Narrative:

I am submitting this report to highlight a safety issue that is present with certain EC135 nvg cockpit lighting stcs. The safety issue is that when chin bubble floor mats are utilized while flying nvgs; the pilot's viewing field is restricted / limited while conducting landing operations in our flight profile. My primary concern for submitting this report is to express that the use of chin bubble floor mats; to comply with the stc; is an extremely unsafe practice. Glare shield curtains should be the company's standard when given that option within the stc.some nvg cockpit stcs require either the chin bubble floor mats or the cockpit glare shield curtains to be installed for nvg operations. I operate one of two EC135s as our primary aircraft and from time to time we operate another as a spare. I have found differences in what is or is not required by the stc's for each of these aircraft.one stc requires that either the chin bubble floor mats or the cockpit glare shield curtains be installed while using nvgs. While another stc does not require either in the limitations section; it only has a note stating that if external lights and/or cultural lighting causes distracting glare and reflections; the use of chin bubble carpets is recommended.all of these aircraft have similar landing light configurations yet only one makes it a requirement; a limitation; for either to be installed for nvg operations.I brought this topic up at a base safety meeting to see if the cockpit glareshield curtains could be installed in the one aircraft that requires either. Our mechanics said that the glareshield curtains could be installed and are currently waiting for upcoming scheduled maintenance to install them in the aircraft that has the requirement.once again; utilization of the chin bubble floor mats restrict / limit the pilot's viewing field while conducting nvg operations which is an extremely unsafe practice. Glarshield curtains should be the company's standard when given that option within the stc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An EC-135 pilot reported when using Night Vision Goggles (NVG) and flying an aircraft which requires the instrument panel night vision external light shielding; the chin bubble mat blocks all downward vision thus obstructing obstacles during steep landing descents. The glareshield curtain permits downward vision but also filters the light from the instrument panels.

Narrative: I am submitting this report to highlight a safety issue that is present with certain EC135 NVG Cockpit Lighting STCs. The safety issue is that when chin bubble floor mats are utilized while flying NVGs; the pilot's viewing field is restricted / limited while conducting landing operations in our flight profile. My primary concern for submitting this report is to express that the use of chin bubble floor mats; to comply with the STC; is an extremely unsafe practice. Glare shield curtains should be the Company's standard when given that option within the STC.Some NVG cockpit STCs require either the chin bubble floor mats or the cockpit glare shield curtains to be installed for NVG operations. I operate one of two EC135s as our primary aircraft and from time to time we operate another as a spare. I have found differences in what is or is not required by the STC's for each of these aircraft.One STC requires that either the chin bubble floor mats or the cockpit glare shield curtains be installed while using NVGs. While another STC does not require either in the limitations section; it only has a note stating that if external lights and/or cultural lighting causes distracting glare and reflections; the use of chin bubble carpets is recommended.All of these aircraft have similar landing light configurations yet only one makes it a requirement; a limitation; for either to be installed for NVG operations.I brought this topic up at a base safety meeting to see if the cockpit glareshield curtains could be installed in the one aircraft that requires either. Our mechanics said that the glareshield curtains could be installed and are currently waiting for upcoming scheduled maintenance to install them in the aircraft that has the requirement.Once again; utilization of the chin bubble floor mats restrict / limit the pilot's viewing field while conducting NVG operations which is an extremely unsafe practice. Glarshield curtains should be the Company's standard when given that option within the STC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.