L@ser attacks on Aircraft
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FBI announce a program aimed at deterring people from pointing lasers at aircraft—a felony punishable by five years in jail—and rewarding those who come forward with information about individuals who engage in this dangerous activity.
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The level of danger presented by l@sers can be gauged by the incidents reported in real life. To my knowledge l@ser illumination has not caused anything other than a minor irritation to the crew
perhaps a reflective film on the aircraft windows to prevent the beam from getting inside.
Last edited by deptrai; 11th Feb 2014 at 16:51.
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Had this twice
I had this twice happen to me, both times on A Wellington NZ approach that is at the best if times challenging enough. Thank God 2 times without cross winds as worse might have happened.
In no case could I identify where the beam came from. Police was informed but could not do anything.
In no case could I identify where the beam came from. Police was informed but could not do anything.
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Deptrai,
I'd be very surprised if anyone onboard an aircraft had corneal damage from being shone on with lasers, unless they were disoriented as a result and stuck something into their eye.
Lasers are a serious matter for distraction and loss of night vision, but I'd say that the chances of retinal damage, much less corneal damage, from mW lasers that are at least hundreds of meters away without launch telescopes has to be small. The cornea evolved not to absorb visible light. To do eye surgery you need 0.1W laser flashes, all falling on the cornea.
Flaps,
Tell the police what you see every time - the beams are easy to spot and an alert cop next time might well be able to get a fix on the launch site. Any imaging from a police helicopter that could be within sight at the time could almost always locate the source to an address. They might even be able to get a decent idea of the location from dashboard camera footage from different angles.
I'd be very surprised if anyone onboard an aircraft had corneal damage from being shone on with lasers, unless they were disoriented as a result and stuck something into their eye.
Lasers are a serious matter for distraction and loss of night vision, but I'd say that the chances of retinal damage, much less corneal damage, from mW lasers that are at least hundreds of meters away without launch telescopes has to be small. The cornea evolved not to absorb visible light. To do eye surgery you need 0.1W laser flashes, all falling on the cornea.
Flaps,
Tell the police what you see every time - the beams are easy to spot and an alert cop next time might well be able to get a fix on the launch site. Any imaging from a police helicopter that could be within sight at the time could almost always locate the source to an address. They might even be able to get a decent idea of the location from dashboard camera footage from different angles.
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I can attest that the damage potential is much higher than we all assume. I was targeted a couple of months ago while on approach. The green laser hit me several times and I had a white stripe/after image in my left eye for 3 1/2 days. For more than two days I had focal migraines. Needless to say, I was grounded.
My initial retinal exam was nominal, but the Doc put me on anti-inflammatory eyedrops and noted a corneal vacuole in my eye on my return visit. His initial exam was very detailed and methodical (laser mapping of my retina - ironic) and he believes the vacuole was caused by the laser. The result is a risk that it will turn into a cataract years later.
My first officer was out a little longer than me because his ophthalmologist found minor corneal damage. It was his second time getting lasered in flight.
We were low enough that I was able to point out the exact origin of the laser to the police using Googlemaps. However, they didn't apprehend anyone. I'm hoping the FBI reward being offered will jog some memories and bring this idiot to justice.
BTW - while doing a little research, I discovered that there are 1000mW rifle laser sights that advertise a range of 10,000 meters. Do the math...
My initial retinal exam was nominal, but the Doc put me on anti-inflammatory eyedrops and noted a corneal vacuole in my eye on my return visit. His initial exam was very detailed and methodical (laser mapping of my retina - ironic) and he believes the vacuole was caused by the laser. The result is a risk that it will turn into a cataract years later.
My first officer was out a little longer than me because his ophthalmologist found minor corneal damage. It was his second time getting lasered in flight.
We were low enough that I was able to point out the exact origin of the laser to the police using Googlemaps. However, they didn't apprehend anyone. I'm hoping the FBI reward being offered will jog some memories and bring this idiot to justice.
BTW - while doing a little research, I discovered that there are 1000mW rifle laser sights that advertise a range of 10,000 meters. Do the math...
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I'd be very surprised if anyone onboard an aircraft had corneal damage from being shone on with l@sers, unless they were disoriented as a result and stuck something into their eye
Even at longer distances, one could imagine various unfortunate scenarios.
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That's a very interesting and worrying report.
Up at ~Watt powers and with a telescope, and close to the source, then it would become an issue. If people are doing this close enough and with enough power to cause medically-verified injuries, then it's a different question, and I think it moves the offense to unavoidable charges of "attempted murder".
Your "stripe" afterimage indicates a high power as your eye automatically tracks to a bright source.
Up at ~Watt powers and with a telescope, and close to the source, then it would become an issue. If people are doing this close enough and with enough power to cause medically-verified injuries, then it's a different question, and I think it moves the offense to unavoidable charges of "attempted murder".
Your "stripe" afterimage indicates a high power as your eye automatically tracks to a bright source.
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In Sweden it is now illegal to purchase, own, sell and/or use l-ser pointers more than 1mW strong (classes 3R, 3B and 4.). The new law is in place from the 1st Jan 2014*.
The Swedish government agency Transportstyrelsen welcomes reports on incidents with l-ser pointers at any Swedish airport so please do report it if you encounter it when visiting Sweden!
More information in Swedish is available here: Skärpta regler för starka laserpekare från 1 januari 2014 - Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten
To file a special report regarding l-sers, contact ATC. In case they are ignorant, here is the form to use; http://www.transportstyrelsen.se/Glo...elsk_text).pdf
*For any l-ser pointers stronger than this, a special approval is needed from the government agency Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten.
The Swedish government agency Transportstyrelsen welcomes reports on incidents with l-ser pointers at any Swedish airport so please do report it if you encounter it when visiting Sweden!
More information in Swedish is available here: Skärpta regler för starka laserpekare från 1 januari 2014 - Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten
To file a special report regarding l-sers, contact ATC. In case they are ignorant, here is the form to use; http://www.transportstyrelsen.se/Glo...elsk_text).pdf
*For any l-ser pointers stronger than this, a special approval is needed from the government agency Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten.
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New Zealand has introduced two new laws, effective 1st March 2014, relating to the importation, supply and acquisition of laser pointers with a power of more than 1 mW:
The Custom Import Prohibition (High-power Laser Pointers) Order 2013 restricts importation to people who have consent from the Director-General of Health.
The Health (High-power Laser Pointers) Regulations 2013 restrict supply to authorised suppliers and acquisition to authorised recipients.
The NZ Parliament is also considering whether there is a need to control the possession of high-power laser pointers.
A Members Bill, sponsored by Dr Cam Calder MP, proposes to amend the Summary Offences Act to create an offence to be in possession of a laser pointer in a public place without a reasonable excuse. A similar offence currently exists for knives.
The Custom Import Prohibition (High-power Laser Pointers) Order 2013 restricts importation to people who have consent from the Director-General of Health.
The Health (High-power Laser Pointers) Regulations 2013 restrict supply to authorised suppliers and acquisition to authorised recipients.
The NZ Parliament is also considering whether there is a need to control the possession of high-power laser pointers.
A Members Bill, sponsored by Dr Cam Calder MP, proposes to amend the Summary Offences Act to create an offence to be in possession of a laser pointer in a public place without a reasonable excuse. A similar offence currently exists for knives.
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IBMJunkman
I can not speak for NZ but in Sweden we have very few deaths related to hand gun use. It's mostly drunk stabbing or blunt weapons.
In Sweden it is not considered a Fundamental Human Right to own items specifically designed for one purpose only - to kill other humans.
We do have the occasional gang shooting, but that's almost exclusively illegal weapons smuggled in from some part of the east.
Laser sightings for hunting rifles are allowed but for strong lasers you need your weapon's license and approved application for hunting use. There are a lot of restrictions regarding hunting rifles in Sweden, just because they are so powerful and can bring so much destruction.
The military and the police force of course have their own special approvals.
Thread drift end. Please continue in original direction.
I can not speak for NZ but in Sweden we have very few deaths related to hand gun use. It's mostly drunk stabbing or blunt weapons.
In Sweden it is not considered a Fundamental Human Right to own items specifically designed for one purpose only - to kill other humans.
We do have the occasional gang shooting, but that's almost exclusively illegal weapons smuggled in from some part of the east.
Laser sightings for hunting rifles are allowed but for strong lasers you need your weapon's license and approved application for hunting use. There are a lot of restrictions regarding hunting rifles in Sweden, just because they are so powerful and can bring so much destruction.
The military and the police force of course have their own special approvals.
Thread drift end. Please continue in original direction.
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There was once I flew out of SIN at night and less than 2 minutes after take off the entire cabin was flashing green. Looking out of the window and traced the source of the ground.
I wrote to the local Civil aviation authority only to get a reply they have received numerous reports from airlines but they can't do much as the lasers are originating from the Indonesian neighbouring island south of Singapore.. outisde their jurisdiction.
The only consolation I got was they said they have reported these incidents to their counterparts in Indonesia.
I wrote to the local Civil aviation authority only to get a reply they have received numerous reports from airlines but they can't do much as the lasers are originating from the Indonesian neighbouring island south of Singapore.. outisde their jurisdiction.
The only consolation I got was they said they have reported these incidents to their counterparts in Indonesia.
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If only we could get one past security and fight them back.
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I saw that report about a 14 year sentence. What concerns me is the potential for someone to have the book thrown at them for accidentally lighting up the belly of a plane.
Say I'm out in the forest pointing out constellations to my boys and a plane passes by, likely nearly perpendicular to the laser, should I be locked up for years? What is the risk to a plane that has a laser pointed at its belly?
I understand that we are talking about idiots near a landing facility shining lasers at cockpits but I don't hear any differentiation between that and say pointing a laser straight up at the underside of an aircraft.
Not that anyone should do that but again, say that happens, accidentally or otherwise, what again is the risk?
Say I'm out in the forest pointing out constellations to my boys and a plane passes by, likely nearly perpendicular to the laser, should I be locked up for years? What is the risk to a plane that has a laser pointed at its belly?
I understand that we are talking about idiots near a landing facility shining lasers at cockpits but I don't hear any differentiation between that and say pointing a laser straight up at the underside of an aircraft.
Not that anyone should do that but again, say that happens, accidentally or otherwise, what again is the risk?
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14 years!!!?!
This is insane - max sentence for rape in CA is 8 years! Sure, they want to send out a message - but 14 years is insanity.
This is insane - max sentence for rape in CA is 8 years! Sure, they want to send out a message - but 14 years is insanity.
Judge O’Neill cited Rodriguez’s criminal past, which includes probation violations and gang affiliation, as additional reasons for the sentence.
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Laser helicopter man Gavin Hoskins was 'stupid'
BBC News - Laser helicopter man Gavin Hoskins was 'stupid'
Gavin Hoskins, 26, from Bristol, flashed the laser pen at the helicopter on 20 January forcing the task to be abandoned.
Hoskins was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for two years
BBC News - Laser helicopter man Gavin Hoskins was 'stupid'
Gavin Hoskins, 26, from Bristol, flashed the laser pen at the helicopter on 20 January forcing the task to be abandoned.
Hoskins was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for two years
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Easyjet laser Pen attack
Just been listening to ATC over liver and easy jet G-EZUA has had a laser pen attack whilst performing fight ezy25jk over Bootle Pilots are reporting green light being shone at them