A new system of laser lights will soon be installed in the Washington area to prevent airplanes from straying into restricted airspace, representatives of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) have announced. The laser system will officially be introduced in late May or early June, but NORAD officials demonstrated the process on Thursday. Any pilot who strays into restricted airspace, which includes most of the area above Washington's many government buildings and historic monuments, is flashed with multi-colored lights from lasers on the ground. The system is expected to significantly reduce the number of airspace violations in Washington. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports hundreds of such violations each year, mostly while pilots takeoff or land at the city's Washington National Airport. Perhaps the most famous recent incident took place last year when a private plane carrying the governor of Kentucky forced the evacuation of congressional buildings after entering restricted airspace. Each set of laser lights, radars and cameras cost about $500,000, but officials would not say how many were used.
