FAA Urges Consumers To Not Point Holiday Laser Lights Towards Sky
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Holiday laser lights are the newest holiday fad, but some pilots are apparently fed up.
Tis' the season for holiday travel and holiday lights.
The combination hasn't really been an issue before now.
Jen Creaven Parker bought laser lights at Bed Bath and Beyond for $40 to light up her Ridley Park home, just a few miles from the airport.
Anything the lights hit, they light up like a Christmas tree. They are easy to install and they are very popular.
The problem is a pilot approaching Dallas Fort Worth International airport reported seeing a laser at 15,000 feet.
"I don't think anybody who buys these devices even think they have enough power to hit an aircraft in the sky," said FAA spokesperson Lynn Lunford.
The FAA says the lasers can light up an entire cockpit, making it tough for a pilot to see.
"If the box is aimed a little high, some of the lasers will not hit the roof of the house, they'll keep going into space," Lunford told Eyewitness News.
The FAA is urging consumers who buy the lasers to make sure they are not pointed towards the sky.
"The directions say point them at your home and not towards the sky," he said.
The laser lights are perfectly legal.
So far, there are no reports of any problems from pilots in our area.