STAG Launch Laser-Gard® Eyewear Range

News — By admin on January 7, 2011 11:21 am

 

STAG signs agreement with Sperian to resell and distribute the Sperian Laser Eyewear product range.

Pilots and Law Enforcement Personnel around the globe are increasingly exposed to green and red lasers that cause an immediate distraction. This is especially hazardous during landing and take-off from airports. It can cause temporary flash blindness and creates a critical situation in the cockpit, unless the pilots are wearing suitable eye protection.

Since 1968 when Sperian Protection introduced the first laser visors for the US Air Force, Sperian has been the World Leader in laser eyewear and avionic light management solutions. Drawing on their 40 years of experience, Sperian Protection is proud to introduce their patent pending Laser–Gard® Sunglasses.

 

Laser–Gard® Sunglasses

Laser–Gard® Sunglasses significantly reduce the threat posed by powerful green and red lasers and laser pointers, while simultaneously providing the UV and glare protection offered by high quality sunglasses. By combining narrow band notch laser dyes and proprietary knowhow, Sperian has produced the ultimate in safety eyewear designed specifically for personnel who are exposed to green and red laser pointers.

Available in a choice of frame styles which feature multiple adjustments and comfort features, these patented lenses are available in two versions to ensure that pilots and law enforcement personnel are protected around the clock:

  • Soothing bronze coloured sunglass tint for the day.
  • Unique salmon coloured lens that provides excellent night time vision.

Laser-Gard® Sunglasses combine laser protection with traffic signal colour-recognition and unparalleled comfort, making it possible for anyone exposed to these lasers to do their job safely and effectively.

 

Laser Attacks on Pilots:

  • FAA database lists > 2800 aircraft laser encounters between 2004-July 2009, with the number of incidents tripling during that period. Of those incidents ca. 2100 were laser sightings or aircraft illuminations and ca. 700 were cockpit illuminations.
  • UK: 2007 29 laser attacks on commercial airliners, air ambulances and police helicopters. In 2009 this rose 25-fold to 737 laser attacks (source UK Civil Aviation Authority – CAA).
  • Germany: 30 registered laser incidents per month in 2009 – or 360 a year (source Bundespolizei/ Vereinigung Cockpit).

 

Differences Between Pilots:

  • Helicopter pilots – fly low, and hover. This gives people more time to train the laser on them, resulting in more continuous illlumination. Spontaneous attacks.
  • Pilots landing and taking off – people know where and when to find them. Planned and spontaneous attacks.
  • More difficult to keep a laser pointer trained on a moving aircraft than on a hovering helicopter.
  • Civil pilots often fly slower, lower and do not have a co-pilot to take over the controls, thus putting them at higher risk.

 

What danger is the pilot exposed to ?

  • Glare : A temporary disruption in vision caused by the presence of a bright light within an individual’s field of vision lasting as long as the light exposure.
  • Flash blindness : the temporary loss of vision persists after the source of illumination has been removed.
  • Blind spots are similar to flash blindness, but only part of the visual field is affected.
  • After-image is an image that remains in the visual field after an exposure to a bright light.
  • All these hazards can cause pilots to abort landing, potential to degrade flight performance, disrupt cockpit procedures, crew coordination, pilot and air traffic control communications and cause operational problems.

 

Why is protection required ?

  • A 5mW laser can easily cause glare and distract pilots up to 3700ft (1127m); FAA considers a safe distance to be 11,700 ft (3566m).
  • On the ground at close range, laser pointers can be shone directly into eyes of law enforcement officers.
  • When the eye is adapted to the dark and then hit by light, it loses its adaptation, and in turn, it takes several seconds for the eye to adapt to bright light. During this adaptation phase vision is impaired.
  • The retina is most sensitive to green light wavelengths.
  • Laser appears as a series of flashes, because a hand-held laser pointer cannot be held steady on a moving target.

 

Laser-Gard Eyewear:

 

Specifications:

  • Salmon: : F166.
  • Supresses green : Green light transmitted through the lens < 1%.
  • For low-light conditions and darkness.
  • Still allows you to see control instruments in the cockpit and termination point of the laser.
  • Anti-fog and anti-scratch coating.
  • EN 208 certified and CE marked.
  • Meets ANSI Z 87.1 and Z 136.1.
  • Bronze: F168.
  • Supresses red and green : <10% red transmitted through lens, and <4% green transmitted through lens.
  • Can be worn as traditional sunglass as it meets traffic colour signal recognition and sunglass standard, EN 1836 and US Sunglass std, ANSI Z 80.3 2008.
  • Patent pending.
  • Anti-fog and anti-scratch coating.
  • EN 208 certified and CE marked.
  • Meets ANSI Z 87.1 and Z 136.1.
  • We control the light so you can own the night.
  • Better to see some of the beam to know you are being lased. This enables you to use a Laser Event Recorder to fingerprint the laser beam and gps the source.
  • Salmon and bronze achieve an optimal balance between sufficient optical density (OD) to reduce the glare to manageable levels, and still provide visual acuity in the cockpit.
  • Laser-Gard® eyewear is an inexpensive way to avoid aborting a landing.
  • Patent pending on this unique technology.

 

Summary of Features and Benefits:

 

Features Benefits
Salmon for low light conditions. Reduces the glare from green lasers to a manageable level, whilst allowing you to identify the source, and see instrument panels in the cockpit.
Bronze for daytime conditions. Combines laser protection against red and green lasers with sunglass protection.
Multiple comfort features. Adjustable temples and nosebridge. Multi material for increased comfort. Anti-fog & anti-scratch coatings.
Lightweight. Vital if worn with helmet, night vision goggles etc.
Multiple styles available. Choose from the Milan spectacle, XC style with a special insert for your prescription and the LOTG style that fits over your spectacles.

 

Testimonials from Police Helicopter Pilot:

  • Everything is black/white instead of green when wearing laser filter + nightvision goggles, this is actually much more pleasant.
  • Great glare protection while exposed to a 532 nm pointer at distance about 3 m – only point of laser source was visible.
  • No reflections are visible.
  • Light intensity of all instruments and colour recognition in the cockpit are sufficient.

 

Testimonials from Commercial Airline Pilot:

  • Viewing through the cockpit windshields and side windows presented no problems.
  • Bronze actually helped eliminate haze, increased contrast levels and brightened the sky for improved traffic spotting. Inside the cockpit no problems experience when viewing any of the radio panels, CRT displays or other cockpit instruments.
  • Bronze: They worked just like sunglasses and looked great.
  • Salmon: No difficulties seeing around the cockpit but did have to adjust CRT and radio panel brightness to normal daytime levels to see and read clearly.

 

 

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