Light Attack Aircraft

What danger do lazer pointers pose to aircraft?

Sydney airport flight - Beams from four green lasers, which appeared to come from an area just southwest of the city, were directed at planes for 15 minutes late Saturday, in what officials labeled a "coordinated attack."

What could a lazer pointer do? You cant point the thing into a cockpit from the ground so what could a beam of light possibly do?
If you say that the light will blind the pilot what about when the plane flies towards the sun on the horizon.

The type of laser pointer which is currently making all the fuss in the news is the green laser pointers which are classified as class 3A (or 3R in some states).

These laser pointers are easily attainable in shops and over the internet because they do not present much risk to people. If you point them at people, their blink reflex means that they shut their eyes before they sustain permanent eye damage. These laser pointers are no different (in terms of potential risk) than the red laser pointers which have been in use by the public for years. The only difference is that the green light has a shorter wavelength than red light which means that the light scatters of particles in the air so we can see the beam.

These laser pointers do not pose any risk to an aircraft itself. However, you could argue that they can pose a risk as they may distract a pilot (although many landings are done on autopilot anyway).

I think the real reason why they've become an issue is that you can see the beam (unlike the red ones were used to). They aren't any more dangerous than the red ones but people don't understand the differences between different types of lasers.

It should be noted that there are other types of lasers which are also visible in the air (usually still green but higher powered). These are much more expensive so the average teenager mucking around couldn't afford one and they're much more difficult to get.

Yakovlev Yak-130 - Advanced jet trainer & light attack aircraft