Page 31 - May 25

AVIATION ISSUES
Laser Strikes on Aircraft Continue
To Be Dangerously High
Pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the Federal
Aviation Administration last year. While that is a 3%
decrease from 2023, shining a laser at an aircraft poses
a serious safety threat and is a federal crime. 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.
Violators can also face federal criminal penalties of up
to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as
state and local penalties.
Pilots have reported 328 injuries since the FAA began
tracking laser strike reports in 2010. In 2024, pilots
reported the highest numbers of laser strikes in these
states: California – 1,489, Texas – 1,463, Florida – 810,
Tennessee – 649, Illinois – 622, Arizona – 550, New York
– 531, Indiana – 512, Georgia – 416 and Virginia – 415.
The FAA encourages people to report laser strikes
to the FAA at faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/
report_incident and to local law enforcement agencies.
Source: FAA
To identify trends, the FAA’s visualization tool shows laser-
strike data from 2010 to present and highlights trends. The
FAA shares the information with the public to draw attention
to the dangerously high rate.
FAA Implements Program To
Protect Pilots’ Personal Information
The Federal Aviation Administration has implemented
a program strongly advocated for by the Aircraft Owners
and Pilots Association that allows aircraft owners to
request that certain personal information be kept private,
including their name and address.
MAY 2025 AOPA advocated for pilot privacy in last year’s
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. As a result of this
congressional action and the FAA’s implementation, pilots
can now submit a request through the Civil Aviation
Registry Electronic Services to have their information
withheld from public display on all FAA websites.
On a related note, AOPA President and CEO Darren
Pleasance also sent a letter to acting FAA administrator
Chris Rocheleau urging the agency to stand by its
commitment to ensuring data emitted from an aviation
safety tool onboard an aircraft, known as ADS-B, which
allows aircraft and air traffic controllers to determine
location, speed and other parameters, not be used by
third parties to collect airport fees from private pilots.
Pleasance also noted that in addition to ADS-B data
being used for billing pilots for airport fees without
their consent, they “are increasingly being targeted
with enforcement actions and frivolous lawsuits – things
that are far from the ADS-B equipage mandate’s original
purpose.” Source: AOPA
New President and CEO
Takes Reins at GAMA
James A. Viola officially assumed the role of president
and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers
Association in March. Viola is GAMA’s sixth president
and CEO since its founding, 55 years ago; he succeeds
Pete Bunce, who served as GAMA’s president and CEO
since 2005.
Viola came to GAMA from Vertical Aviation
International, where he served as president and CEO
James Viola
KING AIR MAGAZINE •
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