FAAST Blast — Week of Feb 06 – Feb 12, 2023
Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update
The Latest on Laser Safety
High-powered laser pointers can incapacitate pilots flying airplanes. To combat the threat, Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen requested laser manufacturers add a warning label to their packaging to make consumers aware of the safety risks and federal laws when using lasers.
Pilots reported nearly 9,500 laser strikes to the FAA in 2022. Two hundred and seventy-eight pilots have reported an injury from a laser strike to the FAA since 2010. People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents. The FAA issued $120,000 in fines for laser strikes in 2021.
For more information, visit the FAA’s website at faa.gov/go/lasers and the fact sheet here faa.gov/newsroom/lasers-0. Please report laser strikes to the FAA and local law enforcement agencies here faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo. Also, be on the lookout for an in-depth article on laser safety in the March/April 2023 issue of FAA Safety Briefing.
InFO Updated to Include New Arrival Alert Notice
The FAA has updated Information for Operator (InFO) bulletin 22001, Arrival Alert Notice (AAN) and Airport Diagram Symbols for Wrong-Surface Hot Spots to include a new AAN for North Las Vegas Airport (VGN). AANs help create situational awareness for pilots by providing a visual graphic of a wrong-surface landing hot spot at airports with a misalignment history. There are now 12 AANs published in the Chart Supplement (faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/Digital_Products/dafd). The FAA recommends that pilots familiarize themselves with the information in this InFO and ensure they know the hot spot symbols for the test airfields. See the InFO here faa.gov/othervisit/aviationindustry/airlineoperators/airlinesafety/info-22001-arrival-alert-notice and be sure to visit the FAA’s Runway Safety page at faa.gov/airports/runway_safety.
Fly Like a PRO
Ever wonder how so many aircraft and people can safely operate in such close proximity on an aircraft carrier? Learn how a bit of military professionalism can inform your own flight operations in the article “Fly Like a PRO” here: https://medium.com/faa/fly-like-a-pro-a5d3fbff695f.
For more on the importance of mentoring, modeling, and professionalism in aviation, check out our Jan/Feb 2023 Leading By Example issue here: www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-safety-briefing-magazine.
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-safety-briefing-magazine
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