While holiday lights help add cheer to the season of giving, certain ones may pose a threat to airplanes flying above.
Laser holiday lights, which appear as colorful floating spots on a house, are legal. But, they are becoming a cause for concern for pilots sitting in the cockpit.
An American Airlines pilot was exposed to one during a landing in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, according to news reports. Although he was more than 10,000 feet above the ground, the pilot was able to see these lights set up at a home.
Thankfully, people can continue to have elaborate light shows at their house (who could forget about this patriotic one?) since there's a way to prevent this possible aircraft danger.
"Our concerns about lasers – regardless of the source – is that they not be aimed at aircraft where the beams can threaten the safety of a flight by distracting or blinding pilots," the Federal Aviation Administration explains in a statement. "Consumers who buy these new light displays should take precautions to make sure that the lights are hitting their houses and not shining off into the sky. In situations such as this, we would start by asking the person to either adjust them or turn them off."
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