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For information on the July
5 2008 audience scanning
accident at a Russian rave, see
this page. |
New Air Safety Rules Will Have Worldwide Impact
By David
Lytle
November 2002: Laserists around
the world—not just those in the United States—must
prepare to deal with new safety guidelines designed to prevent
aircraft from being exposed to laser light.
The international regulations, which generally follow the rules
of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will be implemented
on a worldwide basis by Nov. 27, 2003. The regulations were developed
by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which
sets standards for airspace safety on behalf of 188 member nations.
The controversy over outdoor laser shows began in 1995, when
the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed a temporary
ban on outdoor lasers in Las Vegas. The ban was in response to
complaints by pilots who had been visually distracted, or even
flashblinded, by beams from Las Vegas laser displays.
While the laser power levels involved were not high enough to
cause eye injuries, authorities were concerned about disrupting
the vision of pilots during landings and takeoffs.
After extensive discussions among safety officials, pilots and
ILDA representatives, new regulations were issued in 2000 that
allowed most shows to continue as long as specific safety measures
were taken.
Like the FAA rules, the ICAO standards call for the establishment
of three protected “zones” around airports that offer
varying degrees of safety. ICAO recommends that member nations
establish a zone where no lasers at all would be allowed (such
as directly over runways), a “critical” zone along
flight paths where restricted-power laser displays would be allowed,
and a “sensitive” zone for more remote areas where
higher-powered lasers could be used.
In the United Kingdom, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued
a draft policy interpreting the ICAO guidelines this summer.
CAA expects to issue final regulations by the end of 2002. John
O’Hagan of the UK’s National Radiological Protection
Board reports that the essential ingredients of the CAA proposal
are as follows:
• Light displays should never be directed at or towards
aircraft or airports.
• If the light display is within 500 meters of either side
of a runway centerline that extends out for ten nautical miles,
peak laser power should not exceed 20 Watts.
• Beams should be below the horizon or otherwise blocked
so they do not intersect the extended runway line (if this is
not possible, then direct communications should be established
with the airport so that the laser can be shut down upon request).
• If the display is within three nautical miles of an airport
but not on the runway centerline, the above procedures would
also apply.
• At least 30 days advance notice of a laser display is
required.
The draft CAA policy makes it clear that the document itself
is not law. However, if advice from CAA not to proceed with a
light display is ignored, then prosecution can be brought under
the Air Navigation Order 2000 which covers endangering the safety
of an aircraft. Failure to accept professional advice that a
light display should not proceed is also likely to invalidate
the operator’s insurance policy, said O’Hagan. The
UK is apparently one of the first countries to act on the ICAO
standards, which means that similar proposals should be surfacing
in other nations in the near future.
Laserists are advised to submit comments on the aviation proposals
and participate in the regulatory process, otherwise authorities
might develop rules that could be more restrictive than those
faced by US companies.
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