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Capt Claret
2nd Apr 2010, 23:46
From today's Egg Timer, the NT News.

Laser idiot's hi-tech arrest

NIGEL ADLAM

April 3rd, 2010


http://www.ntnews.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2010/04/02/PILOTTHUB_SIDE_IMAGE_300PX_KJ095760_134899.JPG
INITIATIVE: Pilot Jeff Konemann pinpointed the location of the man responsible for shining a laser at aircraft. Picture: FIONA MORRISON

A RECKLESS idiot who shone a laser pointer in the eyes of several pilots as they came in to land has been caught by the use of state-of-the-art technology.

An angry chopper pilot - who feared the laser pointing would lead to disaster - hovered over the man, noted his position, put the co-ordinates into a computer and led police to his front door.

Jeff Konemann, 49, said pilots could be blinded temporarily by lasers. "They are strong, bright and well directed," he said.

The ex-Navy pilot said he was angered by the laser, only 12 days after two men died in a plane crash at Darwin airport.

"Pointing a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is very dangerous," he said. "It can end in disaster." The man allegedly shone the laser at several aircraft, including commercial passenger jets, as they prepared to land at Darwin airport on Thursday evening.

Mr Konemann was conducting a training run in a Careflight BK117 aeromedical helicopter when he was targeted.

"I asked the control tower if they wanted me to get a position on him. I hovered over the area waiting for him to shine the laser at me again - and he obliged."

Mr Konemann, who flew choppers for the Navy for 25 years, fed the position co-ordinates into moving map software. The location was obtained and typed into Google Earth.

Police could then be directed to the exact scene of the crime - a cabin in the Free Spirit caravan park at Pinelands, 11km south of the airport.

Police seized a laser and a man faces being summonsed on Federal charges.

Aussie
3rd Apr 2010, 04:16
Good post mate :)

Glad to see such a positive outcome :ok:

bagchucka
3rd Apr 2010, 04:55
Get him to locate the ******** east of the 21 centreline at Perth. :ugh:

CharlieLimaX-Ray
3rd Apr 2010, 07:02
Now some lawyer will argue that he has had deprived upbringing and then some judge will give him a wrap over the knuckles with a wet tram ticket, and he will be on his merry way!!!

sprocky_ger
3rd Apr 2010, 07:30
This type of idiots spread around the world too much. Just recently one of those was caught near Hannover Airport (Germany). Hopefully he'll be put in jail for a long time. Unfortunately the german law is treating criminals way to good.:ugh:

169west
3rd Apr 2010, 12:28
Reducing the Thread of laser illumination (http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/qtr_01_10/3/#figA) ... at least in short final!

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/qtr_01_10/3/img/A3_figA.gif

goddamit
4th Apr 2010, 02:24
unfortunately he will probably only cop a small fine in this country, not much of a deterrent for others.

satos
4th Apr 2010, 04:31
Great work by the chopper pilot helping to catch this idiot.
Our only hope now is that they throw the book at him.

5miles
4th Apr 2010, 06:45
Mid last year, an 18 year old was caught by police after shining a laser at the Rescue chopper as it made an approach to Mareeba (near Cairns).

He was convicted and sentenced to 3 months jail, so sometimes these morons do get a little more than a slap on the wrist.

Flying Binghi
4th Apr 2010, 07:03
All lazer boy has to do is say he's a member of Sea Shepherd and Julia Gillard will be leaping to his defense....:hmm:





The crew of the Sea Shepherd conservation group..... have used a laser called a photonic disruptor to try to blind the crew of a Japanese security ship.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sea-shepherds-hi-tech-weaponry-to-harass-whalers/story-e6freuy9-1225813660593 (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sea-shepherds-hi-tech-weaponry-to-harass-whalers/story-e6freuy9-1225813660593)

Ms Gillard's call for the Institute of Cetacean Research to suspend charter flights monitoring the Sea Shepherd vessels.....
http://www.news.com.au/national/japan-attacks-julia-gillards-stand-on-whaling-after-ady-gil-crash/story-e6frfkvr-1225817941811 (http://www.news.com.au/national/japan-attacks-julia-gillards-stand-on-whaling-after-ady-gil-crash/story-e6frfkvr-1225817941811)

.

Wally Mk2
4th Apr 2010, 08:34
I recently got 'zapped' the other night whilst slipping on into EN (second time now) with very alarming results.Lost orientation momentary with rwy in excellent VMC. Really lit up the cockpit with the Ambo sitting down the back saying WTF was that bright light in the cockpit? Reported it to the twr coming from an area around Coburg (near Syd Rd) as far as I could tell. The authorities can do little about it. Even if they found someone with a laser in their possession I wonder what they could do about it anyway re proving they used it on an A/C?

Trouble is what do we do with such people? Very hard to find these misguided fools & educate them. To them am sure they think it's fun to see if they can target a fast moving object seeing it as some form of skill to them, much like shooting one with a gun! It's a bit like the fools who throw rocks at cars from an overpass, to them it's also fun as in seeing if they can actually hit a car!
Setting an Eg by jailing someone would help but these people soon forget the ramifications of such a stupid act. As mentioned here our judicial system is a joke always has been that's the main cause. From early school days society is breeding contempt! Discipline now no longer exists.:ugh:

Wmk2 thinking of wearing welding goggles of a night time blw 5000 ft!:sad:

Josh Cox
4th Apr 2010, 08:49
Wally,

Have had it happen a couple of times, south of JT, was really amazed how bright it was on what was otherwise a very dark night.

Turned all my external lights off and the problem ceased.

Really wished at times like those that the PC12 had chain fed machine guns (could make rabbit shooting an extreme sport), well the PC12 has got everything else...........yeh yeh I know, not a spare engine, not fixed to the aeroplane anyway:}.

Stationair8
4th Apr 2010, 09:07
Unfortunately we have bred a generation of unintelligent, oxygen sucking morons, who really should have a bullet put in them to save us a lot of future problems.

Lose a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft and these moron are regarded as a hero by his dimwitted mates, yet some poor bugger is killed or injured.

Personally the chopper pilot should have slipped around to the police cell paid the guy a visit to make sure that he was alright, that he had warm clothes, something to eat, had contacted his mum and when the sargeant wasn't looking banged his head on the cell wall.

Wally Mk2
4th Apr 2010, 10:23
'Josh' I wouldn't be anywhere near blw 5ooo' in a PC unless I could glide to the rwy almost vertically so laser hits in that type of airframe wouldn't be a problem unless taking off of course in which case you would have yr head inside the cockpit anyway with eyes glued to the engines gauges (& getting right with Jesus) & not having to worry about getting zapped!:} :E
Gee 'S8' don't hold back buddy:):-) Until someone important gets killed/injured from such an attack (lasering) then little will get done about it.

I've not seen one of these laser lights I wonder if they are freely available? High powered units should perhaps be linked together with firearms (with all there restrictions) for the sale of such items perhaps if not already?


Wmk2

18-Wheeler
4th Apr 2010, 10:35
Laser.
L@ser.
(Just wondering why everyone is using the '@' sign)


Edit - Laser Laser Laser Laser Laser Laser Laser Laser Laser Laser

Edit2 - Why did that work the first time?

Wally Mk2
4th Apr 2010, 10:56
I thought the same '18' L@zer/Laser/laser


Wmk2

AussieNick
4th Apr 2010, 12:06
people use l@ser from the other massive thread on pprune about these idiots, because when people use laser the google ad's that show for some poeple on the pages, which trawl for keywords then display an ad based on the keywords it finds, and has been displaying ad's for laser pointers. Alot of people requested that others use l@ser so that anyone who is reading these threads for ideas wouldn't be linked to where they can purchase some very powerful pointers.

aussiepax
5th Apr 2010, 11:34
They l@sered the plane then tried it on the cops.... ooops. :=


from todays daily telegraph sydney.


Teens accused of shining laser pointer at plane and police helicopter

TWO teenagers have been arrested after they allegedly shone a laser pointer at a commercial aircraft and a police helicopter last night.

Police will allege about 7.30pm (AEST) a commercial airliner was flying over the Auburn area in Sydney's inner west when a laser pointer was shone at the plane.

About 9pm (AEST), the crew of a police helicopter were doing patrols over Auburn after receiving reports of the earlier incident when it is alleged a laser pointer was also shone at them.

The Polair officers were able to identify where the laser pointer came from and police from Flemington Local Area Command attended Kulgun Ave, Auburn where they spoke to a group of five people.

Two boys aged 16 and 18 were arrested at the scene and a laser pointer was located and seized by police.

Both youths were taken to Auburn Police Station where they were each charged with acting with intent to prejudice safety of aircraft and the possession and/or use of a laser pointer.:D


Dumb f#c&$

AirBumps
5th Apr 2010, 11:44
Good work to the coppers in this case!

The Police have doen their job, now lets hope the courts can do theirs!

AB

mickjoebill
5th Apr 2010, 13:00
Was l@sered (green) last week whilst orbiting Warrigal Road Center Rd junction Melbourne.

Would have taken a close-up of the idiot in HD had he continued for a few seconds longer.

Mickjoebill