A California man, the first in the U.S. to be convicted at trial for interfering with pilots by beaming lasers at planes, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on November 2, 2009.

Dana Christian Welch, 37, of Orange, California was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Welch also is to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherilyn Peace Garnett said. Read More...

Tags: US, California, Dana Welch, Airplane

Serie A football club Napoli have been fined €15,000 (about $22,000 USD) after their supporters shone a laser into the eyes of AC Milan goalkeeper Dida during a game on 28 October 2009.

From FourFourTwo.com

Tags: Italy, Laser lout, Football

In early September 2009, an air ambulance pilot was illuminated by a laser while transferring a patient to an Ottawa hospital. A news report in early November said that he "suffered retinal damage ... is still off work nearly two months later .... [and] could remain off work for another three months."

It was not clear from the story what type of aircraft -- fixed wing or helicopter -- the pilot was flying at the time.

Captain Barry Wiszniowski of the Air Canada Pilots Association, stated "Our judicial system has to understand the severity of the consequences. It would be catastrophic if a pilot was impaired by a laser and lost all situational awareness."

More statistics and information from Canadian OH&S News.

Tags: Canada, Ottawa

In Reno, Nevada, police officers shot and critically injured a man who aimed a replica pistol's laser beam at them.

Officers responded to a report of a suicidal man with a gun. They ordered 44-year-old Charles James Bishop to drop the realistic-looking pistol. When he raised it towards them and the laser moved towards the officers, they fired.

More details from RGJ.com

Tags: US, Reno, Weapons

A 17-year-old from South East Wales who shined a laser pointer at a police helicopter in July 2009, has apologized in person to the crew. The youth, identified only as "Dennis" visited the crew as part of a "restorative justice programme" to show the implications of his actions.

The pilot was quoted as saying "Dennis has learned how dangerous this type of incident can be, and I hope that others will understand the same lesson."

Full story, with photo of the meeting, from BBC News

Tags: UK, Helicopter, Apology

Torben Merriott, 63, was arrested for shining a flashlight (torch) at an RAF Apache helicopter, after being awakened at 1 am by two gunships which were on a military exercise. The arrest for was "suspicion of endangering an aircraft by dazzling the pilot." He was held for nine hours before being bailed out of jail. The charge carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail.

Merriott said the gunships sounded like an "earthquake" and were "10 feet above my garden" in his farmhouse near Eye, Suffolk. News reports said he used the flashlight to identify the aircraft, during the September 18 2009 incident.

The flashlight was readily available and cost £8.45 (US $13.86). Merriott owns a theatrical lighting firm that has lit flying helicopters at a Buckingham Palace event. He insists he did not put the aircraft at risk: "Don't tell the Taliban that all they need is an eight-quid torch to bring down multi-million-pound high-tech gunships."

Full story, with photo of Merriott and a torch, from the Daily Mail.


UPDATE: Charges were dropped two days after the incident. Merriott said he was considering making an official complaint:
"I cannot help feeling that to keep me locked up for nine hours is pretty vindictive, when I was happy to make a statement. It was heavy handed and I think they were trying to teach me a lesson."

Update from EDP24

Tags: UK, Flashlight, Torch, Torben Merriott, Helicopter

BBC News has a 2 minute video that provides a good overview of "laser air attacks" in the U.K. There is footage of lasers hitting a helicopter during a police exercise (starting at 0:44), plus a brief look at a teen who was jailed for illuminating an aircraft.

Some of the more interesting quotes:

• Pilot Kevin Medlock: "It's so brilliant, it takes away part of your vision for a few minutes at least. We fly an aircraft, 148 passengers, making an approach to landing at 170 miles per hour. The consequences of someone shining a laser in my eyes at that stage of flight isn't worth bearing the consequences." Medlock was hit by laser beams twice in one month.
• "What's worring experts is the rate at which the problem is growing:" 29 U.K. attacks in 2007, 206 attacks in 2008, and 461 in 2009 (through September).
• (video of teen walking into court) "This man said he was trying to see how far his laser could reach. Dean Bottomley was sent to jail."
• Captain Bob Jones, U.K. Civil Aviation Authority: "We're trying to raise the awareness of the general public, rather than worry or frighten them."

When the video is over, there are additional links to BBC News videos of laser pointer incidents.

Tags: Airplane, Video, UK, Helicopter, Dean Bottomley

The Tasmanian state government introduced legislation to ban unlawful possession of laser pointers in public places.

The move was a result of "a number of incidents" where high-powered pointers had been used to target aircraft.

The amendment to the Police Offenders Act would make it illegal to intentionally direct a laser beam at any person, animal, vehicle or aircraft. "The proposed offenses related to all laser pointers but did not include their use by surveyors, astronomers, medical professionals and those in the construction and mining industries."

More details are available from The Examiner

Tags: Australia, Tasmania

Pilots have been reporting an increasing number of potentially deadly attacks on commercial jets with laser pointers during night landings at major German airports.

According the country’s DFS air traffic authority, reports of laser pointer incidents in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Saarbrücken have spiked in recent weeks. One particular incident where a laser pointer caused a “disturbance” is under investigation by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation (BFU), the organisation reported.

“In our assessment this is very dangerous,” DFS spokesperson Kristina Kelek said on Thursday. Read More...

Tags: Germany, Airplane

A 22-year-old Columbus (Ohio) area man was arrested and charged with a felony, after shining a laser gunsight onto a medical helicopter and then an investigating police helicopter. Officers on the ground found Jared T. Shapiro with the laser, attached to a high-powered rifle.

More details at WBNS 10TV

Tags: US, Columbus, Helicopter, Jared Shapiro

For the second night in a row, someone shined a bright laser into the cockpit of Erie County (NY) sheriff's helicopter. The suspects appeared to be "copycatting" an incident the night before, when three Buffalo area men were arrested and charged with felonies.

The second-night suspects were not found, as of the following day.

More at WIVB.com and the last two paragraphs of this Buffalo News story.

Tags: US, Helicopter, Copycat, Buffalo

Three men from the Buffalo, New York area face felony criminal charges after pointing a green laser at a FedEx airplane and at a local sheriff's helicopter. The helicopter was used to locate the men, Timothy J. Voigt (42), his son Eric Voigt (20) and Bradley J. Campbell (28), who all face multiple counts of felony reckless endangerment. Local officials said the crime "is being reviewed by the FAA and the FBI, with the possibility of additional federal charges."

The helicopter pilot was quoted as saying that if you shine laser pointers at pilots, "there's a good chance you're going to wind up in jail. At the worst, you could bring down an aircraft and kill a lot of people."

Full story from The Buffalo News

Tags: US, Helicopter, Airplane, Buffalo, Timothy Voigt, Eric Voigt, Bradley Campbell

Two men were arrested and charged with felonies, accused of aiming a laser pointer at a commercial airplane as it approached Port Columbus (Ohio) International Airport on September 14. They also are accused of pointing the laser at a Columbus police helicopter.

Dennis Smoke, 45, was arrested with Levi Milstead, 19. Each is charged with two counts of pointing a laser at an aircraft and one count each possession of criminal tools. Conviction carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

More details from The Columbus Dispatch

Tags: US, Airplane, Helicopter, Columbus, Dennis Smoke, Levi Milstead

LaserPointerSafety.com is pleased to note that a major Internet laser distributor is adding text to their labels, warning against shining the laser at aircraft. The label text reads:

WARNING: DO NOT SHINE YOUR LASER AT AN AIRCRAFT
Shooting a laser at an aircraft is considered a felony in the U.S.

The new label is being introduced in September 2009 by Wicked Lasers. They have a significant presence on the Internet, marketing a wide range of lasers for pointing, burning/cutting, and general purpose uses.

Earlier in 2009, Wicked began a major push to ensure compliance with U.S. federal laws for laser products. To their credit, Wicked went beyond current U.S. requirements and also added the warning text about aircraft.

Since LaserPointerSafety.com was founded one year ago, we have urged sellers, distributors and manufacturers to add such labels -- in all countries, not just for U.S. lasers. It is unclear whether Wicked Laser’s new aircraft warning text will be on all their lasers, or just U.S. models. Even if it is just for the U.S., it is an important start.

We want to thank Wicked Lasers for this move. It is the right thing to do, the moral thing to do ... and the smart thing to do, in order to help keep handheld lasers legal in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Read More...

Tags: FDA, Wicked Lasers

Serial pests found guilty of shining powerful laser beams towards planes may face life imprisonment, the Police Minister has warned.

A Brisbane man was last night charged after allegedly shining a green laser beam towards a plane.

It is believed he is the second Queenslander charged under tough laser light regulations introduced last year in Section 26 of the Summary Offences Act.

Police Minister Neil Roberts said speedy police work led authorities to the 20-year-old man in Ashgrove, who allegedly shone a green laser pointer towards the cockpit of the private plane just before 6pm last night.

Under the legislation, alleged offenders face a minimum of two years' jail, although any person found to shine a laser beam with the "intent to cause harm" can face life imprisonment. Read More...

Tags: Australia, Life imprisonment

A 21-year-old UK woman was sentenced to 6 months in jail for shining a laser pointer “for a laugh” at a police helicopter in Staines, just outside London Heathrow Airport. However, Natasha Forster’s sentence was suspended and she was ordered to carry out 180 hours of community service instead. The judge also ordered the laser to be destroyed.

A police inspector was quoted as saying “The sentence handed out sends a clear warning to anyone else considering such reckless behaviour. Endangering an aircraft is a criminal offence and it will not be tolerated.”

From the Richmond-Twickenham Times and The Independent.

Tags: UK, Helicopter, Natasha Forster

A number of laser pointers and similar products are being banned and withdrawn from the market by the Malta Standards Authority.

The Authority said that these products posed a risk to users. They had an integral Class III laser which was harmful if the beam produced was pointed towards the eye. Some also produced an electric discharge.

Retailers having these products on their shelves were requested to remove them and to contact the agents supplying them to ensure their recall.

Consumers who had these products in their possession should return them to the place of purchase. The Authority warned retailers that all similar products which would be found on the market would be confiscated.

From the Times of Malta. Read More...

Tags: Malta

A 32-year-old man was arrested in Reading, about 50 miles west of London, for shining a green laser beam on a police helicopter. The officers on board used cameras to guide ground units to the suspect. The man was charged with endangering police officers.

A police spokesperson was quoted as saying “Shining a laser at an aircraft is extremely dangerous. The front windscreen has thousands of tiny scratches on its surface, which diffract the laser beam in every direction. Essentially, the laser beam lights up the whole of the windscreen in a bright glow, which can potentially blind the pilot."

From BBC News

Tags: UK, Reading, Helicopter

Peter Hind, 38, of Shirebrook in Nottinghamshire, UK, was sentenced to 150 hours of community service for aiming a laser at a police helicopter. He would have received eight months in jail, except that he is the only caregiver for his 12-year-old son. The judge said “he made a stupid mistake but sending him to prison would punish his child more.”

From the Mirror.

Tags: UK, Peter Hind, Helicopter

18-year-old Dustin Brown of Carmichael, California was arrested August 19 2009 for aiming a laser at a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter. He was charged with a felony; the maximum penalty under state law is three years in jail; under federal law it is 20 years and a $250,000 fine.

The story noted that “at least six other people have been busted for pointing lasers at aircraft in the Sacramento area over the past several months.”

From CBS13 news in Sacramento, CA

Tags: California, Helicopter, US, Dustin Brown, CHP

The Dutch pilots' association VNV wants it made a criminal offense to shine a laser beam in a pilot's face. The organization will be talking with the Justice and Transport ministries.

The VNV says pilots at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport are increasingly being harassed by people on the ground shining laser beams into their cockpits. Several dozen incidents have been reported to the border police, air traffic control and the VNV. The police have recently been patrolling the area around Schiphol more often on the lookout for people with laser pointers.

The pilots' association says the problem has actually existed for about ten years but nobody has ever been arrested. A few years ago they approached the government about it but nothing was done.

The VNV now gives special advice to pilots about laser beams and how to respond to light shining in their faces during landing. A powerful laser light is visible in an airliner's cockpit from 1200 meters off the ground. At 300 meters and lower it can seriously impair the pilot's vision.

From Radio Netherlands Worldwide Read More...

Tags: Netherlands

A 26-year-old student faces possible life imprisonment on a charge of “prejudicing the operation of an aircraft” by shining a laser pointer at a Quantas aircraft as it neared Adelaide. He was also charged with “acts to endanger life” and “carrying an offensive weapon”.

Irfan Bozan, a student from Turkey, pointed the laser at aircraft and passing cars.

From ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) News.

Update: At an August 19 court hearing, Bozan told the court that when he was a soldier in Turkey, he was trained in the use of lasers on weapons. He said the lasers he used during his compulsory 15-month term with the Turkish army were much more powerful. Read More...

Tags: Australia, Life imprisonment, Weapons

Two professional baseball players were targeted with a green laser pointer, during a July 25 2009 game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. One of the players said he was “scared for his life”. Footage of the incident is at YouTube. Read More...

Tags: Laser lout, TV, Baseball

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration presented their views on the hazards of powerful laser pointers, in a webpage and in a downloadable PDF brochure. According to Cdr. Dan Hewett of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, “When used responsibly, lasers are safe. However, a powerful laser, used irresponsibly, is unsafe, particularly when misused as a toy or directed at people, vehicles or aircraft.”

FDA is especially concerned about laser pointers above 5 mW, and about aircraft incidents. “In 2008, pilots reported a total of 950 cases of laser light striking an aircraft or illuminating a cockpit....The distraction from flash blindness could cause a serious accident.”

Read More...

Tags: US, FDA, CDRH, Labelling

A story in the Vancouver Sun by Lori Culbert lists many Canadian incidents in recent years (2005-2009). Her reporting was based in part on searching Transport Canada's online reporting system CADORS. Culbert's list of incidents includes:

• A Cessna pilot flying over downtown Vancouver on May 25 2009, who had "flash blindness for a few seconds"
• More than two dozen reports of lasers being directed at airplanes in British Columbia since 2000.
• About 100 incidents of laser beams pointed at aircraft across Canada, since 2005.
• A Cessna pilot in June 2008 who "experienced slight vision impairment, and for safety reasons requested a wide left-hand 270-degree turn ... for brightness recovery and a stabilized approach".
• A helicopter co-pilot in November 2007 who looked at a laser and "was experiencing sun spots [sic] in her vision, which continued for the remainder of the flight."
• At least three incidents, two in June and one in November 2008, where Royal Canadian Mounted Police pilots were targeted.
• In July 2008, a Calgary man was fined $1000 after pleading guilty to shining a laser at an Air Canada flight.

Even more incidents are in the full story.

Culbert's story also lists the first attack LaserPointerSafety.com is aware of on a blimp: "A green light was pointed into the cockpit of a blimp over Victoria's [B.C.] shoreline in October 2005. [CADORS reported that] 'several laser attempts were made and the pilot said he was affected twice. Quite aggressive attempts were made by the person using the laser light according to the pilot.' "

Tags: Canada, Vancouver, CADORS, Transport Canada, Blimp

A 22-year-old was fined £4000 (US $6500, Euro 4500) for flashing a laser beam at pilots in a rescue helicopter. On Nov. 1 2008, an RAF Sea King helicopter was carrying a teenager injured in a climbing accident. Rosen Romanov dazzled the pilots who were at an altitude of 1000 feet over homes in Caol, Fort William, in Scotland.

The pilots felt that it was only their night-vision goggles, which reduced the glare, that saved them from a “tragic crash”. Romanov was found guilty of culpable and reckless conduct and was fined the record amount.

From the Daily Record.

Update: In late August 2009, Romanov’s lawyers appealed, saying “the fine was maybe suitable for the offense, but not enough consideration has been given to his financial circumstances.” A hearing was scheduled for September 10. From the Press and Journal.

Tags: Scotland, Rosen Romanov, Helicopter

21-year-old Hossein Hosseiny was sentenced to 4 months in jail for endangering the safety of an aircraft by shining a laser into the cockpit of a landing airplane. In addition, he received another 6 months for supplying drugs that had been found by officers tracking down the laser pointer misuse.

Hosseiny, originally from Afghanistan, was in the UK after seeking asylum in 2002. As a result of his laser assault and subsequent convictions, he was served with a deportation notice.

In the March 2009 incident, the airplane pilot said he had a "momentary loss of concentration" due to a "dazzling green light" as the plane was landing at Cardiff (Wales) airport. The trial judge stated that "The consequences of such an action could have been catastrophic. Fortunately there was no catastrophe and the aircraft landed safety."

More details from BBC News.

Tags: UK, Cardiff, Hossein Hosseiny, Airplane

UK police are testing a Laser Event Recorder (made by Optra) on a helicopter, to record the GPS location and take photos of incidents. The LER also analyzes the laser wavelength, which can help in identifying the laser used: “it’s a little bit like matching a bullet to a gun”. A BBC News article with video and photos demonstrates how the LER and thermal (infrared) imaging are used to catch perpetrators.

1: Police helicopter is targeted by laser pointer on the ground. 2: Helicopter crew use Laser Event Recorder to locate pointer via GPS, and record its wavelength. 3: GPS details enable helicopter’s thermal (infrared) camera to find suspect, and send police patrol on the ground to arrest the person.

In addition, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority is planning new laws prohibiting shining a laser at an aircraft. Currently, prosecutors have to prove that the laser user “recklessly or negligently endangered an aircraft”.”

BBC quotes Bob Jones, head of flight operations at the CAA: “"To those individuals targeting aircraft with laser devices the message is clear -- don't. You will be caught and you will be prosecuted and you could spend up to five years in prison. These things are not toys, they pose a serious risk to all flight safety."

Many more details, including photos and a video of a helicopter finding a laser perpetrator, are at the BBC News website.

Tags: UK, Helicopter, Laser Event Recorder, Manchester, Optra, CAA, Infrared camera, Video, TV

A 29-year-old man from Roseville, CA was arrested and indicted for shining a green laser at a Southwest Airlines flight and at a police helicopter looking for the source of the Southwest incident. The incident occurred on March 16 2009. On April 2, he was indicted by a grand jury.

The acting U.S. Attorney, Larry Brown, stated in a press release “Federal authorities have recognized lasing of aircraft as an increasingly serious problem and have formed a working group to investigate and prosecute offenders. This is because the focused beams of a laser remain powerful even at a long distance and can expose pilots to radiation [light] levels above those considered to be flight safe. Brief exposure to even a relatively low-powered laser beam can cause discomfort and temporary visual impairments, such as glare, flash blind, and afterimages." Read More...

Tags: US, California, Southwest Airlines, Airplane

An Air Canada Airbus 320, was hit by five laser flashes as it approached Toronto Pearson International Airport.

CTV Toronto reported that "[t]his is estimated to be the sixth such incident in Toronto in the past year. About a dozen have occurred in Ontario, and more than 30 across Canada."

More details from CTV.ca

Tags: Canada, Airplane, Toronto, Air Canada

According to FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown, there have been 148 laser attacks on aircraft in the U.S., in less than two months (from January 1 to Feb. 23, 2009). This is an average of 2.7 incidents per day.

On Friday, Feb. 20, 2009 alone there were reports of incidents in Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Orlando, Florida; and Burbank and San Jose, California. On Sunday, Feb. 22, 12 different jetliners landing in Seattle were illuminated by an unknown person with a laser pointer.

Information from a CNN story on the Feb. 22 Seattle attacks; see paragraphs 6 and 7. There is also a video version of this story at CNN’s website.

Tags: US, Airplane, Video, TV

Pilots on 12 jetliners landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Sunday, Feb. 22 2009, reported that someone was shining a green laser light into their cockpits.

All the planes were targeted during a 20-minute period Sunday night, and all landed safely. But the incident led to pilots simultaneously trying to avoid being temporarily blinded by the light while trying to help authorities pinpoint its source, believed to be about a mile north of the airport.

Air traffic controllers continuously cautioned pilots about the light during the episode, which lasted from 7:10 to 7:30 p.m. PT.

A pilot reported the source to be a block and a half west of an interstate. Airport authorities said they conducted two searches of the area but did not find the culprit.

Officials note that it is a federal crime to point a laser light at an aircraft, and pilots are required to report encounters with laser lights. Officials fear that the lights could cause an accident by blinding pilots or otherwise affecting their night vision.

The FBI has “made it a priority” to investigate laser incidents, according to CNN reporter Jeanne Meserve.. MSNBC reports that the Transportation Safety Administration is also involved in the investigation.

Additional details from CNN and MSNBC. A CNN video of the news story “Lasers aimed at planes”, reported by Jeanne Meserve, is also available from CNN’s website. The video adds information on the FBI which is not in the website print version.

Tags: US, Seattle, Washington state, Airplane, Video, TV

A Lake Forest Road boy faces charges for shining a green laser beam at motorists, including a Bay Village patrol officer. [Bay Village is in Ohio, 15 miles west of Cleveland.]

A motorist first called police at 9:40 p.m. Feb. 7, saying he had just seen a green laser beam in his car. He waited for police and pointed to the house where the light had come from. Officers talked to the home owner, who said his sons had a green laser. The boys denied shining the light at traffic. Police told the brothers not to shine the light at cars and searched their bedroom, but didn't find the laser.

About 7:30 p.m. the following evening, an officer on routine patrol was blinded by a green laser beam coming from a passing car. The patrolman stopped the car. It held one of the boys who has been warned the day before. The boy denied having the laser, but it was eventually turned over to police. Charges are pending, Chief David Wright said in a news release.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Tags: US, Cleveland, Car, Motorist

A Cleveland-area man who shined a green laser into the cockpits of airplanes and a helicopter last June will spend three years in prison after pleading guilty to those crimes and separate drug-dealing charges. Justin Dewalt, 26, pleaded guilty to several felonies and was sentenced Friday, officials said.

According to the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) prosecutor's office, the laser incidents unfolded this way:

Dewalt bought a high-power laser off the Internet and brought it to a party June 4 2008. That night, flight crews of two planes about to land at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport reported that someone hit their cockpits with a laser. One airliner carried about 20 people, the other about 100.

About an hour later, a laser hit the cockpit of a MetroHealth Medical Center helicopter flying a patient to the hospital from Elyria.

The helicopter pilot told Cleveland police the area where the laser came from and when a pilot for the police helicopter flew over to investigate, he, too, was hit in the eye by a laser that was coming from a moving car.

Cleveland police stopped the car a short time later and found Dewalt in the back seat with a laser.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer. See also Fox News.

Tags: US, Cleveland, Justin Dewalt

The driver of an automobile reported being distracted by a green laser in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland according to police. They appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

More details at the BBC News website.

Tags: Car, Motorist, UK, Scotland

A 19-year-old was arrested and jailed for shining a laser pointer at a sheriff’s deputy.

On January 1 2009, a Hornbrook, California homeowner called the sheriff’s office about a man on the homeowner’s porch. “When deputies arrived and began to question Jonathan Lee Huellett, he allegedly pulled out a laser pointer and began shining it in the deputy’s face and on his chest. Huellett was arrested on suspicion of using the laser pointer on the deputy.” He spent the night in jail. He was released, but on January 3 was arrested again for resisting and obstructing a peace officer. [It is unclear from the story if this resulted from a separate incident, or was a charge from the original laser pointer incident.]

Four days later, when the news story was published, he remained in jail.

From the Redding (CA) Record Searchlight online, at www.redding.com

Tags: US, California

A 19-year-old man who shone a laser pen into an aircraft, temporarily blinding the pilot, has been sent to a young offenders' institution for four months.

Ben Philip Vout targeted a KLM flight coming in to land with 40 passengers at Durham Tees Valley Airport in northeast England, in August 2008. He also shone the device at a police helicopter sent to investigate.

Vout, 19, and from Heslop Street in Thornaby had earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of endangering the safety of an aircraft.

Teesside Crown Court was told that the KLM flight had to be landed by the co-pilot.

From BBC News

Tags: UK, Airplane, Helicopter

Airline pilots in Ireland want a ban on handheld laser pointers, after “a number of pilots were dazzled” while landing at Dublin’s airport. Captain Adrian Hinkson of IALPA wants the lasers classified as weapons; it would be illegal to possess a laser pointer without a license.

The Irish Aviation Authority has said ten incidents have occurred since September 2008. Aer Lingus airlines said six of their flights were targeted “in recent months”

From RTE News. The article also has links to two RealAudio video reports on the pilots’ call for restrictions, and on the Dublin incidents.

Tags: Ireland, IALPA, Dublin

A YouTube video taken from a helicopter in Bucharest includes a brief laser illumination. The frame grab below shows the view as the laser reaches maximum brightness.



Below is the YouTube video (click the play triangle to start the video). The laser incident happens from about 5:00 to 5:04 in the video.

The illuminations are don’t appear to be as bright or disruptive as those in the UK helicopter footage here. However, no matter how low-powered the laser or how brief the illumination, lasers should NEVER be aimed at helicopters, aircraft or other vehicles.




Thanks to Andy Faulkner of Laser Shows S.R.L. in Bucharest for bringing this to our attention, and to Peter Broerse of DMXLASER in the Netherlands for the frame grab.

Tags: Romania, Bucharest, Helicopter, Video

Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Zac Robinson was hit by a laser pointer during a game Nov. 15 2008 against the University of Colorado. Robinson had to take a timeout because he was distracted by the incident. Fortunately for Robinson, the following play was a 29-yard touchdown pass -- so there, CU fans!

The story here has a photo showing the pointer on his jersey and helmet. ESPN has a video which also shows the incident.

Tags: US, Football, Laser lout, Video

A video report from the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) describing the increasing concern over laser pointers; 2 min 46 seconds long. Reporter Nancy Wood gives background.

Also, there is a related print story from the CBC website. It does not have the same voiceover as the video report, but does go over similar points, including this one:

"We don't want this to become a bigger hobby — a bigger, stupid hobby," said Serge Beaulieu, spokesman for the Air Canada Pilots Association.

Tags: Canada, Video, TV

Canadian pilots are calling for better labelling on laser pointers and tougher penalties for those caught beaming the blinding lights at airplanes after incidents across the country more than doubled over the last year.

According to Transport Canada, there have already been 56 occurrences this year [2008] compared with 21 in 2007. The department has recorded a total of 83 since 2005.

"The increase in the number of laser events that are occurring in Canada and around the world are alarming to us," said Capt. Barry Wiszniowski of the Air Canada Pilots Association. "The laser events that are occurring are probably one of the greatest safety concerns that we have right now as a profession."

Wiszniowski said the industry is calling on laser manufacturers to develop labelling that will contain warnings similar to those on tobacco products.

He is also encouraging the courts to issue stiffer penalties to offenders.

Many more details at Metronews

Tags: Canada, Transport Canada, Labelling

A court in French Polynesia has sentenced a man to 15 days in jail for pointing a laser at an aircraft. The incident happened last month [September 2008] when the man pointed the laser at an Air Tahiti plane.

Police, who were alerted by the pilot after he was blinded, say the man was unaware of the risks his action posed.

There is no regulation in French Polynesia on the sale of lasers which can be beamed up to 17 kilometers.

From Radio New Zealand International

Tags: French Polynesia, Air Tahiti, Airplane

A news report shows a helicopter-eye view of a laser incident. Here is a frame grab from the video, showing the laser when it is on the cockpit:



Click to play the full YouTube video:



Some might say that the laser in this incident looked “manageable”. But there are a number of issues:

• The person might have bad aim. With care or a tripod, this could have been much worse.
• The laser might be relatively low-powered, such as 5 mW or less. If a higher-power laser was used, obviously the light would be much brighter.
• We are seeing what a camera sees. The human eye could be more bothered by the laser hits.
• The pilots are obviously distracted, in two major ways. The light itself is distracting, plus they are concentrating on this incident (trying to find the perpetrator). They are taking time away from “normal” police work to have to deal with this situation.
• If the police had been able to find the perpetrator, he or she would have been arrested. This would quickly turn a “prank” into a serious, expensive matter for the person. (Search this page for the categories Arrests and Fines and jail to see that this is a real possibility.)

As stated elsewhere in this website, levels of laser light which may seem reasonable to laser enthusiasts cause problems for pilots. The simplest solution is to NEVER aim a laser at an aircraft.

Thanks to “Nordhavn” from laserpointerforums.com for bringing this video to our attention

Tags: UK, Helicopter, Video, TV

High powered laser pointers have been seized by trading standards officers at a container port in Suffolk. The seized pointers are illegal in the UK as their power rating of 5 milliwatt (mW) is more than the 1mW allowed.
Read More...

Tags: UK, BALPA

The number of pilots' complaints of being blinded in the cockpit by laser pointers has dramatically risen over the last two years.

As of October 17 this year, Transport Canada had received 46 reports of incidents involving "directed bright lights" being shone at a civilian airplane's cockpit from the ground, says Jean Riverin, a spokesman for the national regulator. This compares with 21 reports for all of 2007, and only three each for 2006 and 2005. When Transport Canada receives a complaint, adds Riverin, "we notify the RCMP or local police, who coordinates the investigation."

It is an offense under section 74.1 of the federal Aeronautics Act to "engage in any behaviour that endangers the safety or security of an aircraft in flight." A violation of the act can lead to a maximum penalty of $100,000 or five years imprisonment following a conviction, or to $25,000 or 18 months imprisonment following a summary conviction.
Read More...

Tags: Canada, Calgary, Transport Canada

A sharp increase in the number of pilots being temporarily blinded by lasers while landing or taking off has Transport Canada reminding people that conviction for the crime can result in jail time and a large fine.

Earlier this year a Calgary man was arrested and prosecuted for pointing a laser into the cockpit of a plane. He was the first to be caught and convicted for committing the offence, and received a $1,000 fine.

Spokesperson Maryse Durette said fines and jail time can range up to a maximum $100,000 fine for a summary conviction, and up to five years in prison. Read More...

Tags: Canada, Calgary

A California man was sentenced earlier this week to two years in jail, for shining a 3.3 milliwatt laser at an aircraft. This was reported by a member of the SAE G-10T subcommittee who testified at the man’s sentencing. At this time, we do not have any additional information.

Reported by Patrick Murphy, an ILDA representative to the SAE G-10T subcommittee

Tags: US, California

One man in Manchester was recently jailed for four months for endangering an aircraft after repeatedly shining a laser into the cockpit of a police helicopter from the ground.

The pilot, who was over Stockport at the time, was temporarily blinded. Unable to read his instruments, he had to make dangerous emergency manoeuvres.

This case highlights a growing concern about the inappropriate use of more powerful green laser pens or pointers.

Britain's largest pilots union BALPA has recently warned of a major air disaster unless action is taken.
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Tags: UK, Manchester, Stockport, BALPA, CAA, Helicopter

The internet trading companies eBay and Amazon [in the UK] are removing high-powered green laser pens [pointers] from sale on their sites.

The move follows a BBC investigation which found some of these potentially dangerous products were being sold irresponsibly by individual traders.
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Tags: UK, eBay, Amazon, Internet, HPA