Your Christmas lights could blind airplane pilots, FAA says

Clark Griswold, tone it down!

Must be a slow news day.

I haven't seen any commercials for the laser Star Shower lights this year, but I have seen ones for LED shows. I wonder if someone somewhere learned that the laser variety could cause problems for pilots and decided to stop making/selling them?

And those of you shooting down drones because they could be part of an ISIS plot to use your backyard as a bombing range are kindly asked to aim away from nearby airports and flight paths. Thank you.

Also a distraction to drivers for some pointed towards street.

Give me a break. Some Grinch in the FAA has nothing to do.

So has any manufacturer of these laser lights offered any insight as to the strength/power of the beams. My guess is that they are very low power when compared to commercial units? The $40 units at home depot can’t send a beam further than about 300’ however, if your house is on/under the approach/departure path it’s wise not to point them up. The 10nm mile from an aerodrome is however fact.

Last December I had reports of “ laser illumination reported at FL250”. I’m not sure what kind of wacky lasers those were, we didn’t see them but we were in the mid 30’s.

This happened to me just this week. Doing several approaches in broken IMC and more than once I was caught off guard with a laser to the eye. They are much brighter than youd think.

The house laser illuminations can definitely be seen from several thousand feet. On several occasions I have seen them. They don't blind you like the laser illumination you would report but if its near the approach end of a runway and is situated just right it catches your eye. When these first got popular I was departing AUS and thought for a min I was getting lasered until I looked and the whole neighborhood below was twinkling from the house illuminators.

I was shocked when these things were being allowed for production and use due to this very thing.. now its ear by the millions.. pilots need to stop looking out side during landings I guess.. hope those laser blocking glasses work. But there needs to be a law right away to disallow the use within 5 miles of an airport area before there is an accident.