PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — An online call urging people to aim lasers at federal helicopters that have been circling above Portland’s ICE facility has drawn sharp condemnation from federal and local officials, aviation experts, and protesters alike — who warn the scheme is dangerous, illegal, and could put pilots and people on the ground at serious risk.
The invitation, posted on social media by organizers tied to the protest movement, asked residents to point laser beams skyward at a specified date and time in an effort to “ground” helicopters used for federal surveillance. Aviation and safety specialists say that is both reckless and potentially criminal: shining a laser at a piloted aircraft can temporarily blind or distract crew members, raising the risk of a midair collision or other catastrophic mishap.
“The dangers primarily are blindness on the part of the people flying the airplanes — the pilots and crew members,” said Ron Magnus, a flight instructor in Washington County. He warned that even a brief flash into a cockpit at night can disorient pilots during critical phases of flight…