CHANUTE — When a call comes in for an EagleMed helicopter in the dark of night, Lead Pilot Jerry Daniels is more confident in his ability to respond as he flies from Chanute Municipal Airport.
He and other pilots now are trained in use of the latest generation of night vision devices, which permits them to see nearly as well in pitch-black darkness as they can in the middle of the day under clear skies.
“The big advantage is safety,” said Daniels, 42, who has about 2,000 hours flying helicopters and nearly five years as an EagleMed pilot.
Night vision equipment, an innovation of War World II and a staple of the military ever since, gives the user images that resemble black and white television with a green tint. Goggles used by EagleMed personnel have a field of view of 40 degrees, but essentially are unlimited by the amount of ambient light — from the stars and moon or occasional artificial sources — available during nighttime hours.
A demonstration inside a darkened closet at EagleMed living quarters at the Chanute airport showed how remarkable the night vision apparatus is. All in the closet was easily seen.
Daniels noted night vision capabilities had improved significantly from just a few years ago.
“Unlike what you see in the movies, bright lights don’t have any effect on a user,” he said. “You aren’t blinded. Today’s goggles filter out bright lights and keep images easily in view.”
EagleMed is the first among Kansas’ air ambulance companies to provide night vision goggles to flight crews. Training started in the summer, under protocols developed by the military.
Daniels was the first Chanute-based pilot to use the technology when he flew a night mission in mid-November, and he is quick to applaud its merits.
“We can land places now where we couldn’t before,” because of concerns about not knowing what obstacles might be in the way, Daniels said. “Like all things, they have limits, but the goggles add significantly to the safety of a mission and our ability to respond quickly.”
LAST WEDNESDAY, with fog and light rain grounding the EagleMed helicopter, Daniels had time to reflect on his years as a pilot.
He recalled that “it’s kind of funny that I’m flying out of the Chanute airport. When I was 10 or 12 my dad (Garry Daniels) was taking flying lessons here and I got to ride in the plane with him sometimes. Ever since then I wanted to fly, learn to be a pilot.
“Now, I’m flying out of the very same airport,” said Daniels, who lives southeast of Humboldt half a mile from where he was raised.
His career with EagleMed started after he had acquired substantial experience flying helicopters.
Daniels spent 12 years piloting Army helicopters in 21 years of National Guard duty and four of 17 years as a Kansas High Patrol trooper flying helicopters out of Salina. While with the Guard he spent about a year flying in Iraq and Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
His time with EagleMed has been the most rewarding, he said.
“EagleMed has the best of the best personnel, very talented people,” Daniels said. “This is the best mission of all for a helicopter pilot, helping people who are seriously ill or have been injured in an accident.”
