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UK: Pilots at Blackpool Airport want action taken about laser pen incidents

A series of laser pointer incidents have led pilots from Blackpool Airport to call for action.

One pilot said “We want this to stop before we have to dig one of our aircraft out of the beach…. Incidents like this are happening more and more frequently, three different occasions recently, and that’s just our pilots – there are many more flying clubs and school at Blackpool Airport.”

An incident on September 22 2017 happened to a pilot flying prior to a fireworks competition. A laser came from the crowd, deliberately tracking the aircraft. He said “The whole cockpit lit up, it was a real shock.”

2017-09 Blackpool Airport 01_250px 2017-09 Blackpool Airport 02_250px 2017-09 Blackpool Airport 03_250px
Three frames from the Sept. 22 incident show the laser, barely visible in the first photo, lighting up the cockpit window in the second photo and nearly obscuring all ground lights in the third photo.


Blackpool Airport is in Lancashire, in northwest England. There do not appear to be any suspects or arrests in the recent incidents.

From The Gazette