Appendix D
VISUAL INTERFERENCE DISTANCES Irradiance is 100 pW/cmг SZED Irradiance is Irradiance is 5 pW/cm? 50 nW/cm2 ¡CZED LFED Laser Source Flash- Glare No Blindness Hazard Hazard Hazard NOTE: Visual distraction may occur at any distance D-3
Appendix E E-1 Appendix E. FAA Service Center Information FAA Service Center and Corresponding Service Area boundaries align with Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace boundaries. FAA encourages proponents to contact the service centers with any question relating to submitting FAA Form 7140-1.
If emailing the submission to an FAA service center, please include the name, location, and date of the proposed operation in the subject line to assist service center personnel with their review and timely response.
FAA Service Center States and Territories Eastern Service Center Attn: Manager, Operations Support Group Eastern Service Center, AJV-E2 1701 Columbia Ave.
College Park, GA 30337
9-ATO-ESA-OSG-Lasers-Searchlights@faa.gov Alabama (portions), Arkansas (portions), Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois (portions), Kentucky (portions), Louisiana (portions), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi (portions), Missouri (portions), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (portions), North Carolina, Oklahoma (portions), Pennsylvania (portions), Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee (portions), Vermont, Virginia (portions), West Virginia (portions) Central Service Center Attn: Manager, Operations Support Group Central Service Center, AJV-C2 10101 Hillwood Parkway Fort Worth, TX 76177
9-ASW-Operations-Support-Lasers@faa.gov Alabama (portions), Arizona (portions), Arkansas (portions), Colorado (portions), Illinois (portions), Indiana, Iowa, Kansas (portions), Kentucky (portions), Louisiana (portions), Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi (portions), Missouri (portions), Nebraska (portions), New Mexico (portions), New York (portions), North Dakota (portions), Ohio, Oklahoma (portions), Pennsylvania (portions), South Dakota (portions), Tennessee (portions), Texas, Virginia (portions),West Virginia (portions), Wisconsin Western Service Center Attn: Manager, Operations Support Group Western Service Center, AJV-W2 2200 S 216 Street Des Moines, WA 98198
9-ATO-WSA-OSG-Lasers@faa.gov Alaska, Arizona (portions), California, Colorado (portions), Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas (portions), Montana, Nevada, New Mexico (portions), North Dakota (portions), Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, South Dakota (portions), Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Appendix E
WESTERN SERVICE AREA
CENTRAL SERVICE AREA
EASTERN SERVICE AREA E-2
Appendix F F-1 Appendix F. Glossary Afterimage – A reverse contrast shadow image left in the visual field after an exposure to a bright light (e.g., flashblindness from a camera flash) that may be distracting and disruptive, and may persist from several seconds to several minutes.
Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) – An office of the FDA concerned with enforcing compliance with the Federal requirements for laser products including laser light shows.
Demonstration – Any laser product designed or intended for purposes of visual display of laser beams, for artistic composition, entertainment, or advertising display (see 21 CFR 1040.10(b) 13). Any demonstration laser in excess of 5 mW requires a variance from the CDRH.
Distraction – The redirection of attention from primary tasks due to a sudden exposure to a bright light source. While distraction technically does not interfere with vision, redirection of attention is a visually triggered hazard. For this reason, distraction is classified as one of the three primary visual interference hazards (along with glare and flashblindness/afterimage).
Divergence – The increase in the diameter of the laser beam with distance from the exit aperture. Divergence is an angular measurement of the beam spread, expressed in milliradians (mrad). In laser safety calculations, divergence is defined at the points where the irradiance is 37% (1/e) of the peak irradiance.
Flashblindness – A temporary visual interference effect that persists as an afterimage after the source of illumination has ceased. Flashblindness is not associated with biological damage.
Flight zones – Airspace areas where laser light levels may be restricted to avoid visual interference effects (LFZ, CFZ, SFZ) or are unrestricted when aircraft are not present (NFZ). A given flight zone may not be continuous or concentric with other flight zones. There are four types of flight zones, ordered here from most to least restrictive.
Laser Free Zone (LFZ) – Airspace zone where the level of laser light is restricted to 50nW/cm2 or less, a level that should not cause any visual distractions or disruptions.
Critical Flight Zone (CFZ) – Airspace zone where the level of laser light is restricted to 5 µW/cm2 or less, a level that should not cause veiling (obscuring) glare.
Sensitive Flight Zone (SFZ) – Airspace zone where the level of laser light is restricted to 100 µW/cm2 or less, a level that should not cause flashblindness or afterimage effects. This is a locally defined area beyond the Critical Flight Zones that authorities (e.g., FAA, local departments of aviation, or military) have identified as requiring protection from visual interference effects.
Normal Flight Zones (NFZ) – All airspace not defined by the aforementioned zones where any laser light (visible or non-visible) is restricted to less than the MPE. In the NFZ, any visible laser light that may cause visual interference is not expected to be hazardous.
Appendix F F-2 Glare – A temporary disruption in vision caused by the presence of a bright light (for example, an oncoming car’s headlights) within an individual’s field of vision. Glare is not associated with biological damage. Its effect only lasts as long as the light source is present within the individual’s field of vision.
Horizontal Distance – The maximum distance along the ground where an angled (elevated) laser beam may be an eye hazard or a visual interference hazard.
Irradiance – The intensity of the laser beam over a given area, expressed as power per unit area, e.g., milliwatts per square centimeter (mW/cm2) or watts per square meter (W/m2). Irradiance is used for power (watts) while radiant exposure is the same concept for energy (joules).
Joule (J) – The International system unit of energy, equal to the work done when a current of one ampere is passed through a resistance of one ohm for one second.
Laser – An acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A laser is a device that produces an intense, directional, coherent beam of visible or invisible light.
Laser manufacturer – A term that refers to persons who make laser products, including those who are engaged in the business of design, assembly, or presentation of a laser light show.
Laser operator – A person in control of the operation of a laser system. A laser operator should be a knowledgeable person, present during laser operation, and given authority to operate the laser system in compliance with applicable safety standards, subject to direction or recommendations of the Laser Safety Officer.
Laser Safety Officer (LSO) – A designated person who has authority and responsibility to monitor and enforce the control of laser hazards and affect the knowledgeable evaluation and control of laser hazards.
Local Laser Working Group (LLWG) – A group convened as necessary to assist the regional air traffic division in evaluating the potential effect of laser emissions on aircraft operators near the proposed laser activity.
Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) – The level of laser radiation to which a person may be exposed without hazardous effect or adverse biological change in the eye or skin. The MPE value varies based on the beam’s characteristics (e.g., wavelength, irradiance, or radiant exposure level, or continuous wave or pulsed), exposure duration, and body part exposed to the light (eye or skin). Since the eye is the most sensitive to laser injury, this document uses eye MPE values. In general, MPE is expressed in watts or joules per square centimeter.
Milliradian (mrad) – A measure of angle used for beam divergence. A milliradian is 1/1000 of a radian, or approximately 1/17th of a degree. There are 6283.185 milliradians in a circle.
Protection distances – Distances along the laser beam to a point where the laser is no longer considered an eye injury hazard (NOHD), or to where it is no longer considered a hazard for flashblindness/afterimage (SZED), glare (CZED), or to where it is no longer expected to cause distraction (LFED). FAA is concerned with the NOHD for any laser in navigable airspace, whether it emits a visible or non-visible beam. FAA is only concerned with the other three distances when lasers with visible wavelengths (between 400 nm and 700 nm) are emitted in navigable airspace. There are four protection distances (NOHD, SZED, CZED, and LFED), defined as follows.
Appendix F F-3 Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD) – The protection distance from the laser source to where the beam irradiance or radiant exposure falls below the MPE for human eyes. Within the NOHD, potential eye injury may occur. Beyond the NOHD, the beam irradiance or radiant exposure would be less than the eye MPE and is not expected to cause eye injury.
Sensitive Zone Exposure Distance (SZED) – The visual interference distance from the laser source to where the beam irradiance is less than 100 µW/cm². Within the SZED, potential eye injury and temporary flashblindness with resulting afterimages may occur. Beyond the SZED (beam irradiance less than 100 µW/cm²), flashblindness or afterimages are not expected to occur.
Critical Zone Exposure Distance (CZED) – The visual interference distance from the laser source to where the beam irradiance is less than 5 µW/cm². Within the CZED, potential eye injury, flashblindness/afterimages, and veiling (obscuring) glare may occur.
Beyond the CZED (beam irradiance less than 5 µW/cm²), glare which obscures objects is not expected to occur.
Laser-free Exposure Distance (LFED) – The visual interference distance from the laser source to where the beam irradiance is less than 50 nW/cm². Along the beam from the laser source to the LFED, potential eye injury, flashblindness/afterimages, veiling glare, and distraction may occur. Beyond the LFED (beam irradiance less than 50 nW/cm²), the laser light is similar in brightness to most other bright city and airport lights seen at night and is not expected to cause additional distraction.
Radiant exposure – The intensity of the beam over a given area expressed as energy per unit area, generally joules per square centimeter (J/cm2). Radiant exposure is used for energy (joules) while irradiance is the same concept for power (watts).
Safety observer – A designated person who is responsible for monitoring the safe operation of a laser and who can immediately terminate the laser beam if necessary to ensure safety. Normally, a safety observer will view airspace near a laser beam to identify any potentially unsafe condition.
Slant range – The distance directly along the beam (e.g., “slant range” does not vary depending on beam elevation angle).
Terminated beam – A laser beam that ends on a surface and is blocked from continuing into navigable airspace.
Unterminated beam – A laser beam that is directed or reflected into navigable airspace.
The proponent should provide sufficient evidence to FAA that users of the National Airspace System are not adversely affected by the beam.
Variance – FDA approval for a laser manufacturer or operator to vary from compliance with 21 CFR § 1040.11 by providing an equivalent level of safety via alternate means.
Vertical Distance – The maximum altitude above the ground where an angled (elevated) laser beam may be an eye hazard or a visual interference hazard.
Watts – A unit of measurement associated with power output. The wattage of a laser system or limit of laser power in a flight zone is often expressed as a milliwatt (mW), microwatt (µW), or nanowatt (nW). One watt is one joule per second.