1.
Focusing on security and safety
issues within general avia on.
Vol. 5 No. 4 November 2015
Tuskegee Airmen
We interview the new Squadron Leader
for the CAF’s Red Tail Squadron.
Lasers and Airplanes
Legal writer Wendy Mia Pardew
examines lasers, airplanes, and the law.
Small UAVs and Law Enforcement
We examine how drones can be used to
assist or confound police.

2. 4
Background photo: Thunderbird 6 streaks by.
Photo credit: Dave Hook
A Flight A endant’s View
Le ng Go Like a Leaf in the Fall
By Aleca King
Aleca shares the colors of fall in
New York City and her insights for
inner peace during the Holidays. 50
Red Tails
An Interview with Bill Shepard
We talk with the new squadron leader of
the Commemora ve Air Force’s Red Tail
Squadron, Bill Shepard about
the Tuskegee Airmen and the
Rise Above program. 22
Legal News You Can Use
Luke, Lasers, and Illumina on
By Wendy Mia Pardew, Esq.
Wendy peers into the world of laser beams,
aircra , and hazards to flyers.
10
Thunderbird for a Day
Photos of NBA Coach Becky Hammon
Photos tell the story of San Antonio Spurs
Assistant Coach Becky Hammon’s VIP ride
with Thunderbird 8 and fellow
South Dakotan Major Sco Petz.
40

3.
5
Front cover photo: Red Tails’ P‐51C Mustang and 99 FTS T‐1A Jayhawk forma on.
Photo credit: Dave Hook
Back cover photo : Thunderbird lead pulls up and away from his wingmen.
Photo credit: Dave Hook
Staff Opinion
One Million Holiday Drones
By Dave Hook, Publisher
Dave examines the issue of sharing the U.S.
Na onal Airspace with the predicted
one million gi ed drones this season.
7
2015 Joint Base San Antonio Air Show
Performances in photos
We cover the fly‐bys, precision flying demon‐
stra ons, and general aerial shenanigans of the
long awaited air show return to Joint
Base San Antonio’s Randolph AFB.
30
Small UAVs in the Tac cal Environment
By Dave Hook, ATP, CFII
Dave examines the use of commercially available,
off‐the‐shelf camera drones in law enforcement
opera ons. Photos demonstrate the
incredible capabili es of these small
aircra systems. 44

4. 10
Legal News You Can Use
By Wendy Mia Pardew, Esq.
Photo courtesy of Strictly FX/Todd Kaplan

5.
11
has given country music
megastar Luke Bryan a soupy July night to present
his “Kick the Dust Up” tour at Vanderbilt Stadium.
It’s just a few hours before Bryan will take the stage,
Nashville

6. 12
and the energy behind the scenes is palpable. Of the
almost 32,000 fans that are chomping at the bit for the
show to start, few are privy to the mul tude of synchro‐
nized efforts required to get to this point. Produc on and
stage managers orchestrated the reloca on of a moun‐
tain of equipment and a village of crew and performers
from the tour’s last stop in Durant, Oklahoma. Riggers
arrived at o’ dark thirty to hang the trusses that now sup‐
port set design elements, ligh ng, sound, video, and
special effects components. The carpenters pieced
together the elaborate stage that just hours ago was
plucked from a handful of 18‐wheelers. The video team
laid lines for its feed and cameras and tested the enor‐
mous screens that ensure all can see every bit of dust
that gets kicked up. The sound crew stacked and hoisted
the immense speakers so even those down at Ryman
Auditorium can have a listen. The caterers relessly did
their gastronomic best to feed the perpetually hungry
crew members. The ligh ng technicians suspended an
incomprehensible number of lights that will soon high‐
light and enhance the on‐stage ac on. And, members of
the special effects team, who spent the day resolutely
dancing around the other crews as they set up the lasers,
pyrotechnics, flame effects, and cryogenics, have … hold
on to your hat … posi oned lasers to shoot into
navigable airspace on purpose!
It’s all good, though. Seasoned laser guru David
Kennedy received confirma on that the onsite special
effects team from Strictly FX,1
a Chicago‐based special
effects company, has already called Nashville’s
Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility (TRACON)
to confirm the details of that night’s laser opera on.
Kennedy, Strictly FX’s Art Director, also heads up the
Laser Department. He knows the onsite team is
acutely aware of the hazards associated with using
lasers in an outdoor venue and the effort it takes to
comply with laser use regula ons. When it comes to
using lasers in an outdoor venue, Kennedy knows
firsthand that no detail is too small. He has been
anima ng and programming laser shows for more
than 20 years, during which me he has been front
and center for the laser’s evolu on.
The No ce of Proposed Outdoor Laser Opera on
and the Laser Configura on Worksheet (FAA Paper‐
work) that Strictly FX filed weeks earlier with the
FAA’s Eastern Service Center Opera ons Support
Group (OSG) provided detailed informa on about the
proposed outdoor laser opera on.2
A er review, the
OSG responded with a le er of
non‐objec on and included the
requirement, among others,
that Strictly FX contacts Nash‐
ville TRACON at least one day
before the concert. OSG then
passed along per nent infor‐
ma on to the US NOTAM Office
Facility, who issued a NOTAM.3
This protocol is just one way
that the FAA strives to keep
pilots, passengers, and the
public on the ground safe from
the hazards of lasers in naviga‐
ble airspace. With the help of
the entertainment laser industry
and laser operators dedicated to
professionalism and safety,
Laser light projected onto a aircra windscreen can dazzle, disorient, and blind the pilot.

7.
13
incidents of unauthorized laser
illumina on of aircra (ULIA)
related to outdoor entertainment
events are rare. The same cannot
be said about ULIA incidents
caused by careless or reckless
individuals on the ground.
Just four days a er Luke
Bryan’s Nashville concert, an
unse ling series of acts took place
and unequivocally illustrated the
other end of the laser safety spec‐
trum. Within a few hours, 12
pilots flying over different areas of
New Jersey reported ULIA incidents. Not one of these
12 incidents was related to an authorized outdoor
laser opera on, and there are no suspects. ULIA is a
serious enough safety hazard that the FAA deems it
an in‐flight emergency unless and un l an aircrew
member indicates to the contrary. Couple the
frequency of ULIA incidents with the hazards posed
by these reckless or bad acts, and the result has
become quite a cause for concern. Yet, the number of
reported ULIA incidents con nues to rise without a
propor onate increase in the number of successful
prosecu ons.
The increase in the number of reported ULIA inci‐
dents is flat out alarming. Reported ULIA incidents
have increased tenfold in the eight years since the
FAA began a formal repor ng system for pilots.4
FAA
records reflect 384 reported incidents in 2006. In
2014, that number increased to more than 3,800
reported incidents. And, reports in 2015 will likely
reach at least 5,000 by year’s end. The rise in report‐
ed incidents is likely a ributable to several factors,
including publicity and programs focused on
repor ng ULIA incidents, stronger lasers with greater
reach, and the widespread availability of lasers for
consumer purchase.
The number of reported ULIA incidents and the
associated hazards have captured the a en on of
those who can effect change. The FAA Moderniza on and
Reform Act of 2012 (FAAMRA), made it a felony to point a
laser at an aircra . FAAMRA states, in part, that you can
be fined or imprisoned up to five years if you “knowingly
aim the beam of a laser pointer at an aircra in the
special aircra jurisdic on of the United States, or at the
flight path of such an aircra …”5
Law enforcement agen‐
cies have partnered with the FAA to raise public
awareness. Despite the best efforts of local, state, and
federal en es, the FAA believes that many laser
incidents s ll go unreported.
The hazards of a ULIA incident are varied and can
include “distrac on and startle … glare and disrup on …
[and,] temporary blindness or permanent eye injury.”6
If a
laser hits a pilot while in flight, the pilot’s ability to
operate safely is jeopardized, as is the safety of the
passengers and the public on the ground. If a laser hits a
pilot at a cri cal me during flight, such as landing or
takeoff, the hazards can be compounded. The FAA has
documented numerous incidents where pilots or crew
required medical a en on a er being hit by a laser.7
The
FAA has compiled a comprehensive website devoted to
laser hazards and effects that includes an instruc onal
video detailing ways to respond to ULIA incidents, safety
brochures, and other materials.8
While there are no
reports of avia on accidents a ributed to an ULIA
incident, the poten al for a catastrophe is very real.
Projected laser light termina ng on Dom Tower in Utrecht, Netherlands.

8.
15
Outdoor Laser Opera ons
When an outdoor venue hosts an event that
includes lasers, the laser operator must obtain
certain variances, permits, approvals, and inde‐
pendent safety checks before the crowd can u er
its first “ooooh!” or “aaaah!”.9
The FAA requests
that the laser operator file the requisite paperwork
at least 30 days before the outdoor laser opera on
takes place.10
This lead me allows for the FAA
review, which includes discussion about any
required modifica ons to the proposed laser opera‐
on, prepara on of the le er of non‐objec on, and
issuance of any required NOTAMs.11
The FAA is par cularly concerned with how a
laser, especially an unterminated laser, will affect
navigable airspace. An unterminated laser does not
have an endpoint created by a physical barrier (e.g.,
a wall, a tree, a box, etc.). A terminated laser has a
known, pre‐planned physical barrier that creates its
endpoint, which is typically within the confines of
the outdoor venue rather than in navigable
airspace. While a terminated laser in an outdoor
venue poses significantly fewer hazards to those
nearby in navigable airspace, the FAA s ll requires a
proposal and review.
The FAA Paperwork requires that the laser oper‐
ator clearly indicate if the proposal includes the use
of an unterminated laser. Strictly FX Produc on
Coordinator Kim Austgen works closely with Kennedy
on laser opera on filings and permi ng. “We want
to make sure everyone is safe,” says Austgen about
the importance of the FAA Paperwork, which she
says ensures that “[e]veryone knows what’s going
on, we are all communica ng, and no one is going
to be surprised.” Even with the detailed FAA
Paperwork, Austgen has no ced an increase in the
number of FAA objec ons to unterminated laser
use. Austgen suggests that it might be a ributable
to the number of shows staged in newer outside
venues, which tend to be built closer to airports.
That theory is supported by the FAA’s diligent
protec on of the Laser Free Flight Zone, which extends for
several nau cal miles around ac ve runways.12
In addi on,
she says newer laser technology that has increased laser
strength may further explain the trend. During a recent
tour that included a well‐known act and Strictly FX’s lasers,
the FAA objected to five of the six shows that proposed the
use of unterminated lasers.
As part of the prepara on for a laser opera on in an
outdoor venue, Austgen regularly completes the FAA
Paperwork, which is comprehensive and includes site
longitude and la tude, site and laser eleva ons, and angles
of the lasers, among other technical informa on. The FAA
o en requests the use of spo ers, who are trained
Being Lazed?
Report the incident immediately. Here is the FAA
report format according to Advisory Circular
70‐2A, Repor ng of Laser Illumina on of Aircra .
If you are in controlled airspace, contact the
appropriate Air Traffic Control Facility. Provide
ATC with the event posi on, al tude, color of
beam, direc on, and any other informa on that
is useful.
If you are flying in uncontrolled airspace, give
the following informa on over the appropriate
UNICOM frequency:
1. State ”Unauthorized Laser Illumina on Event”
2. Give me and loca on of the event
3. Give general descrip on of the event (e.g.
color, intensity, and direc on of laser beam)
A er arriving at your des na on, complete
the Laser Beam Exposure Ques onnaire at
h p://www.faa.gov/about/ini a ves/lasers

9.
17
Unauthorized Illumina on of Aircra Resul ng
from Careless or Bad Acts
Raising awareness about ULIA hazards and the
repor ng protocol go hand‐in‐hand. In 2005, the FAA
established a formal system of repor ng ULIA incidents.
The FAA’s Advisory Circular 70‐2A, “Repor ng of Laser
Illumina on of Aircra ,” dated February 8, 2013, is the
most current guidance on how to report an ULIA
incident.15
Both repor ng protocols and hazard mi ga on
techniques are discussed in AC 70‐2A. A er an ULIA
incident the FAA requests that aircrew immediately con‐
tact local ATC to report incident details, including the
loca on of the aircra and laser, al tude, laser color,
etc. If a ULIA incident occurs near an FAA Air Traffic Con‐
trol (ATC) terminal facility, ATC will (1) broadcast a
warning every five minutes for 20 minutes a er each
reported incident and (2) alert local flights via the Auto‐
ma c Terminal Informa on Service system (ATIS) for at
least one hour a er the incident is reported. Aircrews in
uncontrolled airspace should immediately use the
appropriate UNICOM frequency to broadcast a warning,
as detailed in AC 70‐2A. A er a ULIA incident, the FAA
asks that all crew members who witnessed the incident
complete the Laser Beam Exposure Ques onnaire.16
The
ques onnaire, which can be submi ed electronically, by
fax, or by email, is located on the FAA’s Laser Safety
Ini a ve website and its Report A Safety Issue website.17
FAAMRA made it a federal offense to aim knowingly a
laser at an aircra .
This is a small, but hopeful,
indica on that a fix may be on the horizon. The FAA
seeks to use the federal statute to prosecute offenders
in all instances where it can be used rather than relying
on state or local statutes or regula ons. In the two
individuals that keep a lookout for aircra during the
laser opera on. If the spo er sees an aircra during a
laser opera on, the spo er no fies the laser operator,
who immediately terminates the laser to ensure there is
no uninten onal illumina on of aircra . Kennedy says
even with binoculars, some lasers “are ge ng ght
enough so that they go further than a spo er can actu‐
ally see.” In those cases, the laser operator will repro‐
gram the laser to terminate before it hits navigable
airspace. The FAA assumes spo ers have a three‐mile
range, which doesn’t provide either the pilot or the
spo er much me to react. “In the end, security and
safety are key,” says Kennedy. “When opera ng out‐
doors, the laser operator has to make sure that spo ers
are properly trained and that they follow protocols.”
The FAA wants to know when lasers are used for
entertainment purposes in an outdoor venue.
And, the
FAA wants the pilots who will be flying locally during the
laser opera on to know about it, too. But, the FAA does
not regulate the use of lasers. Therefore, it may
request—but cannot require—that a laser operator
submit the FAA Paperwork. The Food and Drug Admin‐
istra on’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health
(CDRH) regulates laser products.13
And, according to
CDRH, an outdoor laser opera on is a laser product that
requires a variance condi oned on the laser operator
no fying the FAA of the proposed use and resolving any
FAA objec ons.14
What is the takeaway here? If you
unexpectedly come across lasers shoo ng in to naviga‐
ble airspace while in flight, there are four likely causes:
(1) you have not reviewed all ac ve NOTAMs; (2) the
FAA is unaware of the laser opera on; (3) your aircra
has escaped a spo er’s detec on; or, (4) you are lost.
All four situa ons present safety hazards that require
swi and though ul ac on.
Reach us at +1 (210) 653‐8442 or
publisher@gasecuritymagazine.onmicroso .com
Adver se with us !

10. 18
This ar cle is intended to provide an overview of an
avia on law issue. It is for general informa onal and
educa onal purposes only. The ar cle is offered as
and does not cons tute legal advice or legal opinions.
You should personally contact an a orney to obtain
advice with respect to any par cular issue or problem.
Hyperlinks to websites are provided as a convenience
to assist readers and are not intended to suggest
sponsorship, affilia on or associa on with, or legal
authoriza on to use any trade name, registered trade-
mark, logo, legal or official seal, or copyrighted symbol
that may be reflected in the links.
Wendy Mia Pardew is an avia on a orney based
in Orlando, Florida. You can find her on LinkedIn
or via email at WendyPardew@gmail.com.
years from 2012 through 2013, the FAA inves gated 152
incidents and pursued 96 enforcement cases.18
The FAA
has indicated that the
… guidance for agency inves gators and
a orneys stresses that laser viola ons
should not be addressed through warning
no ces or counseling. The agency seeks
moderately high civil penal es for inad-
vertent viola ons, but maximum penal es
for deliberate viola ons. Violators who are
pilots or mechanics face revoca on of their
FAA cer ficate, as well as civil penal es.19
In addi on, state, local, and foreign jurisdic ons have
promulgated a variety of similar statutes and regula ons
aimed at deterring ULIA incidents. The FAA has partnered
with other agencies to raise awareness of the hazards of
ULIA and to assist with prosecu ons. In 2014, the FBI
raised awareness of the hazards of ULIA incidents with a
campaign that included a cash reward of up to $10,000
for informa on leading to the arrest of an offender. The
number of reported ULIA incidents that are not prosecuted
is, however, troublesome.
In many instances where a pilot has both responded
well to a ULIA incident and reported the
incident promptly, that pilot lands safely and contributes
to the offender’s iden fica on and arrest. The combina‐
on of hazard mi ga on and prompt repor ng is the
cornerstone of removing “unauthorized laser illumina on
of aircra ” from avia on’s lexicon. What is your plan if
you find yourself blinded by a laser from the ground?
Wendy Mia Pardew is an avia on a orney based in Orlando, Florida. You can find Wendy on LinkedIn or via email
at Wendy.Pardew@gmail.com. She encourages you to contact her with topics for future ar cles. And, she sends a
road case full of gra tude to Johnny Lyons for his help and exper se on this ar cle.
1
Strictly FX operates globally and is focused on live concert and event special effects including pyrotechnics, flames, cryogenics, lasers, con‐
fe , and mischief.
2
FAA Advisory Circular 70‐1, “Outdoor Laser Opera ons,” (2004) at h p://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/
rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/a79d573e9ff2aaaa86256f9d00583fe0/$FILE/AC70‐1.pdf.
3
A sample NOTAM for an outdoor unterminated laser opera on:
!FDC X/XXXX ZME TN..AIRSPACE NASHVILLE, TN..LASER LIGHT DEMONSTRATION WILL BE CONDUCTED WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS
360840N/86482W (NASHVILLE VORTAC BNA276006). LASER LIGHT BEAMS MAY BE INJURIOUS TO PILOT/PASSENGERS EYES WITHIN 927FT

11.
19
VERTICALLY AND 3579FT LATERALLY OF THE LIGHT SOURCE. FLASH BLINDNESS OR COCKPIT ILLUMINATION MAY OCCUR BEYOND THESE
DISTANCES. NASHVILLE TRACON /BNA/, TELEPHONE (615) 695‐4580, IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY. 1507112400‐1507110430
4
FAA Laser Safety Ini a ve, h ps://www.faa.gov/about/ini a ves/lasers/.
5
FAA Moderniza on and Reform Act of 2012, Sec on 311 (2012) at h p://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT‐112hrpt381/pdf/CRPT‐
112hrpt381.pdf.
6
FAA Performance and Accountability Report, On the Radar: The Dangers of Laser Pointers (2014) at h p://www.faa.gov/about/
plans_reports/media/2014‐FAA‐PAR.pdf; See also, FAA Laser Hazards in Navigable Airspace at h ps://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/
pilotsafetybrochures/media/laser_hazards_web.pdf.
7
Laser A acks Against Aircra : A Threat to Ci zens and Law Enforcement Personnel, Gregory McMahon, M.A., J.D. at h ps://
leb. i.gov/2014/april/laser‐a acks‐against‐aircra ‐a‐threat‐to‐ci zens‐and‐law‐enforcement‐personnel.
8
FAA’s laser hazard website: h ps://www.faa.gov/about/ini a ves/lasers/hazards/.
9
The required variances, permits, approvals, etc. ul mately depend on the loca on of the outdoor laser opera on. In all instances in the
United States where an outdoor venue uses lasers, the FAA will be involved. Interna onal venues also have an assortment of required vari‐
ances, permits, approvals, etc. A laser is a serious piece of equipment that relies not only upon expert opera on, but also upon expert ad‐
ministra on.
10
In addi on to entertainment purposes, there are other types of outdoor laser opera ons that require FAA review, including laser opera‐
ons related to research.
11
FAA JO 7400.2K, Part 6, Chapter 29, Outdoor Laser Opera ons (2014) at h p://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/
order/7400.2k_w_chg1_dtd_7‐24‐14.pdf.
12
FAA JO 7400.2K, Part 6, Chapter 29, Sec on 29‐1‐5 and Figure 29‐1‐1, Outdoor Laser Opera ons (2014) at h p://www.faa.gov/
documentlibrary/media/order/7400.2k_w_chg1_dtd_7‐24‐14.pdf.
13
FAA and FDA 1998 Memorandum of Understanding regarding regula on of lasers in navigable airspace at h p://www.faa.gov/pilots/laser/media/FAA‐
FDA%20laser%20MOU.pdf.
14
See h p://www.fda.gov/Radia on‐Emi ngProducts/Radia onEmi ngProductsandProcedures/HomeBusinessandEntertainment/
ucm118907.htm.
15
FAA, Advisory Circular 70‐2A, “Repor ng of Laser Illumina on of Aircra ,” (2013) at h p://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/
advisory_circular/ac_70‐2a_.pdf.
16
You can find the Laser Beam Exposure Ques onnaire at h p://www.faa.gov/about/ini a ves/lasers/ or h p://www.faa.gov/aircra /
safety/report/laserinfo/.
17
You can find ULIA online incident repor ng protocols and forms at h p://www.faa.gov/about/ini a ves/lasers/ or h p://www.faa.gov/
aircra /safety/report/laserinfo/.
18
h ps://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=15774.
19
h ps://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=15774.

12.
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Un l March 2016...