Apparently laser pointers never, ever, get old! The fun-time favorite of legions of 12-year-olds are once again being used to blind pilots at local airports. The latest incidents involved two planes on their way to Newark Liberty Airport, and the authorities are on it.
The first plane, a United Airlines flight, reported seeing a laser pointed at them 15 miles southwest of the airport on Tuesday night. An hour later, a Cessna corporate jet reported illumination from a green laser two and half miles from Somerset Airport, which about 30 miles west of Newark. Both planes landed safely at Newark Liberty, but to review, lasers are capable of lighting up the entire cockpit of a plane from miles away, blinding and disorienting pilots.
The FAA is reviewing the cases and enlisting the help of the Port Authority, state police and the FBI to track down the mystery pointers. In 2006, a Brooklyn teenager was arrested after shining a laser at an NYPD helicopter, so bear that in mind next time you're fiddling around with the seemingly harmless doo-dad near the airport.
