L@ser & searchlight attacks on aircraft (incl prison sentences on offenders)
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Do they block green LED instruments/alter the color of phosphor/LCD displays?
There's also a question of how deep the filter notch in green is. It's probably going to be better than nothing, but I'd be wary of spending $299 on them. You need to wear them constantly at night? That doesn't sound very comfortable.
There's also a question of how deep the filter notch in green is. It's probably going to be better than nothing, but I'd be wary of spending $299 on them. You need to wear them constantly at night? That doesn't sound very comfortable.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
14 years!
Man gets 14 years for pointing laser at helicopter
Pointing a laser at a police helicopter got a California man a 14-year prison sentence, which federal officials and pilots hope will discourage the threat to airline safety.
Sergio Rodriguez, 26, of Clovis, was sentenced Monday for pointing a laser at a Fresno police helicopter, according to U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner. Rodriguez and his girlfriend, Jennifer Coleman, 23, were both convicted by a federal jury after a three–day trial in December.
Laser strikes are a concern for airliners because they can temporarily blind a pilot while landing or taking off. The number of laser strikes against aircraft has climbed sharply in the last decade, reaching 3,960 incidents last year.
"This is not a game. It is dangerous, and it is a felony," Wagner said. "Those who aim lasers at aircraft should know that we will seek to convict them, and we will seek to send them to prison. The safety of aircraft and the people in them demands no less."
Coleman's sentencing is scheduled May 12.
According to evidence presented at trial, Rodriguez and Coleman used a high-powered green laser pointer to repeatedly strike the helicopter cockpit during a clear summer night in 2012. The helicopter known as Air 1 responded to their apartment complex near Fresno Yosemite International Airport to investigate laser strikes on an emergency helicopter for Children's Hospital of Central California.
The Air Line Pilots Association, a union representing 50,000 pilots, issued a statement praising the prosecution and sentence, which it said "will help send the message to others that intentionally aiming a laser at aircraft is not a prank, but a federal crime with very serious consequences."
Leon McLin, a senior research optometrist for the Air Force Research Laboratory who testified at trial, indicated at sentencing that the laser pointer that Rodriguez used was capable of inflicting serious bodily injury and, indirectly, death due to a high potential for crash caused by visual interference.
A person on the ground can aim a laser pointer, which can cost as little as $50, into the cockpit of a plane or helicopter. The cockpit glass diffuses the light, which pilots complain is like a flashbulb going off and temporarily hurting their vision at a critical time of taking off or landing a plane.
Last month, the FBI began offering rewards up to $10,000 for information leading to the conviction of someone aiming a laser at a plane. The ALPA is working with the FAA to promote the campaign with public-service announcements, billboards and press releases focused in 12 cities. They are: Albuquerque; Chicago; Cleveland; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Sacramento; San Antonio; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Washington.
Sergio Rodriguez, 26, of Clovis, was sentenced Monday for pointing a laser at a Fresno police helicopter, according to U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner. Rodriguez and his girlfriend, Jennifer Coleman, 23, were both convicted by a federal jury after a three–day trial in December.
Laser strikes are a concern for airliners because they can temporarily blind a pilot while landing or taking off. The number of laser strikes against aircraft has climbed sharply in the last decade, reaching 3,960 incidents last year.
"This is not a game. It is dangerous, and it is a felony," Wagner said. "Those who aim lasers at aircraft should know that we will seek to convict them, and we will seek to send them to prison. The safety of aircraft and the people in them demands no less."
Coleman's sentencing is scheduled May 12.
According to evidence presented at trial, Rodriguez and Coleman used a high-powered green laser pointer to repeatedly strike the helicopter cockpit during a clear summer night in 2012. The helicopter known as Air 1 responded to their apartment complex near Fresno Yosemite International Airport to investigate laser strikes on an emergency helicopter for Children's Hospital of Central California.
The Air Line Pilots Association, a union representing 50,000 pilots, issued a statement praising the prosecution and sentence, which it said "will help send the message to others that intentionally aiming a laser at aircraft is not a prank, but a federal crime with very serious consequences."
Leon McLin, a senior research optometrist for the Air Force Research Laboratory who testified at trial, indicated at sentencing that the laser pointer that Rodriguez used was capable of inflicting serious bodily injury and, indirectly, death due to a high potential for crash caused by visual interference.
A person on the ground can aim a laser pointer, which can cost as little as $50, into the cockpit of a plane or helicopter. The cockpit glass diffuses the light, which pilots complain is like a flashbulb going off and temporarily hurting their vision at a critical time of taking off or landing a plane.
Last month, the FBI began offering rewards up to $10,000 for information leading to the conviction of someone aiming a laser at a plane. The ALPA is working with the FAA to promote the campaign with public-service announcements, billboards and press releases focused in 12 cities. They are: Albuquerque; Chicago; Cleveland; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Sacramento; San Antonio; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Washington.
hopefully such a severe sentence will deter others from doing the same 
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https://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=31186959
August 18th, 2014 @ 7:29pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Police are investigating reports of a laser being pointed into the cockpits of three aircraft approaching the Salt Lake City International Airport on Sunday.
Between 8 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., three pilots reported a green laser being pointed into the cockpits while the planes were landing. The SkyWest planes, each carrying between 20 and 50 passengers, landed without incident, according to airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann.
Each pilot reported the laser coming from an area about 6 miles south of the airport.
"It's a federal offense, and there are severe consequences if somebody is discovered doing it because of the danger it can cause to the pilot," Gann said. "Not only will it disorient a pilot, but it can also damage their eyesight and interfere with them operating an aircraft."
SALT LAKE CITY — Police are investigating reports of a laser being pointed into the cockpits of three aircraft approaching the Salt Lake City International Airport on Sunday.
Between 8 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., three pilots reported a green laser being pointed into the cockpits while the planes were landing. The SkyWest planes, each carrying between 20 and 50 passengers, landed without incident, according to airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann.
Each pilot reported the laser coming from an area about 6 miles south of the airport.
"It's a federal offense, and there are severe consequences if somebody is discovered doing it because of the danger it can cause to the pilot," Gann said. "Not only will it disorient a pilot, but it can also damage their eyesight and interfere with them operating an aircraft."
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BBC News - Laser pointed at Midlands Air Ambulance helicopter over Warwick
L@ser incident affecting an air ambulance in the West Midlands.
Over-sensationalist reporting? Or real danger?
L@ser incident affecting an air ambulance in the West Midlands.
Over-sensationalist reporting? Or real danger?
And another one in Ireland: Helicopter crew targeted by laser louts
The crew of an Irish Coast Guard helicopter was targeted by a potentially blinding green laser as they searched for a missing family on Monday night.
The helicopter had been operating in the Cratloe and Woodcock Hill areas of Co Clare when the laser was aimed at the cockpit several times.
The Shannon based crew had been searching for a family of five holidaymakers who had become disorientated in the woods and unable to find their way out of the popular walking trail.
Rescue 1-1-5 had been using it’s powerful search light and infra-red heat seeking camera to try and locate the family while members of the Killaloe unit of the Irish Coast Guard carried out ground searches.
While the crew hovered over the area, they were targeted several times by a green laser and reported the incident to air traffic control.
The crew told controllers that the laser was pointed directly at them for a period of two minutes on one occasion. The pilot described the laser as “pretty massive” and appeared to be coming from the Cratloe area.
Air traffic controllers reported the matter to gardaí and also informed the pilots of passenger aircraft arriving at Shannon that the helicopter had been targeted.
A Coast Guard spokesman said: “Unfortunately this is not uncommon. We had another incident recently on the east coast. We take such incidents extremely seriously but all we can actually do is report them to gardaí in the hope that a patrol in the area can locate the culprits.”
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) confirmed: “Shannon Air Traffic Control received a report of a laser attack on a search and rescue helicopter at 23.15hrs on 25 August 2014. The IAA forwarded these details to An Garda Siochana.”
“Shining a laser at an aircraft can affect the safety of an aircraft, especially if the aircraft is at a critical phase, such as landing. While the majority of reported incidents have been found to have a low safety impact, pilots have reported flash blindness, glare and being distracted from lasers,” the IAA spokesman said.
Early last month, an Air Corps air ambulance transporting a critically ill baby from Donegal to a hospital in Dublin was struck several times by a laser.
Last year, there were 158 reported laser strikes on aircraft including passenger jet’s arriving at Irish airports.
50 of these incidents involved Irish Air Corps aircraft while garda air support helicopters have also been targeted in the past.
Laser pointers, which are widely available on the internet and can be picked up cheaply, particularly in many European holiday resorts, emit a dazzling red or green beam up to 20 miles.
The beam can temporarily blind a person and cause disorientation for a time.
The helicopter had been operating in the Cratloe and Woodcock Hill areas of Co Clare when the laser was aimed at the cockpit several times.
The Shannon based crew had been searching for a family of five holidaymakers who had become disorientated in the woods and unable to find their way out of the popular walking trail.
Rescue 1-1-5 had been using it’s powerful search light and infra-red heat seeking camera to try and locate the family while members of the Killaloe unit of the Irish Coast Guard carried out ground searches.
While the crew hovered over the area, they were targeted several times by a green laser and reported the incident to air traffic control.
The crew told controllers that the laser was pointed directly at them for a period of two minutes on one occasion. The pilot described the laser as “pretty massive” and appeared to be coming from the Cratloe area.
Air traffic controllers reported the matter to gardaí and also informed the pilots of passenger aircraft arriving at Shannon that the helicopter had been targeted.
A Coast Guard spokesman said: “Unfortunately this is not uncommon. We had another incident recently on the east coast. We take such incidents extremely seriously but all we can actually do is report them to gardaí in the hope that a patrol in the area can locate the culprits.”
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) confirmed: “Shannon Air Traffic Control received a report of a laser attack on a search and rescue helicopter at 23.15hrs on 25 August 2014. The IAA forwarded these details to An Garda Siochana.”
“Shining a laser at an aircraft can affect the safety of an aircraft, especially if the aircraft is at a critical phase, such as landing. While the majority of reported incidents have been found to have a low safety impact, pilots have reported flash blindness, glare and being distracted from lasers,” the IAA spokesman said.
Early last month, an Air Corps air ambulance transporting a critically ill baby from Donegal to a hospital in Dublin was struck several times by a laser.
Last year, there were 158 reported laser strikes on aircraft including passenger jet’s arriving at Irish airports.
50 of these incidents involved Irish Air Corps aircraft while garda air support helicopters have also been targeted in the past.
Laser pointers, which are widely available on the internet and can be picked up cheaply, particularly in many European holiday resorts, emit a dazzling red or green beam up to 20 miles.
The beam can temporarily blind a person and cause disorientation for a time.
From ABC
Man charged over another laser incident targeting Queensland Police Service helicopter PolAir 2 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
A Queensland police helicopter has been targeted by a laser light for the second time in less than a week.
The PolAir 2 chopper was coming in to land at Archerfield Airport at 12:30am on Sunday morning when a laser light was shone directly at the cabin crew.
Police said officers tracked a car to a nearby service station and arrested a 22-year-old man from Slacks Creek, south of Brisbane.
He was later charged with threatening the safety of an aircraft, possessing a restricted item and assault.
It follows an incident involving a police chopper flying over the Sunshine Coast hinterland on May 21.
A 53-year-old man allegedly pointed a laser beam at the chopper as it flew over Mountain Creek, forcing the crew to change course several times.
He will also face court charged with threatening the safety of an aircraft and possessing a restricted item.
Man charged over another laser incident targeting Queensland Police Service helicopter PolAir 2 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
A Queensland police helicopter has been targeted by a laser light for the second time in less than a week.
The PolAir 2 chopper was coming in to land at Archerfield Airport at 12:30am on Sunday morning when a laser light was shone directly at the cabin crew.
Police said officers tracked a car to a nearby service station and arrested a 22-year-old man from Slacks Creek, south of Brisbane.
He was later charged with threatening the safety of an aircraft, possessing a restricted item and assault.
It follows an incident involving a police chopper flying over the Sunshine Coast hinterland on May 21.
A 53-year-old man allegedly pointed a laser beam at the chopper as it flew over Mountain Creek, forcing the crew to change course several times.
He will also face court charged with threatening the safety of an aircraft and possessing a restricted item.
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I was flying near Algiers at night last week, and discovered that every knobhead in Algeria gets a green laser for his birthday. At one point we were illuminated by 3 at the same time from different directions. It was like a disco in the cab!
Multiple laser attack on a police helicopter in Chile
Is this the worst attack anyone has seen, multiple lasers pointing at helicopter during recent protests in Chile.
https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=sTZ2V_1573444367
https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=sTZ2V_1573444367
The hong kong protests have shown that protesters believe lasers render CCTV ineffective so they have used this as part of their arsenal.
They likely have no idea what the real risks are.
Cheap and effective if you are into protesting.
They likely have no idea what the real risks are.
Cheap and effective if you are into protesting.
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Someone else going to prison for this. Not a long sentence (and he probably won't serve the full 4 months), but it should send a message.....
I'm not able to post links (too few posts), but search for "Bedford man jailed for pointing laser at police helicopter" at bbc.co.uk/news
A man who shone a laser pen at a police helicopter was identified by his pot belly, bald head and Liverpool football shirt, a court heard.
Neil Lanham, 50, pointed the laser at least six times at the aircraft.
Those on board, who were looking for a suspect, pinpointed the source using cameras and gave a description to police on the ground who arrested him.
Lanham, of Woburn Road in Bedford, pleaded guilty and was jailed at Luton Crown Court for four months.
Judge Barbara Mensah said the "blinding of a pilot could have catastrophic effects".
"It may have damaged his eyesight. He would have been unable to control his helicopter. It may have caused the fatalities of those in the helicopter and on the ground. It was a built up area," she said.
It was piloted by Captain Christopher Hawkins, who had four crew on board.
Mr Stanton said: "Without warning, a green laser light entered the cockpit and pulsed. It lasted for 10 seconds. Captain Hawkins looked away and took avoiding action..
"It was not just the once. The helicopter moved position but the beam was directed five or six more times at it over a period of five minutes."
He said Lanham was seen in his rear garden with another man and was identified by his "noticeably large stomach", "balding" head and his Liverpool football shirt.
Defence barrister, Graham Blower, said the offence was "completely out of character", and that Lanham described what he had done as "gross stupidity".
Neil Lanham, 50, pointed the laser at least six times at the aircraft.
Those on board, who were looking for a suspect, pinpointed the source using cameras and gave a description to police on the ground who arrested him.
Lanham, of Woburn Road in Bedford, pleaded guilty and was jailed at Luton Crown Court for four months.
Judge Barbara Mensah said the "blinding of a pilot could have catastrophic effects".
"It may have damaged his eyesight. He would have been unable to control his helicopter. It may have caused the fatalities of those in the helicopter and on the ground. It was a built up area," she said.
'Gross stupidity'
Prosecutor David Stanton said that the National Police Air Service (NPAS) single-piloted helicopter had been called out shortly after 21:00 BST on 13 September and was travelling at 1,300ft (400m).It was piloted by Captain Christopher Hawkins, who had four crew on board.
Mr Stanton said: "Without warning, a green laser light entered the cockpit and pulsed. It lasted for 10 seconds. Captain Hawkins looked away and took avoiding action..
"It was not just the once. The helicopter moved position but the beam was directed five or six more times at it over a period of five minutes."
He said Lanham was seen in his rear garden with another man and was identified by his "noticeably large stomach", "balding" head and his Liverpool football shirt.
Defence barrister, Graham Blower, said the offence was "completely out of character", and that Lanham described what he had done as "gross stupidity".
Four month prison sentence for shining laser at police helicopter
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8843283/Father-28-jailed-four-months-shining-7-laser-pen-police-helicopter.html
A reckless father who endangered the life of a pilot when he shone a laser pen at a police helicopter to 'test what his new toy could do' has been jailed for four months.
Alexandru Gheorghe, 28, from Redditch, Worcestershire, dazzled the occupants of a police air service helicopter with a £7 laser pen he had bought off eBay as it was flying over Stratford on its way back to its base.
The pilot had to take evasive action to manoeuvre away from the beam after the cockpit was bathed in bright green light at 10.30pm on May 16, a court heard.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8843283/Father-28-jailed-four-months-shining-7-laser-pen-police-helicopter.html
A reckless father who endangered the life of a pilot when he shone a laser pen at a police helicopter to 'test what his new toy could do' has been jailed for four months.
Alexandru Gheorghe, 28, from Redditch, Worcestershire, dazzled the occupants of a police air service helicopter with a £7 laser pen he had bought off eBay as it was flying over Stratford on its way back to its base.
The pilot had to take evasive action to manoeuvre away from the beam after the cockpit was bathed in bright green light at 10.30pm on May 16, a court heard.
30 months prison for this one... getting better!
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-wales-55567835
A man who shone a laser pen at a police helicopter searching for a vulnerable young woman has been jailed.
William Fellowes, 29, from Portmead, Swansea, was sentenced to 30 months at Swansea Crown Court for shining/directing a laser beam towards an aircraft.
The National Police Air Service helicopter was assisting in the search on 2 September when it was targeted.
Supt Cath Larkman said the aircraft was “performing a vital duty and assisting us to look for a vulnerable and suicidal young girl who had been reported missing”.
“In these incidents, time is of the essence in locating the vulnerable person and ensuring their safety and the helicopter is extremely important in carrying out a quick and thorough search of the area.
“The actions of this individual not only prevented them from carrying out these important duties, but potentially could have had devastating effects in causing the helicopter to crash.
“We trust that this sentence acts as a deterrent to any other persons who may feel that they wish to carry out similar reckless and dangerous actions.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-wales-55567835
A man who shone a laser pen at a police helicopter searching for a vulnerable young woman has been jailed.
William Fellowes, 29, from Portmead, Swansea, was sentenced to 30 months at Swansea Crown Court for shining/directing a laser beam towards an aircraft.
The National Police Air Service helicopter was assisting in the search on 2 September when it was targeted.
Supt Cath Larkman said the aircraft was “performing a vital duty and assisting us to look for a vulnerable and suicidal young girl who had been reported missing”.
“In these incidents, time is of the essence in locating the vulnerable person and ensuring their safety and the helicopter is extremely important in carrying out a quick and thorough search of the area.
“The actions of this individual not only prevented them from carrying out these important duties, but potentially could have had devastating effects in causing the helicopter to crash.
“We trust that this sentence acts as a deterrent to any other persons who may feel that they wish to carry out similar reckless and dangerous actions.”
6 months. “A man who shone a laser into the eyes of a police helicopter pilot has been described as an "idiot" and a "liar" by a judge.“
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-56210080
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-56210080
