Beams aimed at passenger planes

LASER beams aimed at passenger jets landing at Melbourne Airport have put the lives of hundreds of passengers at risk.The Herald Sun has learned planes approaching Melbourne Airport had laser pointers shone at them in a series of incidents over several days in April.The beams have the potential to distract or even blind pilots and put the aircraft at risk of crashing.More than 100 incidents of aircraft being tagged by laser beams have been reported by pilots nationally since January last year."People ... have been caught using lasers to tag aircraft in every state in Australia,"federal Transport Department spokesman Jeff Lamb said.Victoria Police helicopters have also been the target of laser beams."It's not something we usually talk about because we don't want to encourage it," a police spokeswoman said.Aviation sources said authorities were also reluctant to talk about the problem as "it exposes a major flaw in airport safety and security".Pen-sized laser lights, commonly used in surveying equipment or by professional and hobby astronomers, can project beams up to 5km and cost as little as $25."Some reckless persons have been observed apparently directing laser lights towards aircraft," Mr Lamb said."We urge people to be very cautious about the use of laser light devices."
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