FAA issues warning on laser holiday lights

Holiday lights that use lasers instead of traditional bulbs can potentially cause problems for pilots, the Federal Aviation Administration says. Star projectors, which use lasers to display holiday

News 12 Staff

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Dec 17, 2016, 8:45 AM

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Updated 2,935 days ago

Holiday lights that use lasers instead of traditional bulbs can potentially cause problems for pilots, the Federal Aviation Administration says.

Star projectors, which use lasers to display holiday lights on the sides of houses, can interfere with aircraft if they're improperly aimed.

And the projectors are very popular says Debra Disalvo, of Levittown, who bought several of the projectors and says her daughter's brother-in-law is a pilot for JetBlue.

"Actually most of the stores ran out last year, so I bought it early," she says. "I bought a couple extra -- even in the backyard."

The FAA says people who use the projectors should be careful to make sure the entirety of the display is hitting their home. An improperly aimed device can send its beam skyward.

Disalvo says she was aware of the safety concern and took it into account when installing her lights. But not everyone is as mindful.

"Whatever laser light doesn't strike the house continues past the house -- so you can actually see these from a cockpit of an airplane," says Jim Record, a retired commercial pilot.

He says that while he doesn't think these particular light projectors would blind a pilot, it's still illegal to point any laser up into the air.

"It's against federal law," Record says. "And local municipalities, police departments, will chase you. They have helicopters that are set up to do this...They have caught a number of people."