Spotlights At Maryborough (vic)

[mango777]

I was conducting Night Circuits last night at Maryborough in Victoria to teach black hole landings when all of a sudden an intense white light lit up my aircraft at the same time completely destroying my night vision. The house was located about 1.5nm south west of the ARP. This light completely disorientated myself and the student. Focus on instruments prevented an accident, however i worry what may happen to other pilots if they forget this golden rule. One day this light will cause an accident, i am wondering if anyone else has encountered this light and if anyone has any suggestions of how to stop this person before he kills someone...

[777WakeTurbz]

Was it a house in residential or rural property? Its been a while since ive flown to maryborough, could have been some guys out spotlighting and you were scaring away whatever they were shooting so u were the next best thing.
Or it could just be kids... or drunk adults acting like kids :E

If you can identify the house from the air and figure out the address just send the coppers around to have a chat with them.
You might have to explain what the dangers are to the coppers, but make sure you talk very slowly and spell the big words out for them so they understand... :hmm::ugh: Better yet just write out what you want them to say to the people at the house...:}

Turbz :E

[Buster Hyman]

I think those cops have left Maryborough now Turbz. Had to be replaced, if you follow my meaning....:ooh:

[Aeroplane Jelly]

You reckon they were using anything like this?

http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/uploaded_images/batman_spotlight.jpg

You can usually see lots of light streams from people using stuff like this in the suburban areas.
If you've got a GPS system, fly over their house next time and record the exact position then expose them on google earth :E

[Phil O'Rupp]

Yep, went to MBU at night twice about 3-4 years ago and had exactly the same thing happen.

[Cap'n Arrr]

How dare those planes use an airport? Especially one which I built my house near without considering it may occasionally be used?

Come back the next night with a few twins. Do circuits all night with props out of sync.:E

I've been hearing some stories lately of fireworks being shot at aircraft on night final. Would be nice if anyone caught doing stupid :mad: like this gets their house reposessed, since they obviously don't want to live near an airport. Send em to Guantanemo!:ok:

[BR715]

I used to do alot of night navs there with students 6 years ago and it was happening back then too. We reported it to CASA, and it did stop for a while but kept happening on and off. Was very distracting and even potentially dangerous especially when you are trying to teach a HK cadet how to land at night dealing with all the other visual illusions you get plus this dick shinning spot lights at you!!


Must be a local farmer that doesn't like the local airport being used at night!!:ugh:

[PyroTek]

that should really be a prosecutable offence, just like shining lasers at cockpits is..
(unless it is ATC communication, with the green and red lights)

[Cap'n Arrr]

It is prosecutable, some guy at willy got done for spotlighting a hornet. then tried to appeal.

[newbienot]

Directanywhere

Notify CASA by all means but please don't expect action.
At last count only one of their "Investigators" has ever held a licence - and that was a rppl around 20 years back. They wouldn't know a flying machine from a boat!

[The Shield]

Hi mango

Totally sympathise with you!

I find the situation so dangerous now that I have invested in a pair of red lense coloured glasses that I even encourage my students to wear especially on a black hole night.

Though yet to prove the theory I reckon that at least if the cockpit did get flashed by a bright light we would save our night vision through the red lense sunglasses!

I know how hard it can be to adjust to flying on instruments, late downwind on a black hole night after being distracted or dazzled by a bright light!!

Did you put a CASA report in?

Cheers

Shield

[Aeroplane Jelly]

oh yeah the idiot who bought a spotlight to shine on the planes landing at RAAF williamtown.

was discussed a year ago here on PPRUNE

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=268112


you should get the cops to charge this clown for obstructing the safe operation of your airplane.
It'll also scare off any others in the area who think about doing the same thing.

[Peter Fanelli]

Sounds like flying community action is needed here.
Get all the local pilots into the general area one night equipped with baseball bats, then put a plane up as bait.
Pay the guy a "visit" when he lights up the light.

Even if only to verify his address so you can call the police to the address while it's happening.

[ABX]

Actually Pete, that idea has a some merit, although I would change the details a little as follows.

mango, why don't you arrange another night flight into the same strip and organise a couple of mates with video cameras to hide near the suspect house, then film the pricks in the act. Try to get a shot of the faces of the perps - this may not be possible I guess, although it would be a pearler if you did. Surely even our police should be able to do something with that.

If that gets no results, revert back to Peter Fanelli's plan above.:E

ABX:ok:

[Sunfish]

My thoughts are unprintable, and illegal. BTW there is a Warrior at YMMB that has a nice dent in its lower cowl, like somebody stuck their thumb in plasticine, that was apparently caused by a 12 gauge slug fired at the aircraft near Coldstream.

[mango777]

Hey Everyone, thanks for the responses! i did notify ML CEN and asked them to call the YMBU police. Stayed in the CCT for a while longer hoping to see some red and blue flashing lights but nothing. Just pissed off because it is probably my last night flight for a while and this dickhe*d ruined part of it.

[Desert Flower]

BTW there is a Warrior at YMMB that has a nice dent in its lower cowl, like somebody stuck their thumb in plasticine, that was apparently caused by a 12 gauge slug fired at the aircraft near Coldstream.

Since when has a 12 gauge had slugs? (Covertly checking mine to see that the lead SHOT hasn't melted into a solid SLUG!)

DF.

[crank1000]

Solid projectiles for 12 gauge have been available for a long time. Don't fire one from a fully choked barrel though. Messy!!

Back on subject, I had a light shone on me two weeks ago at YMBU.

He's been at it for a while now.

[ABX]

Incidentally and on an unrelated topic:

Did you know it is relatively easy to direct fire down a beam of light to take out the light and operator?

Really don't know where that came from, must have been all this talk about 12 gauge slugs...

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff252/ABX_album/12gaugeslug.jpg

Back to topic, the only satisfying way to get this bastard is to film him in the act and present the footage as part of a report to the cops. And it should be done - pronto!

[Howard Hughes]

Perhaps a coordinated attack needs to be planned with 2 or 3 aircraft in the circuit and a numer of vehicles on the ground to locate the fecker, then pass his details on to the police!:ok:

On a related topic, do you know that you can buy a torch with a brightness of 15,000,000 candle power!:eek:

Perhaps that is what this guy is using, apparently it can shine up to six miles!:hmm:

[Cap'n Arrr]

Sounds good HH! Can that be done legally though?

[Howard Hughes]

I am not a legal expert, however flying circuits would be legal, people driving around on the ground would be legal, communcating via two way would also be legal, that only leaves beating the cr..., err... I mean notifiying the police!;)

I guess the only question, is what action the Police would take.

[Cloud Basher]

ABX,
Don't know who your source is, but it is extremely HARD to fire down a beam of light and hit the source with small arms fire.

Anyway I guess the point here is that it would be fun trying though!

Cheers
CB

[Buster Hyman]

Mango...not 100% sure, but I don't believe the cop shop in Maryborough is 24/7. You'd have been waiting on Mr Plod from Bendigo I reckon.:ugh:

[Aeroplane Jelly]

Well if they live on a private block of land I doubt you'd be able to get close enough to take snapshots that would hold water as evidence.

[Desert Flower]

Solid projectiles for 12 gauge have been available for a long time.

Hmmm, sounds like just what I need to take out the low life that shot my cat! But then again, I rather fancy filling his a:mad:e with lead shot so he would find it extremely painful to sit down! :E

DF.

[Pinky the pilot]

Did you know it is relatively easy to direct fire down a beam of light to take out the light and operator?


Used to be a well practised trick of Lancaster rear gunners during WWII.

Of course, four belt fed Browning 303 MGs made it somewhat easier than trying it with any form of hand held firearm!

Mango777; Suggest you submit written reports to both CASA and the local Constabulary! The cretin concerned will keep on doing it unless someone in authority stops him.

[flyitboy]

DF you do realise that you can get 18 dim dims out of one std moggy?:}
The only good cat is a flat cat ! SEA love cats, for food !
Now if we could get hold of these fools with the light would like to try a 'cattrick' on them !:bored:


F

[Capt Wally]

I often fly into YMBY at night, haven't yet seen a bright light but I would love to have the culprit found & soughted out quickly. We don't fly in there for fun & such foolish acts make our/my job even more difficult.
Hope the police can act quickly here.

Tnxs 'mango777' for bringing it to our/my attention shall post a notice about same at work. If anyine else has genuine knowledge of similar stupid behavior at other country strips plz PM me, tnxs.


CW


ps. don't pay too much attention to 'flyitboy' about cats, am sure he's just stirring, but he does have a point !:ok:

[777WakeTurbz]

Umm... i want to meet this person who was able to hit a moving aircraft with a solid slug!... The damn things can be unpredictable out of a barrel at the best of times, mostly rising over a foot from the barrel to a target at 40yds due the rifling on the slugs!

Desert Flower... have u never heard of a solid slug before?? Obv musnt use that 12ga of yours for anything but starlings then eh?

Still think yo should just have the cops pay them a visit if you can figure out which house it is, cos CASA wont want anything to do with anything as "small potatoes" as that...
And if the cops wont... maybe just pay a visit as a concerned pilot... maybe they just dont know what trouble they are causing... normal ppl can be ignorant like that you know!

Turbz :E

[youngmic]

Snap a photo by day of the offenders house, photo shop a nice large target onto their roof and drop it in their mailbox.

[ItsOkMagsOff]

I did night flights into Maryborough about 8 years ago and was spotlighted. Maybe try getting in touch with the local paper to do an article on how dangerous this practice is... Failing this grenades might work better than slugs.

[The Shield]

Hi,

Further to my previous post I have been trialling red lense glasses while teaching my students NVFR circuits as an aid to avoiding the blindness that can result from having the flightdeck "spotlighted"

My students, while first a little weary have warmed to the idea and though we have yet to (and hopefully wont have to!) test them in a real situation I believe that the red lense in the glasses will make it much much easier to remember the golden rule and transition onto instruments should the flight deck be dazzled.

I must say that we do get a few strange looks as we make our way to the aircraft in our red lense glasses but hey, who knows, in years to come this may be standard kit for those of us lucky enough to aviate at night!

Keepin it real!

The White Shield

[Peter Fanelli]

Maybe the USAF would be happy to come and fly some circuits in a AC-130.
That could certainly give them a surprise response on the ground. :)
Failing that a Kamikaze pilot if you can find one.
Finally any heavy object through their roof.
I mean what are they going to do....."officer it came from the aircraft I was shining me spotlight at!!!!"
I imagine it's pretty much impossible to get a finger print off a cinder block.

[Desert Flower]

Desert Flower... have u never heard of a solid slug before?? Obv musnt use that 12ga of yours for anything but starlings then eh?

Starlings no - snakes yes! :E :ok:

DF.

[PyroTek]

someone with a (meatbombing endo?) should just fly over and drop a brick on the feckers roof.