Qantas Pilot "Dazzled by Laser"

[divingduck]

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/08/09/1186530491807.html

Someone needs a good old fashioned boot up the ar$e.

[WilliamOK]

I don't understand what the merit of shining a laser at an aeroplne is.


They need more than an @$$ kicking.

[Mud Skipper]

OK,

So when was the last time I was hit on the tarmac - never - but I still wear a high vis vest.
We are being his by industrial lasers - what about laser safe eye wear for T/O & Landing?

Problem is the industry is lead by @ss's after $$$$ - this is now becoming too common to ignore - how about some real OH&S which means somethingk to those at the sharp end?????

Problem is this gear costs real $$$$$ for it to be of any value, unlike a cheap vest which can be marked up to blazers. :\

[Bullethead]

This lasering of civil airliners has happened over the last few years at MEL, ADL, from Sydney's northern beaches area and now DRW and more than likely other places.
A flight I was on copped it while making an approach to R/W 27 MEL a year or so ago. It was definitely a greenish laser and appeared to emanate from the hill where the ATC radar head is situated. Bright but not dazzling, though one of my collegues on a different flight was dazzled to such an extent he was ill enough to have to call in sick.
I submitted an ASIR and spoke to our security people about it but not a lot seems to have been done.
Apart from the obvious problem of being dazzled by an extremely bright light and the potential for retinal damage another concern I have is could the lasers being used by these morons just be of the powerful laser pointer type or could they also be used as target illuminators for laser guided weapons? Would it be possible to determine this by the colour or strength of the laser beam?
Anyone got any experience with this sort of equipment and care to comment?
Regards,
BH.

[neville_nobody]

ABC reports that the pilot recevied damage to his vision, that's probably why he was paxed home.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2007/08/09/2001134.htm

[BrazDriver]

Happened in Perth too!

[Lodown]

In terms of combatting lasers by wearing some sort of protective eyewear; as I understand it there are considerable problems with this. It is easy to don a pair of the appropriate goggles IF the frequency of the laser is known. It works beautifully and the light cannot be seen. However, the US military did (and are probably still doing) research on tactical battlefield lasers a number of years ago and the trouble is that a little frequency shift either way renders relatively lightweight equipment useless. There are different lasers for a lot of applications these days: farming, construction, amateur astronomy and so on.
I think if it was me on finals, I'd be tempted to go around, don an IFR hood and fly an approach to minimums on instruments.

[bushy]

Today's one in Darwin was on TV and the message went out that this is not a good thing to do. I do not think this is well enough known, and there are lots of lasers around. I think the next step must be widespread publicity on this subject, telling people how dangerous it can be.

[Southern_Sealion]

I think this is an issue that the AFP should weigh in on instead of harassing Indian Doctors.

For a start, I know of no legitimate use for these green lasers except to "illuminate stars" by some astronomy teachers. I think these things could therefore be made a prohibited import and classed as a weapon (blinding at short range being a real possibility), requiring a permit.

I also think that a few surveillance cameras set up in certain locations (which I will not go into) may allow the identification of either the vehicles involved or (by triangulation) the locations from where they are shining.

A few Ten year jail sentences should do the rest:(

[freddyKrueger]

They have:

Regulated the sale of fertilizer used by tens of thousand of farmers for legitimate purposes to stop terrorism.
Regulated gift vouchers to stop terrorists laudering money at DJ's & Myers.
Regulated SIM cards on the off chance you might want to loan one to your second cousin.So yes, they can regulate lasers if the will was actually there.

[freddyKrueger]

http://community.theolympian.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=4828

[FakePilot]

There's a video floating around about a laser device made from home materials. I deleted the link on second thought. However the laser burns things really really good. Expect DHS to ban flashlights on planes now.

I wonder how coherent this beam is? Hopefully this laser doesn't have much of an effective range.
I think it's a matter of public education. Make a law declaring it life endangering reckless behavior and lock away a few. People here buy guns but are smart enough not to shoot at planes because they know it's dangerous.
Well, for the most part they're smart enough not to shoot at planes.

[Shot Nancy]

I have flown with those uncomfortable vision impairing anti-laser goggles and a pocket full of steroids, (no eye patch though) what a pain in the *rse.
This is a real problem that will only be addressed if we continue to report it and maintain that something must be done.
I don’t know how you can stop anyone getting “laze happy”. You can buy a laser from the $2 shop and a more powerful one from Bunnings. Restricting sale of items does not prevent unauthorised use of illegal or industrial lasers.
Keep up the reports.

[Metro man]

Best solution would be to have military aircraft flying around equipped with missiles which lock on to the laser and travel back down the beam to its source.:E

[strim]

One of these flashed in a footballers eyes at the MCG I think, Friday night.

I guess if you didn't know how a laser worked and how dangerous they are, it would seem like a cool toy.

There needs to some education.

[regitaekilthgiwt]

Saw something on 10 news about another aircraft getting hit with a laser. Did a quick search for it but didn't find it, all I came up with was this:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/tracker.shtml

[Mr.Buzzy]

Soft-cocks...... wouldn't be a problem if it happened in a nightclub at 3 in the morning.

bbbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz z

[QSK?]

I guess if you didn't know how a laser worked and how dangerous they are, it would seem like a cool toy. There needs to some education.
Not excusing the behaviour of anyone who is stupid enough to direct a laser at an aircraft but I reckon strim is right here.

Most people buy a reasonably powerful laser to point out star constellations and probably just view an aircraft as simply being another celestial target that is sufficiently distant to demonstrate the laser's capability without any real intention by the user to injure anyone.

In fact, I doubt many laser users' thinking or consideration would even extend to the fact that these devices could cause eye damage to a pilot or lead to a potential aircraft accident.

Does anyone know whether lasers include any warnings about eyesight damage, particularly to flight crew?

Like strim, I suspect that education is the key here and, therefore, the best approach is for the pilot unions, CASA and DOTARS to petition the laser manufacturers to include warnings against pointing the device at aircraft and highlighting the potential consequences and penalties.

I have also been "painted" previously in the past.

[AEROMEDIC]

Hardly a deterrent.......... Bring a mandantory 2 year jail sentence if found guilty of such acts with wide publicity to boot. The time to stop this inane behaviour is NOW !!!
:*

[Johnny_56]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/070813/2/146m7.html

"You could hurt a pilot."

nice to know someone cares :D

[Torqueman]

There has been some new facts come in about the bright light.

It has been rumoured that the light did in fact come from none other than G. Dixon. Yes..........the big man himself.:D

He was enroute to the airport after another lunch paid for by screwing his employees to the wall when his stomach turned.......:sad:

He had no option other than to pull over next to the road going past the airport and well, relieve himself. :yuk:

Now some would say that he has been dumping on the industy for years.....But I won't be so crude.

Now during his tussle with his enormous belt ( required to keep his pants up due to the enormous size of his wallet ) his pants got away from him.....

When he bobbed over to retrieve them low and behold a light brighter than the sun eminated from his backside.

It was of course out of his control. He could not help the fact that he possessed this extreme power.:=

But he thought........why waste such an oppertunity.... He saw a Qantas plane coming in and attempted to direct brilliant beam on the tail to light up that brand new Roo.......what an oppertuninty he thought.:}

It was at this moment he lost control and inadvertantly steered him beaming bum past the cockpit blinding the pilot.......

The rest is history.:ooh:

[Eastwest Loco]

Mr Buzzy

I cannot recall anyone trying to land a nightclub with an incredibly bright light directed at them.

Most nightclubs are only VFR rated. I thought you would know that.

Silly comment.

See me after class.

Best regards all

EWL

[strim]

From CASA



17/8/07: New penalties for directing lasers at planes pass the Parliament

Media release - People who irresponsibly direct laser devices at planes will soon face tough new penalties with the passing of a Bill in the Federal Parliament today which provides for up to two years imprisonment or fines of up to $5,500, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Mark Vaile, said.