Laser attacks on aircraft remain a serious safety risk for all pilots and flight crew, but for air ambulance services these incidents can also delay vital medical treatment reaching patients.

We speak with crew from Yorkshire Air Ambulance who share their experiences of laser attacks, including a recent incident where a crew member suffered an eye injury from a laser beam.

This episode covers safety guidance for pilots, flight crew and operational staff and the National Police Air Service (NPAS) explains why it is important for UK airspace users to report laser incidents as a crime.

Related information:

• Laser exposure self-assessment tool (ALESA)

(For pilots, flight crew or air-traffic controllers who have been exposed to lasers)

Guidance for UK airspace users on how to report a laser incident

As covered in this episode, if you are a pilot, flight crew, air traffic or other operational staff who has experienced a laser incident, please report it, both to the UK CAA using the link below and to your local police force.

• Make a report to the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Featured in this episode:

• The National Police Air Service (NPAS)
• Yorkshire Air Ambulance

The image for this episode shows Yorkshire Air Ambulance Chief Pilot, Owen McTeggart who features in the podcast.

A glider pilot has just launched into the air in Southwest England and released from the winch when they see a Cessna flying below them. They take immediate action to avoid the aircraft and later file a report with the UK Airprox Board (UKAB).

UKAB Director Simon Oldfield tells us more about this incident and the review that followed.

We also speak with experienced glider pilot Andrew Watson and highlight the potential risks involved when flying near or above active gliding sites.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Airprox report 2022173 (UK Airprox Board)
• Airprox inside magazine – February 2023 (UK Airprox Board)
• Report an airprox (UK Airprox Board)
• Flying over gliding sites (UK CAA)

In May 2022, an Airbus A320 approaching Paris Charles de Gaulle airport was given an incorrect altimeter pressure setting, which caused the barometric altimeters on board to show that the aircraft was nearly 300 feet higher above the ground than it actually was.

The crew were unaware of the problem and didn't see the runway because of bad weather. They carried out what they believed was a normal go around and never realized that they came within six feet of hitting the ground.

In this episode we talk to aviation experts at the UK CAA and NATS to get their perspectives on what happened, the risks involved and the safety guidance in this area.

Guidance and resources mentioned in this episode

• SN-2023/003: Risk of Controlled Flight into Terrain during 3D BARO-VNAV and 2D Approaches (Altimeter Setting Procedures)
• Safety awareness video about this issue
• Information on the A320 incident at Paris Charles de Gaulle (Skybrary)