Many of us have played with lasers at some point. We should know that even the small ones can damage our eyes. While smaller lasers are generally safe for short periods, the bigger ones are potentially harmful, even from miles away. What pilots do and how they are trained are one story, but we’ll stick mainly to what ATC does whenever we hear the words “laser” or “My eye!” We’ll also discuss some aftermath of such events.
Surprisingly Common
In 2021 and 2022, there were over 18,000 laser events reported in the U.S. It’s a bigger deal to pilots than to ATC. ATC has received training on how to “run the checklist” in those events, but there’s not much more we can do except ask if the pilot needs assistance. When I hear “laser,” I will always ask. It’s also part of our checklist to ask if there were any injuries and note them. The “injuries” part is what will bring the authorities fast if injuries are reported. A laser shined at an airplane can be considered an attack.
