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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a soft-warning on Friday on the very real threat which holiday-light displays which are inadvertently aimed at the sky and not your house pose for pilots flying up there in the sky ferrying people to and fro this holiday season. Lasers can and do cause pilots to be either distracted or temporarily blinded by residential laser-light displays.
The FAA isn’t fooling around. If they become aware of your laser-light display is affecting pilots, they will ask you to adjust them or turn them off. If your laser-light display continues to affect pilots, despite FAA warnings, a civil penalty may come your way. Just this year the FAA has recovered over 8,550 laser strike reports for 2021, far exceeding the total for 2020 of 6,852.
Take a look at FAA’s LASER STRIKE SPREADSHEET.
What does an FAA lump of civil penalty coal look like?
The FAA works with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to pursue civil and criminal penalties against individuals who purposely aim a laser at an aircraft. Civil penalties may be levied for up to $11,000 per violation. Civil penalties of up to $30,800 have been imposed by the FAA against individuals for multiple laser incidents.
Intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety risk and violates federal law. Many high-powered lasers can completely incapacitate pilots who are trying to fly safely to their destinations and may be carrying hundreds of passengers.
The FAA remains vigilant to raise awareness about the dangers of pointing lasers at aircraft and encourages the public to report laser strikes to the FAA and local law enforcement agencies.
Please watch our video about the dangers of lasers, learn more and get the facts about laser strikes hazards.
