No Lasers, Please, Says LifeFlight!

Lasers, especially the little hand-held toy-like ones, can be tons of fun, especially if you have a cat or dog. But they can be debilitating and even deadly when they're mixed with things like planes and helicopters.

The Federal Aviation Administration says that this seemingly innocent item can lead to dire circumstances and even criminal charges if pointed in the wrong direction.

"Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime. U.S. law enforcement agencies and the Federal Aviation Administration may seek criminal and civil prosecution against violators.

A laser can incapacitate pilots, putting thousands of passengers at risk every year. Pilots reported 13,304 laser strikes to the FAA in 2023."

"People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents."

It says that the FAA issued over $120,000 related to this just last year.

In Maine, organizations that use aircraft, like LifeFlight, are trying to get the word out about the dangers and the consequences of misusing lasers.

According to a recent post on the LifeFlight of Maine Facebook page, one of their pilots ran into such a situation not too long ago.

"LifeFlight of Maine is raising awareness about the dangers of pointing lasers at aircraft. Recently, a LifeFlight of Maine crew was about 2,000 feet in the air and flying back to their base in Sanford, when a laser was pointed directly at the helicopter. We are fortunate our crew members were not injured by the laser, as this is not always the case, and our pilot was able to continue the mission safely."

"Pointing lasers at aircraft is incredibly dangerous to the pilot, the passengers, and people on the ground. "

The issue is that pointing lasers upwards, towards aircraft, can temporarily distract or even disrupt the pilot's vision. This can put the aircraft staff and passengers at risk of crashing. It also poses a risk to those on the ground below.

So let's keep those lasers inside.