L@ser attacks on Aircraft

[IBMJunkman]

Looks like New Zealand and Swedish gun owners won't be getting sights for their handguns. Mine is a 3R 5mW.

[MrSnuggles]

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.

[ricardian]

Have just seen this (http://blog.sfgate.com/crime/2014/03/10/man-gets-14-years-for-lasing-helicopter/) in another forum - 14 years in prison!

[cowhorse]

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.

[ponders]

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.

[InfrequentFlier511]

If only we could get one past security and fight them back.

Something like TIALD, perhaps? I don't think anyone with a couple of hundred units of SLF in the back is going to be looking for a fair fight.

[MtSpeedDemon]

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?

[llondel]

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.

If you read the report, the last line is also relevant:

Judge O’Neill cited Rodriguez’s criminal past, which includes probation violations and gang affiliation, as additional reasons for the sentence.

The other party involved appears to be on the hook for up to five years. The US seems to be particularly harsh on people who've been through the system on previous occasions.

[beamender99]

Laser helicopter man Gavin Hoskins was 'stupid'

BBC News - Laser helicopter man Gavin Hoskins was 'stupid' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-26647488)

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

[Dave Cummings]

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

[Tiger8]

Unfortunately, not a rare occurrence. Happens every day, all over the country.

[Jack1985]

Usual scum with nothing better to do it seems, not being from the UK and knowing the Police there are relatively quick with Chopper deployment have you heard anything?

[Dave Cummings]

not hard anything as yet but I have heard and watched the plane land via ATC and flight radar, the phone thankfully landed ok. I am expecting the police helicopter to be up and about shortly.

[Yancey Slide]

Man gets 14 years for pointing laser at helicopter (http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2014/03/12/laser-sentence-14-years-california-alpa/6330661/)

At least they're getting serious about it over here. Hope they catch whomever did it.

[Yancey Slide]

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.

18USC39A says:
(a) Offense.— Whoever knowingly aims the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, or at the flight path of such an aircraft, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

If it's really accidental you're OK.

[Serenity]

Happens all the time!
Worse on the continent!

Best I heard was the idiot who got reported and then shone the laser at the police helicopter that was sent to chase him. :ugh:

[Airbubba]

He got off with probation:

Man Sentenced to Probation For Shining Laser at a Plane

By JOHN HOLL

Published: February 18, 2006

A man who pleaded guilty to shining a laser beam at a passing airplane, temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot, was sentenced to two years of probation in federal court here on Friday.

The man, David W. Banach, 39, of Parsippany, N.J., could have faced up to 20 years in prison under the Patriot Act but reached a plea deal in which prosecutors agreed not to pursue charges that he lied about his actions when questioned by federal agents.

Mr. Banach's lawyer, Gina Mendola Longarzo, said her client was in his backyard with his 7-year-old daughter on Dec. 29, 2004, using a handheld laser pointer to illustrate the stars, when the green beam shined into the cockpit of a passing charter plane, a twin-engine Cessna Citation. It was flying at 3,000 feet at the time and carrying six passengers en route to Teterboro Airport.

Two days later, one of the Cessna pilots was joining federal agents in a police helicopter to search for the site of the laser appearance when another laser crossed near the cockpit. Mr. Banach was arrested soon after.


Man Sentenced to Probation For Shining Laser at a Plane - NYTimes.com (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CEEDA103EF93BA25751C0A9609C8B63)

[Evey_Hammond]

I heard Snake 47 report a laser attack over Fareham last night. Had to smile when, after receiving co-ords, ATC advised that ground units were on the way to the location. Hope the :mad: get the book thrown at them!

[MichaelOLearyGenius]

I've never heard of a toy laser blinding anyone. If these lasers were dangerous they would not be sold to the public. You only have to watch the Spanish La Liga football on a Sunday night and everytime there is a corner, the forwards faces get hit with lasers. You don't hear the footballers complaining, and the players themselves cost about the same as a brand new 737.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2285185/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Real-Madrid-players-targeted-lasers-El-Clasico.html

[10002level]

So you would be happy for a pilot to be distracted by a laser at a critical stage of the flight if your children were sat in the cabin? It isn't about the cost of the aircraft, it is about the lives of those in it.

[fly82]

algiers looks like a laser show, got hit by 2 lasers from diferent spots, and a 3 one on final...

[Mahonda]

Three morons sentenced for lasering planes on approach :rolleyes:
Article at www.leicestermercury.co.uk/men-jailed (http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/men-jailed)...laser-pen...planes/.../story.html‎

[Howard Long]

BBC News - Three jailed for using laser pens at East Midlands Airport (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-27055841)

[IRCG SMC WHITEY]

Irish coast guard helo returning from a call-out in donegal on monday evening had laser shone at it. They tracked culprit using flir he jumped into a vehicle and went into other jurisdiction !!!

[douglasheld]

"The FBI today said it was making national a pilot program it tried out in 12 locations earlier this year that offers up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of anyone who intentionally aims a laser at an aircraft. According to the FBI, the pilot locations have seen a 19% decrease in the number of reported laser-to-aircraft incidents. Those locations included: Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and Philadelphia."

FBI ? Protecting Aircraft from Lasers: Trial Program Being Expanded Nationwide (http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/june/protecting-aircraft-from-lasers-trial-program-being-expanded-nationwide/protecting-aircraft-from-lasers-trial-program-being-expanded-nationwide)

[Dynamic Roller]

Teen suspected of pointing laser at police chopper arrested| Latest News Videos | Fox News (http://video.foxnews.com/v/3615717987001/teen-suspected-of-pointing-laser-at-police-chopper-arrested/)

[Sallyann1234]

Another report on the Miami incident

LiveLeak.com - Teen accused of shining laser at 2 Sheriff helicopters

"Ragno told authorities he did not realize shining the laser at an aircraft was so serious."

[md80fanatic]

Last day to order a powerful handheld laser from one of the larger outfits ...

Wicked Lasers | Blue, Red, Green Laser Pointers (http://www.wickedlasers.com)

[Mark in CA]

Are these the answer to the laser strike problem?

ST Laserstrike AVIATOR series | ST Laserstrike (http://stlaserstrike.com/st-laserstrike-aviator-series/)

[deptrai]

With the right coating, you'll block the wavelength of one particular laser. Unfortunately, if you want to be on the safe side, and block all possible laser wavelengths, you'll severely impair your vision. You might as well keep your eyes closed

[Gauges and Dials]

A bit of PR advice: Who controls the terminology controls the conversation. Consistently referring to them as "L@ser Blinding Weapons" rather than as "L@ser pointers" or simply "L@sers" might gain some traction....

[AnAussieNut]

And still it goes on,I found this worrying article in AvHerald yesterday.

A Fedex Federal Express Airbus A300-600, registration N691FE performing flight FX-386 from Memphis,TN to Albuquerque,NM (USA), was on approach to Albuquerque's runway 03 when a l@ser beam illuminated the cockpit causing eye injuries to both of the pilots. The crew managed a safe landing on runway 03 nonetheless.

The FAA reported both pilots were taken to hospital with eye injuries

Lets hope the injuries are not serious and also that the morons who perpetrated this act are dealt with severely.

Accident: Fedex A306 at Albuquerque on Feb 8th 2015, laser sends pilots to hospital (http://avherald.com/h?article=48189254&opt=0)

[uncle peter]

The BALPA forum has a post eluding to a "serious incident involving a powerful laser" that occurred at Heathrow recently. It doesn't go into details as it states a police investigation is ongoing, but it would seem the problem is getting worse. Hope the 2 Americans make a full recovery.

[Ian W]

The BALPA forum has a post eluding to a "serious incident involving a powerful laser" that occurred at Heathrow recently. It doesn't go into details as it states a police investigation is ongoing, but it would seem the problem is getting worse. Hope the 2 Americans make a full recovery.

Unfortunately, this is one of those occasions where publicity attracts those who want to actually do harm as opposed to the mindless drunk with a pointer. As soon as it is published that the pilots were sufficiently badly affected to need hospital treatment expect these attacks to escalate. Ideally, severe police action should be taken with no media sensationalism. As soon as the media starts sensational coverage which is only geared to sell their papers/advertising there will be a rash of these attacks.

[Pali]

This should be regarded as attempted murder. :mad:

[Derfred]

$900 anti-laser glasses?

Are these the answer to the l@ser strike problem?

ST Laserstrike AVIATOR series | ST Laserstrike

They look tinted to me. Which makes them sunglasses. Which you wouldn't be wearing at night. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?

[Flying Bull]

The glasses only Cover a specific range of Laserlight, so you're not sure, having the right glases....
Colorvision is impaired also, problem with colorcodes in a modern cockpit, where displays give information with colorcodes. I.e. autopilot- coupled green, degraded amber and so on.

[HDRW]

This should be regarded as attempted murder.

Indeed, of 400+ innocent people.

I wonder how much it would cost to develop a little laser-beam-following missile to be mounted under the Radome? It would only need a small payload - perhaps half an ounce of C4... :eek:

[spargazer]

A 47-year-old man who shone a laser at a police helicopter leaving the pilot "disorientated by the intense light" in Greater Manchester has been jailed.

Andrew Paul Holden, of Chapelfield in Radcliffe, admitted endangering an aircraft at Bolton Crown Court.

The National Police Air Service (NPAS) was deployed over Radcliffe on 13 October 2014 when the laser was shone into the cockpit. No-one was injured.

Holden was sentenced to six months in prison on Friday.

BBC News - Radcliffe man jailed for shining laser at police helicopter (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31582733)

I wonder if airlines will ban him from using them?

[Dimitrii]

“I’m so sorry. I’m stupid,” says man who allegedly fired laser at police
?I?m so sorry. I?m stupid,? says man who allegedly fired laser at police | Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/02/im-so-sorry-im-stupid-says-man-who-allegedly-fired-laser-at-police/)

[Gauges and Dials]

Sloppy police work, and then a courtroom moment worthy of a TV drama: Police got the wrong guy, but the real perp, struck by pangs of guilt, confesses.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/man-pointed-lasers-planes-not-brother-in-law-article-1.2148319

[Lonewolf_50]

Man gets 2-year prison term for shining laser at DPS copter - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Man-gets-2-year-prison-term-for-shining-laser-at-6322135.php)

The judge put this guy away for 2 years.

Could have been longer, should have been longer.

At least this case didn't take a lot of years to resolve.

[G0ULI]

Having endured a session of emergency laser eye surgery to repair a couple of retinal tears yesterday I would like to add some observations. The light flashes during the surgery were the brightest thing I have ever been subjected to, easily many times worse than having yours eyes wedged open looking at the midday sun. My entire visual field was filled with intense yellow and green light with red dots and several radiating very thin white lines. After half a dozen pulses, a dull pressure ache began to develop at the back of my eye. Not exactly painful in the conventional sense, but I imagine the experience to be similar to watching a nuclear weapon test go off. Blinking or turning away isn't an option while the procedure is underway. There is a lens stuck on the front of your eye and if you move, the laser will hit the wrong part of the retina. No messing about sugar coating what can go wrong with my consultant. I suppose there were 30 or so pulses involved in the treatment. I lost count after a dozen or so and quite frankly, just wished it was all over and done with because the ache and sensation of pressure at the back of my eye was getting pretty bad.

Now this was all being done by a class 4 medical laser being fired an inch from my eye. I cannot conceive that any class 1 or 2 laser pointer would create anything like as much visual disturbance from some distance away.

After the treatment was finished, I was left with a pink tinge to the vision in that eye compared with the untreated eye. It wore off within a minute or so. Returning to the car ten minutes later, I noted that I could still see well enough to drive even looking solely through the laser treated eye, with a completely wide open pupil. I should point out that my daughter actually drove to and from the hospital!

The following day, I can discern no adverse effects of the treatment, nor any blind spots in my visual field. There are some residual effects left as a result of the original tears, floating objects in the eye, but these should disappear in time.

The point I think I am trying to make is that should you be temporarily blinded by a laser or other very intense light, recovery of normal vision is comparatively rapid, especially if you can blink or turn away from the light source. A couple of minutes should be enough to see relatively normally again.

Just my personal experience and observations. I certainly won't be tempted to look down the path of even a low powered laser except for medical purposes.

If you do somehow manage to blink during the procedure, the laser will not bore a hole through your eyelid, just create a burn on the skin. Reassuring to know.

[vought]

After the permanent injury of a staff member last year at the Burning Man event, all handheld lasers have been banned; additionally, no lasers on mobile art pieces. The folks who run the temporary airport there (the event takes place on a giant dry lake bed @ around 3800' ASL) expressed a lot of relief. It's virtually impossible to nab someone who is playing with these devices at the event, but hopefully the message about the ban gets out to folks and there's less screwing around with these dangerous toys.

[Sallyann1234]

The point I think I am trying to make is that should you be temporarily blinded by a l@ser or other very intense light, recovery of normal vision is comparatively rapid, especially if you can blink or turn away from the light source. A couple of minutes should be enough to see relatively normally again.
A lot happens in a couple of minutes on final approach!

[The_Pink_Panther]

I got zapped on the climb out from Oxford one evening last month. They were closed by the time I was back on the ground. When I called the following day, they said to report it to the police. I did, and told them I have a photo that identifes exactly where the beam originated from. Not heard back from them in the intervening 4 weeks.

[GunpowderPlod]

A British Airways pilot has reportedly been left with significant damage to his eyesight after a “military-strength” laser was shone into the cockpit of his plane landing at Heathrow, in what appears to be the most serious laser attack to date in the UK.

BA pilot's eye damaged by 'military' laser shone into cockpit at Heathrow | World news | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/23/ba-pilots-eye-damaged-by-military-laser-shone-into-cockpit-at-heathrow)

[chuboy]

:*

More than likely, the perpetrator will reoffend (not like they have much sense in the first place) and hopefully the next time, the police helicopter will see.

Then we can quite literally have an eye for an eye. This could quite easily mean the end of someone's career, after how many years training and building up hours and debt? Only for some deadbeat to shine a laser at you for a laff and leave you with damaged eyesight and a revoked medical. Not to mention the safety of the airliner...

The mind boggles :ugh:

[DaveReidUK]

Something not quite right here.

British Airways is "investigating the claims" ?

So BA hadn't been aware, until the BALPA survey, that one of its pilots had been out of action for six months, or why ?

There's more to this than meets the eye (npi).

[wiggy]

DaveR

First I've heard of it but just my twopence worth - Jim McAuslan, the Balpa general secretary, is generally careful and considered in what he says so personally having read his comments I'd be pretty sure the incident and injury did happen. However reading what is in the quotes I don't think he mentions it was BA, so one option was perhaps it was another UK airline.

Knowing how internal comms can work, or not, I suspect that if someone in the BA media department/press relations office was asked for an instant comment on the incident they quite possibly and quite genuinely had no knowledge of the laser attack.

[beamender99]

BA pilot's eye damaged by 'military' laser shone into cockpit at Heathrow | World news | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/23/ba-pilots-eye-damaged-by-military-laser-shone-into-cockpit-at-heathrow)

"A British Airways pilot has reportedly been left with significant damage to his eyesight after a “military-strength” laser was shone into the cockpit of his plane landing at Heathrow,
in what appears to be the most serious laser attack to date in the UK.

The pilot suffered a burned retina in his right eye and has not worked since, according to the head of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa)."

Reported in several Uk papers today.

[Lemain]

As I posted here on 31st Jan 2012 it might be possible to adapt LCD welding goggle/shield technology. For those not familiar, the technology allows the welder clear vision to strike the arc but the goggles/shield becomes almost instantly nearly opaque when a built in sensor detects bright light. The response is less than half a millisecond (sic). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welding_helmet

There may be reasons why it's not appropriate for cockpit use but I hope they've looked into it. The technology is now under the control of 3M who have the resources to develop something usable.

[hoss183]

Having worked with lasers...
Anything below 1mW is deemed eye safe, and relies on the natural blink reflex to protect the eye. I also think that lasers of this power would not be much of a distraction at any distance.
Anything above that should be controlled. i.e. not for sale to general public, and classed as firearms, perhaps in a similar way that RIFs (Realistic Imitation Firearms i.e Airsoft weapons) are. In the UK such items already require importers and purchasers to be members of clubs and have an annual database recorded membership.

In relation to 'welding mask windscreens' it could work, or perhaps more achievable - glasses using that technology which could be worn during T/O & landing phases. Whilst they would protect the eyes from permanent damage, they would still leave you blind while they are active. I suppose a G/A or climb could be performed IFR?

[MG23]

Anything above that should be controlled. i.e. not for sale to general public, and classed as firearms, perhaps in a similar way that RIFs (Realistic Imitation Firearms i.e Airsoft weapons) are.

You do realize that lasers of >1mW are used... everywhere.. right?

Here in my bedroom, I can see three lasers that are >100mW without even turning my head. Oh, now I turned my head. There's another one. Another one of a few mW under the TV in the next bedroom. Three more under the TV downstairs.

[wanabee777]

Having been on the receiving end of a green lāser attack at night while climbing out of TLV, I can tell you that everyone on the flight deck, including jump seater's and relief pilots, must resist the temptation to look outside in order to try to locate the ground position of the perpetrator.

[hoss183]

@MG23 You are only about 100x out in your power levels, pretty close for PPRuNe armchair expert.
Class 2 (<5mW) is the highest you will find in commercial products, and even then they must be shielded from viewing (e.g inside a CD player).
Suggest you read:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety

100mW will cause instant blindness and set fire to your bedroom.

1mW is sufficient for a laser pointer for office use, its just that the imports have been unregulated for too long and Chinese suppliers have no regard for the safety issues.

[MG23]

@MG23 You are only about 100x out in your power levels, pretty close for PPRuNe armchair expert.

If you're going to claim to be an expert, you might want to know what you're talking about. A typical DVD-burner is a couple of hundred milliwatts these days, and I have four of them in that room. According to a five minute Google search, they're also trivial to remove and turn into high-power laser pointers.

Are you really claiming we should need a firearms license to own a DVD-burner?

[hoss183]

@ MG23 I think you are going a little off-topic here. My point was that unregulated sales & import of class 2+ laser pointers is a significant cause of this problem. When catching people who do this is so difficult, regulating the availability of these items which have no home or business use should be addressed.
Yes higher powers are used by professionals, military and industry, in a controlled and regulated manner with the appropriate safety measures.

To address your off-topic points if i must - Yes there are class 3 lasers in DVD burners, but they are of no use to shine at planes. They are not collimated lasers i.e. they dont produce a beam, but rather are focused to a point a few mm from the source. They do produce peak powers approaching 100mW but in pulses for very short periods. Incidentally playing with them without protection is plain stupid, they will cause permanent eye damage. If you feel like trying it please do, it may limit your access to a PC screen.

[thcrozier]

Today my wife brought home a "Laser Chrismas Light". On the ground it is totally cool, lighting up the house in multiple colors in seconds, and eliminating the need to spend hours on the roof stringing conventional Christmas lights.

When I got it positioned, about a 2 minute process, 3 different neighbors came over to ask where she got it. I think these things are on the path to go viral, and I can't imagine the distractions of flying an approach over a city filled with them.

[sarabande]

there's a world of difference between laser pointers and these Cmas lights.

Pointers have a narrow beam divergence, typically 1.5 mrad. This means for a laser beam starting at 1.5mm diameter, at 200 meters, the spot will have expanded to 24cm dia.

Christmas laser lights start (mainly) with a single beam which passes through a random diffraction grating so that the light zips off in multiple directions, Lasers are basically single frequency (monochromatic) so for a multicolour display you need different coloured emitters.

The divergence is many times greater than that of a pointer, so if you have a figure of 10mrad, at 200metres, the beam will be 200cm wide, and the light will be attenuated, err, millions of times. In effect, the light from the laser is spread out over perhaps thousands of points, each one a cone rather than a beam.


Try shining a point source of light into a heap of shattered windscreen glass to see the effect of divergence and diffraction.

Low risk, IMHO.

[Mesoman]

Lasers operate on fixed wavelengths - the bright green ones that eyes are most sensitive to are at 532nm. Safety glasses exist that strongly attenuate that wavelength without blocking much else. It might be appropriate for flight crews to wear these, or at least have them available.

[jolihokistix]

From Japan Today today. Some of the common perceptions in the comments are food for thought.


Man arrested over laser aimed at U.S. military aircraft in Okinawa ? Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion (http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/man-arrested-over-laser-aimed-at-u-s-military-aircraft-in-okinawa)

[EEngr]

On the ground it is totally cool, I've got one of those. An installation hint: Mount it up in a tree if you can. That way, it's pointing down toward your house. Also, the riff-raff will have more problems stealing it than just pulling out a lawn stake.

:8

[uncle peter]

Not sure if this has been posted before. Stumbled across this whilst researching topic for a flight safety brief. Pretty sobering final para.

From laserpointersafety.com

UK: Medical report on commercial pilot injured by blue laser at 1300 feet
Jan 24 2016
The journal Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance has published a paper entitled “Blue Laser Induced Retinal Injury in a Commercial Pilot at 1300 ft”. The case report is as follows:

“An airline pilot presented to our department complaining of a blind spot in the upper left area of his visual field in the right eye (right supero-nasal scotoma) following exposure to a laser beam while performing a landing maneuver of a commercial aircraft. At around 1300 ft (396 m), a blue laser beam from the ground directly entered his right eye, with immediate flash blindness and pain. Spectral domain ocular coherence tomography highlighted a localized area of photoreceptor disruption corresponding to a well demarcated area of hypofluorescence on fundus autofluorescence, representing a focal outer retinal laser injury. Fundus examination a fortnight later revealed a clinically identifiable lesion in the pilot’s right eye commensurate with a retinal-laser burn.”

The paper said the pilot’s symptoms “fully resolved 2 wk later” and that there was no “deficit in visual function.”

The laser exposure happened at a “busy international airport within the United Kingdom.” According to the authors, “To the best of our knowledge this is the first documented case report of a likely retinal laser injury to a pilot during flight from a laser on the ground.” They believe the blue laser had a “radiant power of several watts and potentially could have led to permanent loss of central vision in the pilot’s right eye had the fovea, the area of retina responsible for high acuity vision, been involved.”

The case was first publicly announced November 23 2015 by the general secretary of the British Air Line Pilot’s Association (BALPA). He said it occurred in the spring of 2015.

From Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, Vol. 87, No. 1, January 2016. Full text available here for purchase. Gosling DB, O’Hagan JB, Quhill FM. Blue laser induced retinal injury in a commercial pilot at 1300 ft. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(1):69–70.

Analysis from LaserPointerSafety.com

Summary - What was the laser’s power?

Based on the data provided, it would have taken an exceptionally strong laser to even have a 50/50 chance of causing an eye injury at 1300 ft. We calculate such a laser would be well over 5 watts and possibly 30 or more watts. This is a conservative estimate. It assumes the laser and eye were not moving fast relative to each other — unlikely for a handheld laser aimed at a moving aircraft. It also assumes a relatively tight beam, and that the laser-to-aircraft distance was 1300 ft when it may well have been longer.

As of 2015, the highest power handheld visible lasers sold on the Internet are roughly 3 watts. Sometimes handheld lasers are advertised with greater powers, such as 5 or 10 watts, but the claimed power may be grossly incorrect. For example, in 2014 LaserPointerSafety.com purchased a “5 watt” handheld laser that was actually about 50 milliwatts, or 1/100th of the claimed power.

We believe one of the following scenarios is what happened:
1) The injury was a very unlucky one; the pilot just happened to experience a statistically unlikely injury that could be caused by a relatively low 3-5 watt handheld consumer laser
2) A higher powered laser in the range 5 to 30+ watts was used, possibly not handheld (e.g., an AC-powered general purpose laser). If so, this may have been a deliberate attempt to cause damage.
3) The injury, or change to the retina, was less damaging (not as serious) compared to the injuries used to determine basic laser safety concepts such as the Maximum Permissible Exposure and the Nominal Ocular Hazard distance. The doctors were able to detect subtle retinal changes that, under previous MPE/NOHD studies, might not even be perceived as injuries or damage.

Detailed analysis

The report is not clear on whether the aircraft altitude was 1300 ft, or whether the laser-to-aircraft distance was calculated to be 1300 ft. If the former, there would be an additional horizontal distance so the laser could enter the cockpit window (e.g., it did not come 1300 ft straight up through the bottom of the aircraft).

For purposes of this discussion we will be conservative and say the laser-to-aircraft distance was 1300 ft.

One of the best-known consumer handheld blue lasers is the Wicked Lasers S3 Arctic, introduced in 2010. It is called a “1-watt” laser but has an actual output around 750 milliwatts (3/4 watt). The Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance of this laser, with a 1 milliradian divergence, is 635 feet. This means that beyond 635 feet, there is a “vanishingly small” chance of laser exposure causing a minimally detectable change to the eye, under laboratory conditions when the eye and the laser are held in fixed positions relative to each other.

So a S3 Arctic could not have caused the injury at 1300 ft. This is more than twice the “safe” NOHD distance.

A more powerful laser with an output of 3.1 watts and 1 mrad divergence would have an NOHD of 1291 ft. It is possible that an exposure from a 3.1 watt laser could have caused an injury, when the eye and the laser are held in fixed positions relative to each other.

However, note that the NOHD has a built-in “reduction factor” or “safety factor”. This means that the chance of injury, if someone is at or just within the NOHD, is still very, very small.

At roughly 1/3 of the NOHD, the chance of injury increases to 50%. Specifically, at 0.316 times the NOHD, there is a 50/50 chance of a laser exposure causing a minimally detectable change to the eye, under laboratory conditions when the eye and laser are held in fixed positions relative to each other. So what we are looking for is the power of a laser that has an NOHD of 4108 ft. (This is because 1300 ft would be at the 0.316x “50/50” point.)

A laser with an output of 32 watts and 1 mrad divergence fits this. That means there is a 50/50 chance that a 32 watt/1 mrad laser exposure under laboratory conditions could have caused a minimally detectable injury to an eye that is 1300 ft. away.

If the divergence was less — a tighter beam — then the overall laser power could be lower as well. This is because a tighter beam will have greater power density at a distance than the same power spread out in a wider beam. Note however, that the higher the power output of a laser, the harder it is to make a tight beam. Adding a focusing lens on the front of the laser is not significant at long distances. So it is likely that a multi-watt relatively inexpensive consumer laser would have a beam of 1 milliradian divergence or wider.

At 8 watts and a tight 0.5 mrad divergence, there would be a 50/50 chance that a laser exposure under laboratory conditions could have caused a minimally detectable injury to an eye that is 1300 ft. away. Again, 8 watts at 0.5 mrad is exceptionally tight for a consumer laser.

Second analysis

LaserPointerSafety.com received a note from a laser safety expert who read the above.

This person wrote “Some of the more important factors are that the aircraft is obviously not stationary, and that the 1300 foot range (as a minimum) is still a very distant target. There is doubtless attenuation in the windscreen, so this even without considering the ED50, for this exposure to turn into a definite injury is highly improbable.”

The expert’s “best guess” was that the exposure was 2-3 orders of magnitude above the MPE “to hope to overcome the ameliorating factors (movement, windscreen, atmospheric effects, etc).” This means that the exposure was 100 to 1000 times above the Maximum Permissible Exposure. Recall that the MPE is the highest irradiance at which injury is unlikely. For a 1/4 second exposure that would be 2.54 milliwatts per square centimeter. So the expert’s best guess is that the actual irradiance, to cause the stated injury, would be around 254 to 2540 mW/cm².

Earlier we established that a laser with an output of 3.1 watts and 1 mrad divergence would have an NOHD of 1291. Another way of saying this is that a 3.1 watt, 1 mrad laser beam would be just at the Maximum Permissible Exposure, at the aircraft windscreen.

What this expert is now guessing is that the laser was 100 to 1000 times more powerful, or around 310 to 3100 watts. For a visible blue laser, this is exceptionally powerful. It would not be a consumer-type handheld laser.

If true — if a blue laser beam was able to cause the injury described in the paper — then it must have been a laser with special characteristics such as high power and tripod tracking, which is unlike almost all other reports of consumer laser misuse.

[MrSnuggles]

Nice graphic of safety zones for green l-sers.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/Laser_pointer_safety_distances.gif

[Flying Bull]

Your graph ist fort a 5mW Laser....
Quite different story, Idee more powerful lasers are used.
I bought a 20mW from China for some tests...
When switched on it delivered about 30 mW in the first seconds, including infrared parts, which should normaly been filtered out cause the heat can cause additional damage....
50, 100, 200 and more powerful lasers are widely spread.
So your graph may lure into false assumtions.
Flash blindness up to two minutes, leaving a pilot unable to read any instrument can easyly occur up to 3000 feet and higher.....
Been hit myself, luck was, that I was only the Cp-Pilot at the time.
Keep your eyes away if possible!

[Nightstop]

For UK citizens/residents only:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/122039

[Tech Guy]

So they want to make something that is already illegal (and subject to severe penalties), a different offence that actually has lower penalties.:confused:

[mickjoebill]

As I posted here on 31st Jan 2012 it might be possible to adapt LCD welding goggle/shield technology.


There is a film in development from a Canadian company, that is designed to attenuate lasers from cockpits.
Reports mention that it is due to be tested by Airbus.

Mickjoebill

[Tourist]

Bit bored with some time on my hands so went and found the laser geek version of Pprune.

Some very helpful chaps on there pointed me in the direction of various websites which have exactly the info we need.
This one is specifically for pilots and regulators.
Laser Pointer Safety - Different lasers' hazards compared (http://www.laserpointersafety.com/page52/laser-hazard_diagram/different-lasers-compared.html)

Laser Pointer Safety - Different lasers' hazards compared (http://www.laserpointersafety.com/page52/laser-hazard_diagram/different-lasers-compared.html)

Laser Pointer Safety - Info from the FAA and others on laser light effects (http://www.laserpointersafety.com/page52/pilot-effects-overview/pilot-effects-overview.html)

Laser Pointer Safety - Laser safety calculations (http://www.laserpointersafety.com/safetyinfo/safetycalcs/index.html)




A couple of useful and relevant tables
http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp121/Tourist_photos/2011-12-eye-and-viz-hazard-chart-1-mrad.gif (http://s404.photobucket.com/user/Tourist_photos/media/2011-12-eye-and-viz-hazard-chart-1-mrad.gif.html)

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp121/Tourist_photos/FAA---visible-laser-hazard-calcs-for-LSF-v02.png (http://s404.photobucket.com/user/Tourist_photos/media/FAA---visible-laser-hazard-calcs-for-LSF-v02.png.html)

[Des.Vaisselles]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-_uAC2dawI

[G0ULI]

So the tables submitted by Tourist appear to show that the FAA consider that eye damage is unlikely to occur with a strike from a 5 watt green laser at ranges over 250 metres. Green laser light is the wavelength at which the eye is most sensitive, and the most likely to cause physical damage. Higher powered devices exist but are not likely to be portable or handheld and therefore unlikely to be deliberately pointed at an aircraft.

The main hazards of flash blindness, dazzle and distraction exist out to far greater ranges, but pilots should at least be reassured that they are extremely unlikely to suffer permanent injury as a result of a laser being shone in their direction.

The consequences of the other effects are far more difficult to assess and depending on circumstances, could be fatal. So no cause for complacency.

[jolihokistix]

A propos of nothing really but a comment by my daughter on an international call caught my interest. She and her cousin and family are flying out to Japan for some cherry viewing.
She sent their itinerary and mentioned they had been careful to book flights that take off and land during daylight hours, so there will be "no danger from lasers"! Is this a growing perception among the flying public, I wonder?

[G0ULI]

BBC reporting UK Police pilots testing glasses to protect eyesight against laser strikes. Good luck with that. The dazzle off the canopy glazing is still going to be the major problem in my opinion. I would be concerned that visibility of cockpit instrument displays would be adversely affected in the red and green areas of the colour spectrum.

If it gives pilots reassurance that their eyesight will not be damaged and some protection against flash blindness and dazzle, then it may be worth the trade off.

[Stitchbitch]

Gentex make laser protection specs called Dazzle, looks like that is what the NPAS crews are getting. Good piece of kit for defeating civi laser threat, I'm led to believe UK based Key survival equipment know more.

[Tourist]

So which colour laser do they protect against? Gonna be a pretty dark pair of glasses once they block red, green, blue and purple....
Particularly since you will be wearing them at night.

[Stitchbitch]

Tourist, unlike mil laser spectacles I believe there is a choice of day or night specs depending on when you choose to commit aviation. Green/red/blue during the day and green/blue at night.

[Tourist]

Idiots can't use red lasers at night?

[Tourist]

Going to be tricky reading the displays without green and blue..

[lapp]

BBC reporting UK Police pilots testing glasses to protect eyesight against l@ser strikes.

The report says a bit more than that, it says that there will be a crackdown on illegal laser pens and sting operations against people that points them at aircraft.

How police pilots are tackling the danger caused by lasers - BBC News (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35860217)

[Stitchbitch]

Idiots are going to do what idiots do... the laser specs are designed to allow 'see through' colour perception, so won't interfere with your displays.

[Tourist]

Unless I am completely misunderstanding basic physics, glasses cannot both let light through and block laser light. Any pair of glasses that blocks all the common laser frequencies must affect vision.

[G0ULI]

Lasers, even consumer items like laser pointers, are essentially monochromatic light sources. Cockpit displays have a much broader spectral emission by comparison. The narrow filter ranges of the glasses should not, in theory, affect the overall visibility of cockpit displays or external views out of the aircraft. Pilots will be able to see red and green cockpit instrument displays just fine.

[Stitchbitch]

I don't see this as the equivalent of the 'Iraqi bomb detector', the technology works and is readily available, has been trialled and is in use. If I worked in a area where I faced the possibility of laser threat daily and was concerned about the threat, I'd buy a pair. Granted, this is probably of more use to rotor heads who spend more time at low level but from personal experience of having been lasered on approach to a North African airport (at night) it may well be of use to airline community too. Your choice, your sight.

[renfrew]

Courts beginning to act--14months for this character.
Man jailed for shining laser pen at Police Scotland helicopter - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-35935292)

[Sallyann1234]

Man arrested after laser attack on PSNI helicopter 'endangered many lives' - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-36567046)

[pax britanica]

Its not the monochromatic aspect of LASER it is the extreme stimulation/amplification of a single or extremely narrow segment of optical bandwidth that a laser uses so that it is relatively easy to block or filter out while leaving the visible section of the spectrum untouched.

Leaving aside (not trivialising it ) the potential damage to the eye from a pilot vision point of view a really powerful conventional light source would be much harder to block but leave FD displays visible

[magpienja]

About time the courts started taking this seriously.

[Tourist]

it is relatively easy to block or filter out while leaving the visible section of the spectrum untouched.

Let's think about that statement for a moment.

Is there an obvious risk to military aircrew in the event of conflict from deliberate use of lasers to blind?

Has blinding been used as a weapon before?

Do military industrial complexes have enormous resources?

Have the various militaries of the world managed to develop effective visors that defeat the problem?

The answer to these questions would seem to suggest that it is not "relatively easy"

[eastern wiseguy]

"The crew of the helicopter were able to direct officers on the ground to a house where the suspect was arrested," Ch Insp Alan Hutton of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.
"Following a search of the property a bag of lasers was recovered."

Who the hell needs a bag of lasers?

[pax britanica]

Re Military pilots-a lot of them wear visors or use some sort of vision enhancment technology, so not saying its dead easy - Military folks tend not to disclose what their kit can and cannot do anyway

[PDR1]

Its not the monochromatic aspect of LASER it is the extreme stimulation/amplification of a single or extremely narrow segment of optical bandwidth

Erm...that's kinda what "monochromatic" means.

[Tourist]

Re Military pilots-a lot of them wear visors or use some sort of vision enhancment technology, so not saying its dead easy - Military folks tend not to disclose what their kit can and cannot do anyway

pax

The visor things are just grown-up sunglasses.

The vision enhancement technology (NVG) actually might help if the laser is from the right direction, but that is purely coincidental since you are looking at a screen rather than the real world.

I will tell you right now that in many years of military flying I never saw anything that would work against a variety of lasers without degrading vision to a huge extent.

[tottenham]

With ref to post 839 i agree wholeheartedly with you but if the police just slap wrists nothing happens.
Pair issued with police cautions for shining laser at Stansted-bound plane and a helicopter | Harlow Star (http://www.harlowstar.co.uk/pair-issued-with-police-cautions-for-shining-laser-at-stansted-bound-plane-and-a-helicopter/story-29423133-detail/story.html)

[ElekTek]

'Excuse me, would you mind not pointing lasers at airplanes? Thanks' Excuse Me, Would You Mind Not Pointing Lasers At Airplanes? - Vocativ (http://voc.tv/29skE6V)

Closing paragraph of her Vocativ article:'In order to rectify this growing threat (of albeit questionable severity), scientists have even developed glasses specially made for pilots in order to protect them from “laser strikes.” But as we all know, the goggles do nothing.'

I work for the FAA so I know this 'questionable' threat is real. Thought some of you may be able to share info with this 'Data Reporter' (quoted from her LinkedIn page).

Be Safe and thanks for all you do to keep us safe!!

[golfbananajam]

From the BBC web site (article dated Fri 22 Jul 2016)

Two neighbours who shone a laser pen into the cockpit of a police helicopter during a search for a missing person have been jailed.
Martin Jayes and Oktawain Plaskiewicz took turns to shine the light at the helicopter as it circled over Leicester, causing the search to be halted.
Jayes, 46, who was drunk at the time, was jailed for eight months.
Plaskiewicz, 22, was jailed for six months.
Judge Adrienne Lucking QC told the men that such actions cause "very grave risks".
She said: "Actions with a laser like this cause life-threatening danger to the pilot and members of the public on the ground."
How dangerous are lasers to planes?
The helicopter was circling over Western Park when both men, of Bateman Road, New Parks, targeted it at about 23:00 GMT on 9 March.
They were arrested and pleaded guilty to recklessly or negligently endangering the safety of an aircraft and those travelling within it.
Leicester Crown Court heard that Jayes, a father-of-six, had 71 previous criminal offences on his record.
Philip Gibbs, mitigating for Plaskiewicz, said his client worked 60-70 hours a week to provide for his partner, her nine-year-old son and a two-week-old baby.
He said: "He is mortified by what he has done and the potential consequences for others."

[Geordie_Expat]

Philip Gibbs, mitigating for Plaskiewicz, said his client worked 60-70 hours a week to provide for his partner, her nine-year-old son and a two-week-old baby.


And this justifies shining a laser pen how ?

[PDR1]

It doesn't, but at a sentencing hearing convicted people are allowed to make the court aware of any circumstances which would result in the sentence causing unavoidable harm or hardship to people who have committed no offences. In some particular circumstances it might result in a judge giving a non-custodial sentence when a custodial one might otherwise have been on the cards. It can also result in someone keeping their licence after getting to 12 points where, for example, their ability to drive is essential for the well-being of a seriously disabled child.

As for the rest, it's just the normal information that the defendant's barrister passes to the judge to inform the sentencing decision.

As you can see, in this case the judge clearly felt that the offences too serious for any consequences and expressed remorse to avoid a custodial sentence, which is as it should be of course.

[beamender99]

Nearly 100 cases of laser pens aimed at South East pilots this year - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36917003)

Kent Conservative MP Rehman Chishti has campaigned for pens above 1 milliwatt (mW) in strength to be banned.
Darren Taylor, from Gatwick Airport Police, said one pen surrendered to officers earlier this year was 2,000mW.

[jaysky]

"2000mW Lasers Pointers are newly arrvied in Lxxxpoinxx.Pro.com. As super power laser pointer, the light range can be as far as 5000 meters. They are perfect as presentation lasers for teachers, professors, doctors, managers, engineers and so on. You can get excellent 2000mw laser pointers with Laser Safety Goggles."



Really, teachers, professors, managers... packing a l@ser pen with that much. They're 'good to 5000metres'.


Beyond belief. :sad:

[Fire and brimstone]

Considering all of the above, a question springs to mind?

Why are these things on sale?

F&B

[DroneDog]

I feel Darwin may step in here, a green laser 2000mW pen a few cans of beer and then pointing it at his friends and spurious reflections hitting his own eyeballs at very close range before he goes out to paint an airliner.
I would not touch one with a bargepole.

Perhaps if the CAA etc advertised how dangerous these things are to the user never mind their victims the morons might stop.

[Mesoman]

Why are they on sale? Because people want them and they have uses. The lower powered ones are used for pointing out celestial objects during amateur astronomy, and I would suspect this usage results in many of the "attack" reports. The higher powered ones, because: freedom.

[Ancient-Mariner]

OK, not an aircraft related incident, but certainly shows the danger of a laser attack.
Woman blinded in one eye following Clydebank laser attack - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-37396748)

[PDR1]

Yes, that clearly shows how dangerous it can be to fly an airliner within a few feet of people with laser pens.

[paperHanger]

I am treating that BBC report with some degree of suspicion. It is *possible* of course that it was some particularly powerful laser pointer, but in general, I would expect the blink reflex, combined with the piss-poor beam collimation of typical laser pens to be such that it would be difficult to be permanently blinded. A burnt spot on the retina, maybe. Total blindness? Unlikely.

[911slf]

Severe damage to kids mucking about described here: Is Your Laser Pointer Dangerous Enough to Cause Eye Injury? - American Academy of Ophthalmology (http://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/laser-pointer-eye-injury)
I have given lectures using a one milliwatt laser pointer and it seems entirely adequate for quite a large room.
We have in my astronomy group some green laser pens in the 5 to 10 milliwatt range to use as pointers but we don't let visiting members of the public use them.
I will leave it to those who are pilots to discuss the dazzle and distraction at distances of a mile or more. And it does not even have to be a laser - see here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/16/man-jailed-shining-powerful-torch-raf-jets-flying-over-home-anglesey-wales

[tjh1023]

All I can say is that it does and will happen, I have had it happen twice. The first L@ser illumination just lit up the flight deck, we noticed it but didn't get either of us. The second one was much different, it got me in my left eye, it was like looking at a camera flash but much more powerful and with a much longer blinding time. The odd thing was my eye actually hurt and felt weird like the pressure had increased inside it for some time. Both of these events happened when we were low altitude arriving for a landing and where no higher than 1800 feet above the ground and definitely messed up my vision for landing. These idiots who do shine the l@sers at aircraft show be paying heavy penalties. I witnessed it on vacation in 2014 in Thailand, i wanted to knocked the idiot on his ass. I watched as we where waiting for a river dinner cruise. It was a fast progression from shining it at things nearby to shining into the windows of a hotel across the river to then trying to illuminate an aircraft. I really do not think these are incidents related to astronomy, as the areas they come from are mostly in cities near airports with way to much light pollution to be able to see celestial bodies at night other than the moon which a serious astronomer wouldn't do. Serious jail time may slow down the idiots, there will always be idiots. Not only do they endanger lives they also endanger the careers of the crew!

[G0ULI]

Why is it that laser pointers being aimed at aircraft are regarded as such a severe risk in the UK, US, Australia and Canada, but elsewhere in the world, nothing at all seems to be done?In fact it seems to be an accepted hobby at some, particularly third world, airports.

Surely the risks to aviation are the same everywhere that idiots point these devices at aircraft?

Suffering flash blindness from a laser strike is not trivial at a critical stage in flight or at any other time for that matter. However, the risks are overstated somewhat in the popular press. Most effects are temporary and total recovery from even a high power laser flash/dazzle can be expected within a few days. Prolonged exposure can result in permanent injury. In truth, a lightning strike on an aircraft nose can generate a far more intense flash of light in the cockpit than any laser aimed from the ground.

The distraction caused by laser pointers aimed at aircraft from the ground presents increased risk during a critical stage of flight and perpetrators should be prosecuted wherever and whenever they are apprehended and subject to severe, deterrent penalties. But the reality is that injury and particularly permanent injury to the eye(s) is exceptionally rare given the number of instances reported. If we include the non reported instances, the risk of permanent injury becomes vanishingly small. That is not say it can't happen, or any attempt to trivialise this hazard, but in all the years these pointers have been pointed at aircraft, not a single one has crashed as a result. A credit to the professionalism of pilots everywhere.

[sitigeltfel]

Five charged after laser pen shone at Edinburgh plane - BBC News (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-37400670)

[Derfred]

How do you charge 5 people in 2 cars over 1 laser pen?

[OldLurker]

How do you charge 5 people in 2 cars over 1 l@ser pen? In UK law it's called joint enterprise – other terms in other jurisdictions. A group of people encouraging each other to commit a crime can all be held responsible, not just the one who happens to be holding a weapon at the time they were arrested,

[theredbarron]

Let's hope the Sheriff gets out of bed on the wrong side, on the day they are being sentenced.

[LFT]

No such thing as "UK Law."

[OldLurker]

No such thing as "UK Law."That's true, of course; poor phrasing, sorry. Try again:
In the various legal systems in the UK it's called joint enterprise ...
Will that do?

[PDR1]

Not really, given that the courts have now determined that the Joint Enterprise law has been widely misinterpreted (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35598896) (with a shed-load of probable wrongful convictions) and doesn't actually say what you are suggesting it says.

[Delight]

I was on a Vueling flight into EDI last night that was targeted from somewhere near Dalkeith. Unfortunately my phone was out of juice or I would have got a photo and tried to confirm the location.

[Infieldg]

From the NZ Herald, Friday September 30th 2016 (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11719787)


A l@ser has been shone into the cockpits of several international flights approaching Auckland Airport this morning.


It comes just hours after a helicopter pilot complained a l@ser had also targeted it in the same area.


Police said a number of flight crews complained to police about a blinding l@ser being directed at the cockpits around 5.15am.


The l@ser appeared to come from the South Auckland suburb of Weymouth, on the southern edge of the Manukau Harbour.


A spokesman said police immediately sent patrols to the area but could not find anyone.


An Airways NZ spokeswoman said a helicopter pilot reported a l@ser at 9.42pm in the Weymouth area.


Last night two Air New Zealand pilots suffered headaches and had their vision temporarily obscured after a powerful green l@ser was pointed into the cockpit as they flew into into Wellington Airport about 8.10pm.


The Air New Zealand plane was flying from Hamilton and landed safely. It was targeted at about 3200m.The l@ser light was believed to have originated from the Trentham area, south of Upper Hutt, near the motorway.


Police patrolled the area but could not find anyone.

[Piper_Driver]

Nice to see some good news on this front. Someone tried to do this to a news helicopter that stuck around long enough to bust them.

Morons Shine Laser at News Helicopter, Get Exactly What's Coming to Them (http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a23786/moron-laser-news-helicopter/)

[scotneil]

I'd like to see more countries take the stance of Australia and ban the import/public sale of these devices; who needs a laser pen anyway? By all means have a small LED torchlight on a pen for those occasions when you can't find your house keys in the dark, but a laser light - no way !

[magpienja]

I agree Scott...life would go on and they would go unnoticed.

[2EggOmelette]

This from Kiwi Land. 10 weeks is nothing to be sniffed at, although I am sure many would want to see more. Laser light points to jail for Christchurch man Tane Hemopo | Stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/87077210/Laser-light-points-to-jail-for-Christchurch-man-Tane-Hemopo?cid=app-android)

[NorthAmericanB25]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/putting-an-end-to-laser-attacks-on-planes

[Rabski]

It is an increasing problem. I've been 'hit' three times in the last year, and once was on a really nasty approach with other s**t going on and could have been very unpleasant indeed. One has to question why these things are so readily available, whereas other potentially lethal weapons are not.

IMHO it is only a matter of time before the inevitable happens. Pray God it doesn't, but seriously something needs to be done. Six months is a joke frankly. It is a wilful act that amounts to intent to murder a substantial number of people.

[ricardian]

And it's not just aircraft that are being targetted (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/01/05/people_laser_blinding_ferry_boat_captains)

Forget aircraft – now cretins are laser-blinding ferry boat crewmen
Gadget-grasping goon gets $9,500 fine and jail time

[Chris the Robot]

Finally, a bit of progress in the UK it would seem:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/05/people-caught-shining-laser-pens-pilots-tougher-punishments

[Council Van]

But the judges will just give them community service no doubt.

[rotornut]

Here's what the pilot sees:Government plans laser pen clampdown - BBC News (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38872170)

[Mr Magnetic]

From the Guardian article:

Convictions under the current laws are very rare: 44 people were found guilty in 2013 and 2014, when 2,844 incidents were reported, according to the DfT.

I can't help wondering how many 'incidents' each of those people were responsible for... I would expect dozens at least, but wouldn't be at all surprised if some individuals had racked up three figures all by themselves!

[Chronus]

The other night, as there was very little else on the box, I happened to have settled to watch one of these nothing to declare programs. It was about the goings on at Cork airport. A young feller had been pulled up and nothing, except a laser torch had been found.
After checking with his superior that the item was not on the prohibited list, the customs officer gave it back to him. As the passenger was leaving he told the customs officer that where he lived there were not many aeroplanes anyway. Now what does that mean I wondered. The only answer I could come up with is that, the chap must have known that`s what the thing is used for in the main by morons and that he would not have the convenience to put it into it`s intended purpose. Some shrink ought to do one of these word association tests with the word "laser". I expect the answer would be " aircraft".

[MarcK]

Some shrink ought to do one of these word association tests with the word "laser". I expect the answer would be " aircraft".
No. It would be "cats".

[Mr Magnetic]

Given the media attention given to lasers that have been pointed at aircraft, perhaps he assumed that this was what had worried them enough to hold his device while they carried out checks?

[malabo]

They are not "attacks" except in the hysterical media/pilot view. Even the high-powered Russian lasering from their destroyers of our patrol aircraft was merely a form of dissuasion.

The pencil stuff is an arcade game for bored scroats/chav. As in "I wonder if this thing will paint a dot on an aircraft". No malice or harm intended.

[oopspff7]

If this hasn't been posted.....

Man jailed for shining laser pen at police helicoper and two planes - Liverpool Echo (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/man-jailed-shining-laser-pen-12715216)

[Fortissimo]

oopspff7,

Yes, longer would have been good. The new UK laws now going through Parliament will entitle him to a 5-year stretch next time, even if he tries it on a car or a train driver.

Malabo,

Nonsense. While some strikes are driven by curiosity, plenty are malicious. In this country, the police helicopters come in for special treatment, but we even have idiots having a go at HEMS. There have been blindings caused by laser pointers, some of them deliberate - the Royal College of Ophthamologists here will give you more information if you ask nicely. For the record, you can now buy lasers devices at 5W+ which will do you irreparable harm at >150m. I have no idea why the USA and China feel the need to manufacture them as there is no 'normal' consumer use for them.

[Rabski]

Quite right. They are a mere trifle. Just kids having fun.

Seriously? Many of us have been 'hit' by these menaces. About two weeks ago for me. A really unpleasnnt crosswind landing at EM was not helped by geting l@sered just exactly when it was least needed. That's about the fourth time in a year or so, and that's four times too many. At present, they're a nuisance. Just wait until someone on finals with an issue gets hit. A serious distraction at that stage, involving temporary vision loss, could make all the difference. No malice or harm intended? What bl**dy planet are you on, because it certainly isn't one wheer your at the pointy end.

[G0ULI]

Still not a single aircraft lost to either laser or drone incidents anywhere in the world?

[G0ULI]

Just making the point that there are a lot more tangible hazards in the world of aviation. Laser pointers and drones are a risk that can be mitigated to some extent by legislation, which is a good thing. But neither of those devices have caused a crash anywhere in the world. Incompetence, fatigue, bad weather, bird strikes, terrorism and equipment failures have resulted in many crashes since laser pointers and drones first became available.

Laser pointers and drones are tangible threats to flight safety, but based on the evidence to date, birds represent a level of threat several orders of magnitude greater. No one has yet instituted the unrestricted culling of birds close to airports despite this potentially saving millions of dollars a year in aircraft repairs due to bird strikes.

So while I welcome legislation to control the irresponsible use of laser pointers and drones, I do not regard them as a genuine threat to air safety in the same league as the other hazards mentioned.

I completely accept that those who make their living from flying probably have a somewhat different opinion of these devices.

[Rabski]

God there are some fools posting here. As above, I've been 'hit' a number of times now, and I'm sure others have. To say it's somehow OK because no crash has been caused to date is simply insane. At the very least it's incredibly distracting (at a time you really do not want to be distracted), at worst it can temporarily affect vision.
OK. Nobody has died so far, and that somehow makes it acceptable? Loss of vision on an approach is about the worst scenario. Most times, it will indeed be fine. But, as we all know, if the holes in the cheese all line up, then an additional factor can make all the difference.
I do not see it as some sort of joke. I see it as a massive disaster waithing to happen. Anyone who thinks it is anything else is mad.

[IcePack]

Rabski. Here here.
Those that think otherwise are 1) Not Pilots 2) Never been targeted.
Bet they would think otherwise if they had tried driving their car at 120mph with a green blob sitting in their central vision panorama. Oh & then judge the height of the rear bumper of the car 30ft behind them.

[Tu.114]

Zossen district court has sentenced a 49 year old man (http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/zossen-49-jaehriger-blendet-hubschrauber-mit-laserpointer-gefaengnis-a-1150168.html) to 8 months of jail for blinding a helicopter with a laser.

The police helicopter was on a mission to investigate reports on laser attacks made by airliners approaching SXF when its crew suffered the same attack from an apartment block. The attacker could not be convicted of having performed the previous attacks and consequently only received a sentence for attacking the helicopter. No parole is possible and the perpetrator will serve his 8 months as soon as the case is closed.

I´d say it is a good start to see also the German courts take a harder stance on such actions, although I personally would have liked to see him go down for attempted murder. Let everyone else who might contemplate such an attack behold and consider this...