Pilots in Montreal say someone is trying to blind them with a laser pointer as they land jets at the city's airport, and they want to track down whoever is responsible.

There have been at least six incidents at Montreal-Trudeau Airport in the past week.

"We want the idiots doing this to stop immediately because it could potentially jeopardize the safety (of those on board)," Capt. Serge Beaulieu of the Air Canada Pilots Association told CTV Montreal on Tuesday.

Pilots believe someone is using a high-powered green laser pointer that's popular among astronomers and amateur star gazers.

A typical five-milliwatt model has a range of roughly 10,000 feet, or three kilometers, and costs about $100. More powerful pointers can generate beams at least twice that distance.

Lasers beamed at cockpits can temporarily blind pilots as they try to land their planes, putting their lives -- and the lives of passengers -- in jeopardy. Crewmembers now receive specific training on how to handle such a situation.

"They don't look straight at the laser because that's dangerous, it could damage the cornea and incapacitate you in some way," said Beaulieu.

According to Transport Canada, the problem is widespread. There have been at least 60 such incidents nation-wide over the past year. In some cases, pilots suffered actual damage to their eyes.

Last year, police in Calgary arrested a 29-year-old man for shining a laser beam at a cockpit. He was fined $1,000.

Transport Canada said fines and jail time can range up to a maximum $100,000 fine for a summary conviction, and up to five years in prison.

In Montreal, pilots are using Global Positioning System devices and sophisticated technology on board their planes to locate the person responsible for the latest incidents.

"We have enough instruments on board that we can tell where it's coming from," said Beaulieu. "If we fly over it, we report the latitude and longitude."

With a report by CTV Montreal's Stephane Giroux