Lasers and Aircraft

[peejman]

I received the following via email and thought it pertinent to share here as lots of folks have lasers mounted on their weapons. You might be tempted to shine the laser at a passing aircraft. The FAA thinks that's a bad idea.

You are subscribed to page updates for the Federal Aviation Administration. A new press release is now available. We've included a copy of the release in this email.

Press Release – FAA to Impose Civil Penalties for Pointing Lasers into Cockpits

For Immediate Release

June 1, 2011

Contact: Tammy Jones or Paul Takemoto

Phone: (202) 267-3883

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt announced today that the FAA will begin to impose civil penalties against people who point a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft.

“Our top priority is protecting the safety of the traveling public. We will not hesitate to take tough action against anyone who threatens the safety of our passengers, pilots and air transportation system,†said Secretary LaHood.

“Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is not a joke. These lasers can temporarily blind a pilot and make it impossible to safely land the aircraft, jeopardizing the safety of the passengers and people on the ground,†said FAA Administrator Babbitt.

The FAA released a legal interpretation, which finds that directing a laser beam into an aircraft cockpit could interfere with a flight crew performing its duties while operating an aircraft, a violation of Federal Aviation Regulations. In the past, the FAA has taken enforcement action under this regulation against passengers physically on-board an aircraft who interfere with crewmembers.

Today’s interpretation reflects the fact that pointing a laser at an aircraft from the ground could seriously impair a pilot’s vision and interfere with the flight crew’s ability to safely handle its responsibilities. The maximum civil penalty the FAA can impose on an individual for violating the FAA’s regulations that prohibit interfering with a flight crew is $11,000 per violation.

This year, pilots have reported more than 1,100 incidents nationwide of lasers being pointed at aircraft. Laser event reports have steadily increased since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005 to collect information from pilots. Reports rose from nearly 300 in 2005 to 1,527 in 2009 and 2,836 in 2010.

In 2010, Los Angeles International Airport recorded the highest number of laser events in the country for an individual airport with 102 reports, and the greater Los Angeles area tallied nearly twice that number, with 201 reports. Chicago O’Hare International Airport was a close second, with 98 reports, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport tied for the third highest number of laser events for the year with 80 each.

So far this year, the Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth areas each have recorded more than 45 laser events. The Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Houston areas each have recorded more than 30 laser events.

The increase in reports is likely due to a number of factors, including greater awareness and outreach to pilots to encourage reporting; the availability of inexpensive laser devices on the Internet; stronger power levels that enable lasers to hit aircraft at higher altitudes; and the introduction of green lasers, which are more easily seen than red lasers.

Some cities and states have laws making it illegal to shine lasers at aircraft and, in many cases, people can face federal charges. The FAA is prepared to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to assist with criminal prosecutions arising under those laws.

Legislation that would criminalize purposefully aiming a laser device at an aircraft is currently pending in Congress. The Senate included this language in the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, which it passed on Feb. 17, 2011. On Feb. 28, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would enact a similar penalty for shining lasers at aircraft. Both bills are awaiting further action.

Broadcast quality video and audio from Secretary LaHood and Administrator Babbitt discussing today’s announcement and the dangers of shining lasers into aircraft cockpits are available for download via the following links:

Administrator Babbitt Audio:

https://dotmediacenter.onehub.com/d/4g6v/

https://dotmediacenter.onehub.com/d/9j13/

Administrator Babbitt Video:

https://dotmediacenter.onehub.com/d/2n3k/

https://dotmediacenter.onehub.com/d/xs7j/

Follow the FAA on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FAA and Twitter http://twitter.com/faanews

[East_TN_Patriot]

Can't say I've ever had the urge to point my laser at aircraft... not that I think it's a particularly good idea... but seems like they are making a mountain out of a molehill on this issue. Can you imagine the near impossibility of a laser being in a perfect line of sight of the pilot to hit their eye and cause such instant and intense eye damage that they couldn't land the plane? And all that with a little laser that loses it's power the further from the source it gets?

Edited June 2, 2011 by East_TN_Patriot

[Mike.357]

sounds like typical gov't action that makes people feel like they will be safer when in reality it does not do anything at all.

[Guest bkelm18]

Just ban lasers. Only terrorists use them anyway.

[Guest Bronker]

Just ban lasers. Only terrorists use them anyway.

Or just ban terrorists from air travel. Especially laser-toters.

[Guest monkeyhumper]

I bought two class IIIa green lasers from eBay for about $12, and they are shockingly powerful. I have no issue with hefty fines for idiots who purposefully shine these things at aircraft.

Sent from my Etch a Sketch

[Guest gw2and4]

Doubtful the 5mW weapon-mounted lasers are at issue here. Their throw is barely visible at 200 yards, even using the green lasers with the most visible wavelength of 532nm. Seems this is more related to the gray market higher powered lasers that can decisively hit a plane at 5 miles or more. A friend of mine once demonstrated the range of their 200mW green 532nm laser and it was scary bright at extreme distances...

[Caster]

Hmmm, wonder what would happen if I pointed one at all these apaches that fly by every week. J/K

[Guest Lester Weevils]

The main offenders are likely just irresponsible idiots. On the other hand have read that in some places like LA which contain numerous antisocial residents, police helicopters cruising over certain localities might get simultaneously lit up from multiple sources.

Help me if I'm forgetting major applications for low-power green lasers here--

1. People who just think green lasers are kewl toys but do not have a specific application in mind. According to the nature of the Gaussian bell curve, a certain percentage of them will be idiots.

2. Shooters with laser sights.

3. Amateur Astronomers.

Green lasers have a characteristic absent in red lasers-- At night, especially if the eye is dark-adjusted, green lasers light up the air. You see a green line in the sky stretching out apparently "to infinity".

So if an astro-nerd is giving a formal or informal lecture about the sky, he can point to the objects of interest in the sky and his audience will see the bright green line in the sky and easily find what astro-nerd is pointing at.

For the same reason, green lasers make a fabulous gross-pointing device mounted on telescopes. To get the telescope pointed in the ballpark, switch on the green laser and just point the green line in the sky at the desired location. Then remember to turn it off afterwards.

Probably most folks who paint aircraft with lasers are irresponsible moronic idiots, but amateur astronomers have to be careful. They have to check out the sky before switching on the laser, to make sure they don't ACCIDENTALLY light up an airplane. And then remember to turn off the laser after the telescope has been aimed.

Most shooters would not be idly sweeping the sky with a weapon-mounted laser. That would be the territory of fools and amateur astronomers.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Lester Weevils

[Guest monkeyhumper]

Most shooters would not be idly sweeping the sky with a weapon-mounted laser. That would be the territory of fools and amateur astronomers.

Who else is going to stand guard against the impending alien zombie rectal probing invasion???????????????????????

[Guest clownsdd]

They just busted a couple of guys in Memphis for shining them off a hotel roof downtown at tow boats, cars and planes.

[peejman]

As stated, the issue is primarily the high power green lasers. The likelihood of hitting a pilot directly in the face is quite low. However, the laser beam can hit the multi-pane glass and refract and "dazzle" the cockpit (think disco ball). The cockpit windows can act as a beam splitter. I doubt you'd appreciate it if the pilot was trying to blink the spots away and trying to recover his night vision on final approach at 500ft and 150mph with your family on board.