"Aircraft Laser Illumination" edited version of FAA & Air Force video

Shorter 10-minute version of "Aircraft Laser Illumination" video jointly produced by FAA and Air Force. Overview of laser illumination incidents and effects on pilots. Editing was done by www.LaserPointerSafety.com.

The original 21-minute version has additional background including information on high-powered lasers, laser light shows, and pilot protective eyewear. It is split into two parts, which are available at YouTube and also at www.LaserPointerSafety.com.

The original video is Approved for Public Release, AFRL-RH-BR-AV-2009-0001

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• laser
• pointer
• FAA
• Air
• Force
• ILDA
• pilot
• aircraft
• illumination
• airplane
• helicopter
• Connor
• edited
• shorter

[ildalasershows]

@MushroomPictures, actual videos from police helicopters are available online. @valhala56, the laser hits the cockpit in 27% of incidents. In about 5% of incidents, the laser tracks the aircraft. In 1.5% of incidents, pilots report eye effects such as glare or flashblindness. There have been over 10,000 incidents 2004 through 2011. @furthager117, goggles have been developed that block green laser light (used in 93% of incidents) while allowing pilot vision of cockpit and airport lights.

[pmurph5]

@TheAirflyer, thanks, but there are a number of problems. Polarized glasses work only against certain types of polarization such as horizontal, vertical or circular. Laser light hitting the cockpit windscreen would be randomly polarized. Also, polarized glasses may make cockpit instruments harder to see. Try wearing polarized glasses and look at various LCD display screens. Finally, pilots are not going to want to routinely wear glasses just because 1 in every 15,000 flights is lased.

[TheAirflyer]

Use Polarized Glasses, they will take all the glare away!

[valhala56]

1700 laser events? I don't think people are intentionaly trying to blind pilots or aircrews. Probaly people just using their lasers outdoors, and a aircrew sees the laser. Also as said in this video it is extremely diffucult to keep a handheld laser pointer aimed at a moving aircraft.

So again they are egaragting laser incidents.

[valhala56]

@furtjager117 Not true, laser goggles filter out only a particular wavelength of light, say 532nm green. you can see everything else fine.

[feathers632]

@furtjager117 I have 2 pairs of laser glasses, the green ones would probably be a problem but the broad spectrum amber would be ok.

[justiceanne]

@DirectorX59 then it doesnt matter if someone points you with laser.

but that would be still bad idea, you may not see some things with protection goggles

[heppu4]

god daym idiots!

[furtjager117]

@feathers632 You have obviously never flow an aircraft. If you have glasses that can render a laser harmless, then you have no chance of actually being able to read the instruments.

[DirectorX59]

@feathers632 and that will help them land the airplane safely, how?