Aviation Specialties Unlimited

Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) is a night vision company in Boise, Idaho. It sells night vision goggles, image intensifier tubes, mounts, test equipment and accessories. It was founded in 1995 and has more than 30 years of experience in aviation night vision. The company describes itself as a single-source partner for operators worldwide.

Its E3 night vision goggles are about 30% lighter than the AN/AVS-9. The E3 PANO has a 97 degree panoramic field of view and a system weight of 660 grams. The E3 PANO received FAA Technical Standard Order approval in 2026. The company also launched white phosphor NVGs to civil aviation in 2014.

ASU runs an NVG support lab for inspection, repair, certification and calibration. Most inspections and recertifications are completed within 48 hours of receiving the equipment. Services include 180-day certification and Hoffman 126A Test Set calibration. Customers can start a service request online.

The company offers FAA-approved training for pilots, crews and maintenance personnel. Its military-trained instructors design programs around customer goals. Courses include initial, recurrent, CFI and maintenance training, held in Boise or at the customer's location with the customer's aircraft. It has trained more than 8,000 pilots.

Its NVIS work covers custom aircraft modifications, lighting integration, engineering change orders and certification. It has completed more than 2,000 NVIS aircraft modifications. It holds an extensive supplemental type certificate list from the FAA, EASA, TCCA, ANAC and CASA. The company also supports customers through certification steps and export compliance.

ASU holds FAA Part 135 air carrier, Part 133 rotorcraft external-load, Part 137 agricultural aircraft, Part 141 flight school and Part 145 repair station approvals. It has ISO 9001:2015 certification and a Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) for aviation components.

ASU received an APFIT award for initial procurement of its next generation wide field of view NVGs for USSOCOM. Early NVG users include Enloe and Mercy Medical Centers and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. Customers quoted on the site include Transport Boston Medflight and PHI Air Medical.

Services

• NVG sales
• NVG service and recertification
• Pilot and crew training
• NVIS aircraft modifications
• Equipment modifications
• Image tubes
• NVG mounts and battery packs
• NVG test equipment
• Technical publications
• PMA parts