http://www.trammellphoto.com/green-ilda/
An Executive Summary of Leading Publications On Flight Operations Pinpointing The Problem
For many people outside the industry, the hazard of laser strikes may seem like a minor and foolish prank, but they can cause serious harm and endanger an aircrew’s safety and health. When laser beams intersect an aircrafts path, a hazard can result. Laser strikes are an increasingly common hazard to aviation. This increase in reports seems to indicate there is lack of knowledge and understanding concerning laser strikes.
Normal Use of Lasers
There are many valid reasons that lasers and bright lights are aimed into airspace. Lasers are used in industry, research and science. Examples include atmospheric remote sensing, “guide stars” used in a astronomy and satellite communications and ranging. Laser pointers are an important tool for astronomers and casual stargazers. Lasers and searchlights are also used in outdoor entertainment such as the nightly illumination show at the pyramids in Egypt.
Concern To Aviation
There are four primary areas of concern: distraction,glare,and temporary flash blindness (for visible laser wavelengths only) and eye injuries (for all laser wave-lengths).The threat level depends on factors including: type and power of the laser, how the laser is operated ,day vs. night, aircraft motion and distance, flight phase, pilot workload and pilot awareness of laser hazards.
The main concerns of safety experts are almost exclusively focused on lasers that can temporarily distract or block pilot’s vision when they are in a critical phase of flight: takeoff, approach, landing, and emergency man oeuvres. A secondary concern is over potential eye injuries to those onboard an aircraft, especially the pilot(s).
All laser strikes seem to occur at night (crews wouldn’t notice them during the day even if they did happen).
When laser light hits the windscreen, it refracts and affects the crew’s night vision. Laser strikes can also cause medical concerns. Pilots who have been hit with lasers directly in the eyes have suffered from headaches and clouded vision among other health concerns.
Understanding Lasers
Lasers are broadly used as a technological aid in a number of industrial and operational settings. Consequently, lasing technologies are widely available to the general population. This accessibility has resulted in a variety of unintended negative applications, including the lasing of aircraft. Increases in laser strikes may be partly due to public misconception that laser-pointer use presents no hazard.
Lasers are divided into four classes (1 to 1V) and two subclasses as established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and range from no known hazard (Class1) ,to those that present serious danger. The general rule of thumb is that the higher the class, the more powerful the laser, and the greater the damage to the retina.
If laser pointer is aimed into a clear nighttime sky, it can appear that the beam ends after a certain point. This is a visual effect similar to an optical illusion. Unfortunately, people have aimed at aircraft; mistakenly thinking the beam only goes a short distance and then (somehow) stops. This is a dangerous misconception. The laser light does not suddenly stop in mid-air. It may pass into cleaver air, which does not scatter much light back to the viewer. But the light definitely continues on. Instead of hundreds of feet, the laser can be a distraction at a distance of many miles. If the aircraft or its lights can be seen by the person operating the laser, then it can certainly see the laser—and be visually distracting or flash blinding its pilots.
Color of The Beam
In general, the eyes of pilots in an illuminated nighttime cockpit are most sensitive to greenish-yellow light. A blue or red laser will appear much dimmer (and thus less distracting) than a green or yellow laser of equal power (wattage).
Flight Operations
Most recent aviation-related laser incidents involve Class 111A green pointer devices.Perceptually, lasers typically appear red or green to the aircrew, although, in some cases, lasers are undetectable and invisible. Depending on the power, distance and duration of exposure, lasers can influence and possibly damage the retinas of the aircrew.
Most anecdotal reports following a laser strike contain descriptions of flashes, and being startled or dazzled. Aircrews also report some difficulty in acquiring medical support and some have confusion on how to address a strike from a medical perspective .In some cases, aircrews have not sought medical treatment. In others, aircrews report symptoms of dizziness, stress about their vision and a general depression following a laser strike.
Laser strikes can affect normal flight operations, cause direct damage to a crewmembers vision, and result in potential psychological stress associated with perceived damage. Bright, directed light entering cockpit may also unexpectedly startle the crew, cause a glare that makes visibility out of the windscreen difficult, or create flash blindness and /or an afterimage, even if the source is non-injurious. The risk is greatest when the exposure occurs during a time of high workload: takeoffs, critical or emergency manoeuvres, and landings.
Addressing The Hazards
At the moment, there are initiatives underway to address the hazards presented by laser strikes across the world. The most basic of these are the development of educational programs and briefing documents to enhance aircrew awareness on the effects of lasers on their eyes, vision and flight performance.
Those efforts also include expansion of crew’s awareness of the required reporting mechanisms/avenues following a laser strike. This would include notifying air traffic control (who will subsequently notify local authorities), filing a company safety report, and providing a follow-up report to safety oversight authority.
There has also been work on the development of a well-defined medical protocol that measures aircrew eye health pre- and post- laser strikes. This will address the necessary steps for medical treatment and provide aircrews with a clearly defined process. The baseline measurements established before a strike will allow an unambiguous record of aircrew eye health that supports increased health and safety, and provides clear medical direction at the organizational level .The methodology will support existing medical assets within these organizations and promote long-term aircrew visual health.
Supporting this medical protocol will be the development of an infrastructure and medical frame-work, allowing us to monitor pilot visual health over their flight career and determine the long-term effects of laser strikes on pilot visual and flight performance.
First Line of Defense
There are two primary ways to minimize or eliminate the laser hazards: careful and responsible laser use on the ground to avoid aircraft, and pilot knowledge of procedures to follow in case of accidental or deliberate laser exposure.
The first consideration in dealing with laser strikes is to support the health and safety of the aircrew. This can be done through education and a defined medical protocol.Next, understanding the operators immediate needs will provide a clear way forward. The first consideration should be adding a laser strike protocol on ones safety, management system. The critical component of this should be the ability to accurately assess aircrews following a laser strike, and to provide appropriate medical care and counseling.
The expertise from academia, government and industry currently exist to help implement these programs. As we pursue these efforts, it is important to remember the first line of defense against laser strikes is to empower the aircrew.
Educating The Public?
To assist in this effort, the website www.laserpointersafety.com was sponsored by the International Laser Display Association (ILDA) .The website is intended to be a “one-stop” resource on laser pointer safety, especially with respect to aviation. To try to reach those who might aim lasers at aircraft, the site stresses three potentially adverse effects: it is unsafe for pilots and passengers, it is unsafe for the laser (possibility of arrest, fines and jail) and causing incidents could lead to a ban on laser pointers.
Over the past years, Western countries have seen a significant increase in reported incidents linked to laser pointers. The wave of incidents may have been triggered in part by “copycats” who read press accounts of laser pointer incidents to educating the public has to be done responsibly. Flight crews, air traffic controllers and the AviAssist Foundation are dedicated to aviation safety committed to raising the awareness of this important safety issue so laser events can be reduced. You can serve the public interest in safety by alerting law enforcement officials if you ever see someone shining a laser at an airplane.
About the Author
Anthony Juma is the Editor and Senior Aviation Director at Wings Over Africa Aviation.
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