopters to successfully perform Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) missions in more than 90 percent of the nights.
The goal of the flights was to demonstrate the systems’ performance in DVE conditions, in moonless, pitch dark nights, in which flights are rarely executed. Dozens of pilots from a variety of Air Forces around the globe participated in the demo flights, which took place in Israel. Installed onboard an Airbus TwinStar helicopter for the demo, the BrightNite system provided the pilots with night-piloting capabilities similar and even exceeding to those of attack helicopters.
In the sorties that took place during the demonstration flights, the feedback was extremely positive and the pilots emphasized the contribution of the system to flight. One pilot commented: “A breakthrough system that changes flight philosophy…it opens a whole new flight arena… flying with the system was amazing, it was an expierance far above my expectations… the system literally opens any night to flight.. a crucial system for helicopters in night operations…the system is like magic.”
Lightweight, compact and cost-effective, BrightNite is a multi-spectral end to end panoramic pilotingsolution that delivers the essential data directly to both eyes of the pilot, enabling intuitive flight in a head-up, eyes-out orientation in pitch dark and other DVE conditions.
