People who interfere in any way with aviation operations should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
In the news:
Incidents of Laser Points Aimed at Aircraft Have Spiked, and It Has the Air Force Concerned
Oct 12, 2023 Military.com | By Thomas Novelly
“Air Force investigators are raising the alarm over a significant increase in laser pointers being aimed at aircraft, with more than 9,000 incidents reported last year alone.”
“Personal laser pointers, small beam projectors used for everything from professors during college lecture presentations to motivating your cat to exercise at home, can cause serious damage to a pilot’s eyesight and result in distractions for aircraft, according to a press release from the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations this week.”
“There have been several incidents of lasers being aimed at military aircraft in recent years.”
“While many of the cases are pranksters or citizens playing around with their hand-held pointers, the Pentagon has warned of more serious interference from other nations, too.”
Listen up bad guys:
“Firing lasers at aircraft can blind aircrew members during critical moments of landing,” the Pentagon said in a statement at the time. “In the incident where the minor injuries occurred, a C-130 was landing at the base when it was painted by a laser beam. The aircraft managed to land safely, and the two aircrew members are recovering.”
“But locating the individuals responsible for pointing a laser at an aircraft isn’t an easy task, involving witnesses and evidence, as well as communication from the pilots and crew with local law enforcement.”
Blogged about it back in 2018:
Non-terrorists find the weak links – Drones and Lasers at Port Angeles
Possibly of interest:
Below, are some random thoughts and questions newspeople will not ask. Our questions appear in bold type.