I’m a 22 year old pilot – this is why you should NEVER point a laser at an airplane

A 22-year-old pilot has revealed why you should never point a laser at a plane – he claims the FBI will track you down ‘instantly’.

Sabrina Johnson is an aviation and helicopter pilot who has been flying since she was 14 and previously made headlines by revealing her struggles in the male-dominated field.

The pilot, who does not reveal the name of the airline she is flying for, regularly shares her travels with her followers on both Instagram and TikTok, where she has more than 71,000 followers.

Now she’s described the dangers and consequences of pointing a laser at an airplane – including the number of years you could be in prison for the crime.

Sabrina is an aviation and helicopter pilot who has been flying since she was 14 and previously made headlines by revealing her struggles in the male-dominated field

Now she’s detailed the dangers and consequences of pointing a laser at an airplane, including the number of years you could spend in prison for the crime

In a viral clip, which has been viewed more than 1.1 million times to date, Sabrina explained what could happen if you play with a laser.

“If you think it’s funny to shoot a laser at an airplane, it’s not.

“Let’s talk about why you can go to jail if you try to shoot a laser at a plane,” she said at the beginning of her video.

Then the 22-year-old gave some of her own examples of being lasered while flying.

She revealed that she had been lasered “maybe two or three times” and that the FBI had even called her to let her know they tracked them down immediately each time.

“When I flew as a flight instructor, I flew around New York City, did some sightseeing, and got lasered.

“So, it’s basically like a green laser flashing, they’re trying to blind pilots,” she explained.

She added that people often find it “funny,” but it could have serious consequences.

She revealed that she had been lasered “maybe two or three times” and that the FBI had even called her to let her know they tracked them down immediately each time.

She explained that if you try to “shoot down a plane,” you will go to “prison,” be fined or face a prison sentence of up to “five years.”

Sabrina then revealed how she managed to save herself from danger.

“So I put my head down with my passenger, and I just flew past the instruments, and then I let LaGuardia Tower know.

And then they just brought us back home. The feds called me and they narrowed it down to a 0.3 mile radius from the top of the building that someone was shooting the laser at me.

“They will find you, they take this so seriously,” she added.

She explained that if you try to “shoot down a plane,” you will go to “prison,” be fined or face a prison sentence of up to “five years.”

Sabrina said another time she was lasered, police “immediately” sent officers to the scene.

“If you think you won’t get caught, you will, because if you actually blind a pilot with a laser, and you’re the reason for getting hurt, you’re probably going to jail a lot longer than just the stupid fine for lasering someone or pointing a laser at an airplane,” she explained.

Many other pilots flocked to the comments to emphasize Sabrina’s message

Many other pilots flocked to the comments to emphasize Sabrina’s message.

One person wrote: ‘Lasered 3 times. I reported the position every time and the police followed up flawlessly. Those guys must be really bored. IIRC it’s a felony.’

“It’s a federal crime – it can blind pilots – don’t do this!” replied another user.

Someone else wrote, “People don’t realize, especially when flying at night, that the laser bounces off the windshield and is extremely bright.”

It is illegal to point a laser at an aircraft, as the laser can blind pilots and potentially crash an aircraft.

According to the Federal Aviation Administrationlaser strikes on an aircraft pose a serious threat to pilots.

Shining a laser at a pilot can result in a fine of up to $11,000, the FAA notes.

In 2022 alone, there were nearly 9,500 laser incidents.