ENID, OK - Lasers pointed toward cockpits, even when the aircraft is 500 feet overhead, are dangerous not only to the pilot, but to the community at large.
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In the past 10 months, and twice in the last few weeks, Vance AFB pilots have reported lasers being shined into their cockpits from various locations around Enid, Oklahoma.
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Each incident was reported to local police, who are investigating. If the perpetrators are located, they face a federal charge punishable by up to five years in prison.
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But it’s not just that it’s against the law. “Pointing a laser, no matter how small, at an aircraft flying is incredibly dangerous to the pilot and the populated areas below,” said Lt Col Christopher Occhuizzo, Vance’s Chief of Safety. “It’s not a game… Lasing the cockpit can distract or cause serious injury to pilots who already have a lot going on while they’re airborne.”
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Lasing has also been known to leave an afterimage or blind a pilot for precious seconds. At Vance, this is particularly dangerous because all of the incidents have been in the evening, while the aircraft were either landing or performing touch-and-go maneuvers.
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Lasers Endanger Vance Pilots
