Oklahoma City Laser Eye Correction

FAA to fine people who point lasers at planes

WASHINGTON (AP) — People who point powerful lasers at planes and helicopters — which can temporarily blind pilots — could face fines as high as $11,000 per violation, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.

The FAA is using a new legal interpretation of existing regulations that prohibit interference with the operation of an aircraft to levy the fines, Randy Babbitt, the agency's administrator, said at a news conference.

"It's simple: Point the laser, pay the price," Babbitt said.

Pilots have reported over 1,100 such incidents in the U.S. so far this year, and officials said they are concerned that eventually there will be an air crash.

The incidents have increased rapidly around the world over the past six years as online sales of new, powerful handheld lasers have soared. In 2005, there were fewer than 300 such incidents reported in the U.S. Last year, there were 2,836 incidents. In some cases pilots have had to relinquish control of an aircraft to a co-pilot because of vision loss.

Los Angeles International Airport recorded 102 laser incidents, the most of any airport. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was next with 98 reports.

The lasers are marketed as tools to point out stars at night. They are many times more powerful than the laser pointers typically used by lecturers.

"People think these things are toys. They are not toys. They can be very dangerous," Babbitt said.

Delta Air Lines Captain Chad Smith, who joined Babbitt at the news conference, said he experienced a laser attack while descending for landing at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City in March.

Although the MD-80 with 142 passengers on board was still at an altitude of several thousand feet, the intensity of the green light that swept the cockpit several times was so extreme "it was kind of indescribable," Smith said. He said he threw up his hands to shield his eyes and his co-pilot bent her head and hunched over to keep below the cockpit window's glare shield.

Had the plane had been closer to landing, and therefore only a few hundred feet off the ground, or if the autopilot hadn't been on, the consequences could have been disastrous, Smith said.

"It's very striking how intense and keen the beam can be," he said.

The House and Senate have passed separate measures that would make knowingly pointing a laser at an aircraft a federal crime subject to up to five years in prison, but technical and procedural issues remain to be worked out.

Too Expensive – LASIK Eye Surgery Cost | LASIK

This will depend on many variables and most of the people will use their own criteria when shopping around for cheap eye laser surgery.

Is Cheap Eye Laser Surgery Good Idea?

This is usually one of the very first questions one has to deal with. Does more expensive Laser Eye Surgery always mean better quality? While Doctor’s experience without any doubt plays very important part in the final price tag so many other factors will influence the LASIK eye surgery cost.

LASIK Center Location

It’s well-known that overall life cost is much higher in some cities and accordingly the laser eye surgery procedures will cost more than somewhere else. In this case it does appear that more money does not necessarily mean better quality. It certainly could if this center has better equipment or medical staff has more experience than their counterparts somewhere else.

Advertising Expenses

Nowadays whether we selling burgers or doing laser eye surgery it’s necessary to advertise our business. The cost of advertising will also vary from city to city and unfortunately will affect the final price tag. And since we talking about advertising it’s important that we don’t get tricked by low price surgery procedures that sometimes include only minor surgical procedures. It’s very important to read the so-called fine print and see what exactly is included.

What Is Included?

It’s extremely important to find out what LASIK eye surgery cost covers. Are there any hidden fees or does the price include “complete package” with all pre-surgery and post-surgery procedures and follow ups. Many centers offer different packages and we should always pay attention to this. In addition does the cost covers only one eye or both. It’s common practice that the cost usually refers to one eye procedure and if we need to have procedures done on both price it would double the LASIK eye surgery cost.

IntraLase or Microteratome

Finally the way the procedure itself is performed will also affect the final cost. We can opt in for so-called IntraLase procedures which are also referred to as “bladeless” procedures on the account that they use high-energy laser to create cornea flap. This may be very good option for some people who otherwise may not be the best candidates for traditional LASIK procedures. It needs to be said that if we opt for this type of procedures the price tag will be higher.

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