Holiday laser lights may hit pilots

FAA officials are investigating a display in North Texas after an American Airlines crew reported being struck by a laser on Thursday while flying at 13,000 feet.

It’s a federal crime to shine a laser at a plane, and while no one was charged in those cases, several so-called laser strikes are being blamed on the holiday laser displays, reports CBS News correspondent Mireya Villarreal. “They don’t realize that they might be causing a problem”.

Police said that there are a number of these types of displays in the area.

Laser beams that enter a cockpit are disorienting and unsafe for pilots.

The Star Shower laser lights are certainly appealing to those who don’t feel like climbing ladders, dealing with broken Christmas light bulbs, and untangling said lights.

Laser lights, covering homes with pinpoints of red and green, are an alternative to the conventional holiday lights many of us usually hang.

Newer laser Christmas light displays, which are quickly becoming an easy way to decorate homes for the holidays, are causing trouble for pilots around the country.

Ed also found he wasn’t the only one searching for the Star Shower lasers.

The FAA said the beams should not be aimed at aircraft, and customers should take precautions to make sure their beams are hitting houses and not shining into the sky.

Therefore, those blessed consumers who are able to track down Star Shower laser lights in stock for Christmas are being warned to familiarize themselves with the flight patterns of the plane near their homes, reports the Consumerist‎.

The displays are not against regulations – but where the lasers in them point can be.

NewsChopper 12 pilot Cris DeHaven said the intense light beams can be blinding to pilots.