Flying Eyes and Cambium introduce laser eye protection for pilots

At the 70th Air Safety Forum in Washington, D.C., from September 14 to 17, 2026, Flying Eyes Optics and Cambium have introduced a groundbreaking solution to the persistent threat of laser strikes on aircraft. The companies have collaborated to develop purpose-built laser eye protection lenses compatible with headset-compatible frames, addressing a critical safety need for professional pilots.

Laser strikes pose a significant risk to aviation safety. In 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded 10,994 reported laser strikes, with the agency noting more than 330 pilot injuries since 2010. The true number of incidents is likely much higher, as many strikes go unreported.

Cambium’s lens technology, part of its SentinelOps™ platform, features a precision notch filter that attenuates 532nm green laser light, reducing exposure to below the eye injury threshold. The lenses maintain high color acuity, ensuring that avionics, instruments, and navigation displays remain fully readable. Additionally, lens scratches do not affect the protective performance, and the eyewear can be worn during the most vulnerable phases of flight: departure and arrival.

Flying Eyes Optics frames are specifically engineered for pilots, with patented Resilamide™ temples that are just 1mm thick and highly flexible. This design allows the eyewear to be worn comfortably under headsets and helmets without breaking the ear seal or creating pressure points. Pairing Cambium’s lens technology with Flying Eyes’ frames creates the first laser protection eyewear designed for the unique needs of pilots.

Dean Siracusa, President/CEO of Flying Eyes Optics, emphasized the importance of this collaboration. "Professional pilots deal with laser strikes on a regular basis, and until now, there has been no practical protection they could wear in the cockpit. Cambium solved the lens problem, and we solved the frame problem. Together, this is protection pilots will actually use."

Kevin Nottage, Senior Optics Products Manager at Cambium, explained the necessity of the technology. "A few seconds of flash blindness or glare during approach or departure can compromise a pilot's situational awareness at exactly the wrong moment. We built this lens so pilots don't have to choose between protection and performance. They can see their instruments clearly, keep full color vision in the cockpit, and know they're covered during the flight phases where a strike is most likely to matter."

Air Safety Forum attendees can visit the SentinelOps table to try the lenses and speak with a Flying Eyes representative. The lenses will be offered across the Flying Eyes frame lineup, and interested pilots and organizations can sign up for availability updates at flyingeyesoptics.com/pages/laser-protection-lenses.

Flying Eyes Optics, based in Buda, Texas, is known for its Resilamide™ temples, which are 1mm thin, extremely flexible, and virtually unbreakable. The company offers a full line of sunglasses and prescription eyewear designed for pilots, motorcyclists, and racers, and ships to customers worldwide.

Cambium, headquartered in El Segundo, California, integrates AI-driven materials discovery and flexible manufacturing to serve customers in defense, aerospace, space, high-performance automotive, and other industries.