Laser Pointers Causing Major Distractions For Pilots at NAS

Pilots flying multi-million dollar aircraft to NAS Oceana say that a major distraction is posing an extreme threat to their safety.

When the pilots are preparing to land, they say a beam of light coming from laser pointers are blinding them.  

“You're getting ready to land--you're getting ready to go through a number of steps configuring the airplane to touchdown. Not being able to see is a big problem,” says Captain James Webb, commander of Naval Air Station Oceana.

Within the last 18 months, the Navy says they've seen an increase in the number of "laser" sightings.

Captain Webb says it's likely the culprits behind the laser pointers are people standing on the balconies of the hotels at the oceanfront.

Though the laser sightings seem random and non-malicious, he says each time it happens, it puts the pilot's life in jeopardy.

“In the two-seaters, there aren't any sticks in the back. So if you lose the ability to fly it in proximity to the ground, it gets pretty dangerous,” says Webb.

NewsChannel 3 has also learned that there is no federal or state law that protects military planes from lasers.
To protect his pilots, Captain Webb contacted Virginia Beach's city council, asking them to take action and bring this issue to the general assembly. 

Currently, the state and city codes prohibit against pointing lasers at law enforcement officials.  The city wants lawmakers to modify the code to specifically include aircraft.

Captain Webb says that this change could save someone’s life.

“We need to make sure that everyone is aware of the safety concerns and understand the possible legal ramifications that can come with that,” says Webb.

Oceana officials report these incidents to the FAA and the FBI.

If the general assembly decides to change the state code, police would be able to investigate these claims and

issue citations.

Source;  http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-laser-pointers-causing-major-distraction-for-pilots-at-nas-20111004,0,3455648.story