Pretty sure I saw a laser on approach to BHX
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Join Date: Feb 2007
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Pretty sure I saw a laser on approach to BHX
I was on BE7126 Stuttgart -> Birmingham yesterday (Fri 14/10/11), and on approach I am pretty sure we were the target of a green laser which caught my attention twice a couple of minutes before landing.
Is this a pretty common occurrence now, or should I be telling someone in officaldom?
Is this a pretty common occurrence now, or should I be telling someone in officaldom?
Join Date: Sep 2010
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It may have already been reported by the flight crew or other aircraft if it was a problem. However, it is almost impossible for anything to be done about it unfortunately, especially if it was yesterday.
If its a regular occurrence at Brum then I suspect it will be a known problem.
I wouldn't trouble yourself overly but if you feel like it then do contact the airport authorities. Personally though, I wouldn't bother.
If its a regular occurrence at Brum then I suspect it will be a known problem.
I wouldn't trouble yourself overly but if you feel like it then do contact the airport authorities. Personally though, I wouldn't bother.
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It's too late, the perpetrators are gone now.
Standard procedure is that Flight crew informs ATC and they inform the police. With some luck they catch them laser-handed.
Standard procedure is that Flight crew informs ATC and they inform the police. With some luck they catch them laser-handed.
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May as well report it for purposes of statistics! The more of these cases that are reported the better chance there is of something more serious being done about it.
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There would appear to be several incidents on Friday. BBC mentions Exeter and Gatwick here...
BBC News - Lasers shone at landing aircraft at Exeter and Newquay
BBC News - Lasers shone at landing aircraft at Exeter and Newquay
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It's an ongoing problem at a number of UK airports. I was required to make a statement earlier this year after being lasered whilst being held outside of the zone.
The best hope is that a police helicopter gets the laser on it's camera. The laser can then often be traced, even to an individual house window. The nearest mobile unit is then sent to knock on the door and do the necessary.
I've been personally involved on two or three occasions where culprits were apprehended after laser targetting us on a night job.
We did also catch some idiots targetting us with high powered searchlights on the approach to the police base. All on camera. Another chap even came round from the back of his house to the front after I deliberately moved away from his searchlight, putting the roof of his house in between us and himself. He claimed he was searching for lost car keys (obviously suspected an owl had flown off with them). He was prosecuted on the video evidence of his torch beam following us around the sky and good footage of himself standing outside his own house and reappearing to follow us after we changed position.
The best hope is that a police helicopter gets the laser on it's camera. The laser can then often be traced, even to an individual house window. The nearest mobile unit is then sent to knock on the door and do the necessary.
I've been personally involved on two or three occasions where culprits were apprehended after laser targetting us on a night job.
We did also catch some idiots targetting us with high powered searchlights on the approach to the police base. All on camera. Another chap even came round from the back of his house to the front after I deliberately moved away from his searchlight, putting the roof of his house in between us and himself. He claimed he was searching for lost car keys (obviously suspected an owl had flown off with them). He was prosecuted on the video evidence of his torch beam following us around the sky and good footage of himself standing outside his own house and reappearing to follow us after we changed position.
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The time to have reported it was when it happened. But you know now for the future. The reason for doing it immediately is that ATC will be looking out for it and possibly building up a picture for the Police helicopter who when launched in the right direction, appear to be rather effective at catching the perpetrators.
To date we have been lucky in so much that there has been no (log term) injuries or deaths as a result of l@sers. However, if the miscreants who insist on doing this carry on it will only be a matter of time before we have a really unpleasant outcome. Generally, in the UK the courts give a custodial sentence to those found guilty of endangering flights but rather amazingly, it's considered a 'minor' offence in others.
PM
To date we have been lucky in so much that there has been no (log term) injuries or deaths as a result of l@sers. However, if the miscreants who insist on doing this carry on it will only be a matter of time before we have a really unpleasant outcome. Generally, in the UK the courts give a custodial sentence to those found guilty of endangering flights but rather amazingly, it's considered a 'minor' offence in others.
PM
