Pilots Blindsided by Military Laser Tests

A day after the Department of Transportation urged pilots to report hazardous laser beams shined on aircraft, the U.S. military said it was testing a system to beam red and green lasers at aircraft in the Washington area as a warning when they entered restricted air space.

The plan has prompted confusion among some pilots who said they were unsure whether they would be able to tell the difference between a commercial laser used by someone playing at home and one operated by the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

NORAD said that its lasers were less intense than a typical laser pointer and that they wouldn’t harm or distract pilots.