Posted for "Rienk Ayers" <rienk.ayers@sreyaaviation.com>:

 Night Vision goggles may be able to see through smoke and fog better,
 but the issue is more practical than that. No “normal” pilot will be
 able to safely use goggles in flight, let alone in an emergency. Who in
 the world is going to be flying continuously through smoke that is too
 thick for FLIR? Who is going to be flying VFR through fog that is too
 thick for FLIR? What do the regs say about landing in such conditions?
 The issue of goggles’ advantages is a moot point – the only “safe”
 option when it comes to enhanced vision for non military flying is FLIR.
 Neither tool is an excuse to get into otherwise unsafe conditions, but
 it sure does bring peace of mind, and I’m definitely not going to try to
 strap on an awkward headset and lose my depth perception and cockpit
 orientation in conditions that are as stressful as would warrant these
 tools in the first place.
 The cost of FLIR is prohibitive to many, but the advantages are
 unquestionable.
 RA