Podcast: Responding Safely to Laser Strikes

More than 13,300 laser strikes against aircraft were reported in the U.S. in 2023, continuing a disturbing increase in such events year-over-year. While business aircraft aren’t targeted as frequently as airliners, operators must know how to respond safely. That includes fighting the instinct to look toward the light and reporting the location of such incidents as soon as it is safe to do so. “Aviate, navigate, communicate,” emphasizes the FAA’s Kevin Morris, “but certainly get a report into air traffic control as safely and as quickly as possible so that we can attempt to work with law enforcement agencies.”

In this episode of NBAA’s “Flight Plan,” host Rob Finfrock speaks with:

• Kevin Morris, senior technical advisor with the Federal Aviation Administration
• Michael Ott, director of program operations at Phoenix Air
• Keith Wolzinger, a former airline captain who now flies for a Part 135 operator