Laser pointers - the eyesight of aircraft pilots

Wile pointing a laser beam at airplane cockpits can distract pilots, putting the crew and passengers at risk of harm, there is no evidence to suggest the beams can damage their eyesight. This is the conclusion of an editorial recently published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
[A red laser beam]
Laser pointers may not damage the eyesight of pilots, but they can distract them.
A laser pointer is a battery-powered, hand-held device - commonly in the form of a pen or key chain - that emits a low-powered laser beam.

In the US, the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) require that manufacturers limit the energy of laser for sale to 5 milliwatts (mW) or less.

While there are no specific laws for laser pointers in the UK, the country's Health Protection Agency recommend that the energy of laser pointers sold to the general public should be no more than 1 mW. Directing a laser pointer at an aircraft is illegal in both the US and UK, but it seems this does not deter some individuals from doing so.

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), between January 1st and February 13th, 2016, there were 971 reports of laser pointers being directed at aircrafts - representing a 64% increase on 2015 figures for the same period.

And in the past 12 months, there have been more than 1,500 reports of laser pointers being directed at aircrafts in the UK. But how are pilots affected by laser pointers? Prof. John Marshall, of the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London, UK, and colleagues outline the possible risks in a new editorial.

Aircraft height can not harm laser pilot's eyes

Aircraft height makes Ultra Powerful Laser Pointer 'incapable' of harming pilots' eyes
It is common knowledge that a laser pointer should not be directed into a person's eye; the radiation from the laser beam can cause damage to the retina, particularly if the beam is focused for prolonged periods.

However, in their editorial, Prof. Marshall and colleagues say that such damage can only occur at short range, noting that a laser beam shone from a long range - such as from the ground to an aircraft that is hundreds to thousands of meters in the sky - is "incapable" of causing irreversible harm to a pilot's eyesight.

They explain that the beam from a laser pointer has to pass through the atmosphere, as well as the pilot's windshield, in order to make direct contact with the eye. The authors note that there has only been one reported case of retinal damage to a pilot as a result of a laser pointer being directed at an aircraft.

The case referred to was reported in the journal Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance earlier this year, detailing how a male pilot suffered retinal laser burn after a blue laser beam was directed at his aircraft, which was around 1,300 ft (396 m) in the air.

Aircraft laser pointer - totally unacceptable

However, Prof. Marshall and colleagues brand the case as "suspect," primarily due to how far away the aircraft was from the ground, which they say would significantly reduce the laser's impact on the eye.

Prof. Marshall and colleagues believe the current safety limits for laser pointer pen best buy do not need to be changed, which is contrary to views that have been expressed in the media.

Instead, they say there needs to be more focus on educating the public on the potential risks associated with laser pointers.

The authors also note that there are some unscrupulous laser pointer manufacturers that are selling devices that emit energy of up to 1,000 mW, which greatly exceeds safety limits.

The European Commission have asked the relevant bodies to set specific standards of consumer laser products, which the authors say should enable unsafe products to be removed from sale.

"However, compliance by manufacturers will remain an issue," they add, "as will direct imports by the public purchasing unsafe laser products over the Internet."