Fri, May 20, 2005
The Visual Warning System being fielded by North American
Aerospace Command (NORAD), in coordination with the FAA and the Air
Force Rapid Capabilities Office, will become operational Saturday,
May 21, 2005.
This new security measure is designed to enhance air safety and
security in the National Capital Region. It is a communication tool
to warn pilots who have entered the NCR's restricted airspace - the
Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) - and cannot be contacted by
radio. It is a ground-based system that uses safety-tested,
low-level beams of alternating red and green lights to alert pilots
they are flying without approval in restricted airspace. The lights
are designed so that illumination is eye-safe and non-hazardous at
all ranges.
According to NORAD, the
VWS system is considered a Class I laser device, that is, the
safest class possible. It is eye safe at the aperture and all
distances. The VWS is safer than laser pointers and can be
directly viewed. There is no eye hazard associated with
viewing the beam. In comparison, green or red laser pointers
are typically Class IIIa, which have the potential for causing eye
damage if viewed beyond � second. What the pilots see
is a bright dot of flashing red/red/green light that stands out
brilliantly among the many city and radio tower lights at night and
against scenery clutter during the day. The narrow beam of
the warning minimizes the probability that a non-intruder aircraft
will be illuminated when the VWS is directed at an intruder
aircraft. If another aircraft approaches the same azimuth and
elevation as the intruder as determined by radar data, the warning
will be terminated. The Visual Warning System does not affect
any aircraft systems.
Only aircraft that are unauthorized, or unidentified, and
unresponsive would be visually warned. The VWS is designed to
prompt immediate action by the pilot to contact air traffic control
and exit the restricted airspace.
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