>>this is happening around your area maybe Cleatus the slack jawed yokel isn't that far behind.There must certainly be a lot of morons there.<<
Yep, you sound like a real expert...
Anyway, the light from the little red and green aircraft nav lights somehow makes it through the mysterious atmosphere all the way to the ground. Wonder why that laser light just stops dead in its tracks? I'm sure us ignorant folks over here wouldn't understand your brilliant personal theories on coherent light propagation <g>.
>>How close are these ' folks' to the planes???
In some cases less than a thousand feet, near the airport boundary under an approach path.