There’s something about laser beams that makes them perfect for exploration. Not only the kids, but these devices also stimulate the animals and entertain them. Laser pointers’ red and green lights keep kids from getting bored, help pets lose weight, and enhance mental stimulation.
While exploring how far these bright lights can travel, kids are often prompted to point them at flying objects. While it is alright to point a laser at birds, intentionally pointing it at an airplane can seriously threaten aviation safety. Not only this, but the culprit might also face a penalty for pointing laser at aircraft.
Anyone who’s recently purchased a laser pointer pen must use it safely, legally, and with proper caution. This article will explore why it is dangerous to point it at an aircraft to heighten public awareness of the safety risks to air traffic operations and passengers.
Table of Contents
It Can Incapacitate The Pilot
Pointing a laser beam at an airplane comprises the peripheral vision of the pilot, leading to incidents as they control it. If the device is high-powered, it can flood the cockpit with light, causing temporary vision loss, which can risk the lives of passengers. It can also hinder a pilot as they may get distracted by misinterpreting the light for a threat signal.
If the pilot incapacitates, they may make mistakes, thus risking the lives of passengers on board. That’s why when purchasing a high-powered laser beam, users must understand that the light exposure level appears much more intense to the pilot than it appears to them. If people don’t use the device legally and carefully, they might have to pay the penalty for pointing a laser at aircraft.
It Can Cause Ocular Damage
The culprit might not know it, but using the beam in a sensitive flight zone can expose the pilot to serious visual hazards, thus temporarily disrupting their vision. It is so because laser pointers produce intense glares, which are unsafe for the eyes. If such an incident occurs, the pilot may look away from the cockpit windscreen to adjust the vision. Doing so is highly dangerous for the passengers.
Some pilots may require medical attention as the bright lights coming out from the device can cause ocular damage when their retina exposes sensitive pigments. According to the BBC, a pilot suffered permanent eye damage during one such occurrence.
It Puts People’s Life At Risk
The indiscriminate selling of laser lights without warning has increased the number of airplane accidents in the last few years. Ignorant people do not understand that green lasers can wreck the retina and flash-blind the pilot at the wrong point. It can put the lives of the flyer and the passengers at risk by impairing their vision during the critical phases of flight, such as take-off and landing.
Wrapping Up
Directing a laser pointer pen or another bright light at an airplane is becoming a significant issue nowadays. During the last few years, there has been a tremendous spike in the number of such reports, causing the authorities to worry and take serious action against such people.
Hopefully, this article helps everyone understand that laser strikes can temporarily blind a flier and imperil an aircraft by disorienting them during take-off and landing. Doing so is extremely dangerous and is a federal crime. While it is not easy to bait the suspect and identify the perpetrator, it is not impossible. Because of all these reasons, it is good to use high-power lasers with proper care and caution.