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CHARLESTON Ƶ In recent months, pilots have reported having beams from laser pointers wash through their cockpits on three occasions, while experiencing uncomfortably close encounters with drones three additional times as they approached or flew through restricted airspace at CharlestonƵs Yeager Airport, officials said.

On Thursday, Yeager administrators, aircraft and drone pilots, Federal Aviation Administration personnel, Charleston police, Transportation Security Administration officers and FBI agents got together to discuss how to more efficiently share information on drone and laser incidents. The goal is to improve safety and increase the odds of identifying the unmanned aircraft operators responsible for near collisions.

Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelhammer@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5169 or follow

@rsteelhammer on Twitter.

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