Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 71; Flight Crew Total 2900; Flight Crew Type 2400
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
I was conducting new-hire flight training; during which night currency and instrument currency requirements were to be met. When outbound towards the IAF for our second instrument approach procedure; and about 8-12 miles to the North of the Prescott airport; I noticed a bright flash from below and to my left. I elected to not look at the flash immediately; as I initially believed it could have been somebody pointing a laser at our airplane. After a short while went by without being illuminated again; I elected to look towards the area where the flash came from. As I looked out and towards the ground; I noticed a few other flashes happening at the same time; but notably less bright in intensity. All of these flashes were green in color. I began looking around to see what was causing these flashes; as I considered it highly unlikely that about 6 people all at once would be attempting to illuminate my aircraft with lasers. I noticed these locations would have quick dim flashes; which got slightly brighter as our flight continued northbound; with some looking almost exactly like what happens when a laser illumination event occurs. I was confused at this point as to what could be so bright and quickly flashing on-and-off from so many different locations other than a deliberate laser encounter. The new-hire applicant was 'under the hood' for instrument training and did not see any of this; so I allowed him to continue focusing on his tasks associated with the training as I tried to figure out what was happening. It eventually came to my understanding that these were laser holiday decorations; as I had remembered driving home a few nights prior and had seen the sides of some houses speckled in dotted lights of green and red. As the flight continued over the town of Chino Valley; AZ; I saw many lights quickly flash; sometimes alternating between red and green; until we were no longer over populated areas on the instrument approach.After this occurred; I began asking other company flight instructors who primarily teach in the evenings if they had noticed the same issue. Within one day; many more reports came in about laser illumination events; and how at certain distances from the Prescott airport; many illuminations can be witnessed in one short duration of flight. One CFI stated that when flying in to TUS; the ATIS stated 'Do not report laser illuminations' because they were so frequent over the city of Tucson in Southern Arizona. The discussion concluded with the fact that these holiday decorations are; or can be; brighter than any other object seen at night; if you fly at a given spot within their radius of projection; yet surprisingly; still about a mile above them in altitude. The laser decorations will sometimes flash dimly; but get brighter as you get to the central point of the projection. The following evenings; I found myself trying to spot how many of these decorations I could find in a given duration (seems to be at least one every 20 seconds of flying at approximately 100 knots ground speed over a town with a population of just under 11;000); and at other times found myself focusing intently on flight tasks; yet still getting distracted when a bright flash would come from the ground; when I was not even thinking about these devices.
Pilot returned call and said the intensity of the lights is between a bright laser at the middle of the lights and high beams of a car on the outer rings of the lights. Aircraft was at 4;000 feet AGL.
C172 pilot noticed flashed outside and initially thought it was a laser. On closer inspection they realized it was flashes from holiday decorations.