FAA Reports a dozen aircraft hit by l.a.s.e.r.s
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FAA Reports a dozen aircraft hit by l.a.s.e.r.s
The Wednesday evening incidents included 8 commercial flights coming into EWR, 3 into LGA, and 1 Coast Guard aircraft reported an attack while flying over Ocean City, NJ.
NJ . COM News
With the unique properties of l..a.ser light, such as small range of wavelength, tight beam width, and phase lockstep, one wonders if some sort of adaptive cockpit glass might be a solution.
NJ . COM News
With the unique properties of l..a.ser light, such as small range of wavelength, tight beam width, and phase lockstep, one wonders if some sort of adaptive cockpit glass might be a solution.
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Yes, l.a.s.e.r is a strange word here at PPruNe. As an aside, it is an acronym, so full stop might be a marginally acceptable way to represent it.
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Screw Spelling, Here
In this case, I don't care how you spell the long or short (acronym) form; we know that you mean!
'Firing' a LASER at an aircraft, is a criminal offense. Since doing so obviously endangers lives, when the SOBs are caught and convicted, no less that one year of mandatory jail time should be required.
Regardless of IFR/VFR status, on a Big Airplane or a tiny one, a temporarily blinded pilot cannot fly properly. Is this different from firing .50 cal rounds into B747/777/A380 engines?
Frankly, I'd opt for a longer mandatory prison sentence, but that is not the 'new, fluffy and friendly rehab model,' that we follow. With lead or lights, shooting at airplanes is not acceptable behavior. Ever!
'Firing' a LASER at an aircraft, is a criminal offense. Since doing so obviously endangers lives, when the SOBs are caught and convicted, no less that one year of mandatory jail time should be required.
Regardless of IFR/VFR status, on a Big Airplane or a tiny one, a temporarily blinded pilot cannot fly properly. Is this different from firing .50 cal rounds into B747/777/A380 engines?
Frankly, I'd opt for a longer mandatory prison sentence, but that is not the 'new, fluffy and friendly rehab model,' that we follow. With lead or lights, shooting at airplanes is not acceptable behavior. Ever!
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I wonder how much of this is malicious and how much is just dumb teenagers? I could definitely picture kids playing "I wonder if I can hit the moving target" while having no idea how what appears to be a tiny beam of light can light up a cockpit. I know it's been on the news lately, but how many kids watch the news?
I would hope that these things are being sold with a huge warning on the box about not pointing them at moving vehicles.
I would hope that these things are being sold with a huge warning on the box about not pointing them at moving vehicles.
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Used to buy them by the box load from Pat-Pong and they were very popular with my kids & their friends. All sensible enough not to point at eyes or moving targets etc. Many IP's used them for class-room work too although I preferred those long pointy sticks. Are these the same things we are talking about here? I never thought the Pat-pong versions were dangerous and I had a miniature version on my key ring for ages until an Eagle eyed Security Officer at LHR confiscated it. He reckoned that if a Hijacker got into the cockpit, got into my flightbag, got into the zipped pocket where I kept the keys and then zapped me in the eyes with my miniature laser torch.............................I would be history .
Blimey, why is my version of laser coming out a l@ser after sending too ?
Blimey, why is my version of laser coming out a l@ser after sending too ?
Last edited by Landflap; 19th Jul 2015 at 10:36. Reason: finger trouble ?
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Since 2012, the US has had a fairly tough law in place with penalties up to 5 years in prison for knowingly pointing a laser device at an aircraft. It is now estimated by the FAA that there are an average of 11 incidents per day in the US alone.
We carry a version of this, originally created by the UK's CAA (PDF):
Aviation LASER Exposure Self-Assessment
FAA publication on the hazards of L.a.s.e.r. attacks:LASER HAZARDS (PDF)
We carry a version of this, originally created by the UK's CAA (PDF):
Aviation LASER Exposure Self-Assessment
FAA publication on the hazards of L.a.s.e.r. attacks:LASER HAZARDS (PDF)
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Blimey, why is my version of l@ser coming out a l@ser after sending too ?
If I recall correctly, it's meant to keep the unwashed masses from being able to stumble upon such discussions here through a simple internet search. You can recognize the word for what it is, but a search engine can't, and that hopefully keeps someone with malicious intent from getting any insight or inspiration out of seeing the subject discussed between pilots themselves.
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Nothing to do with lasers, but in East Malaysia, it's considered a major coup by the local teenage (and younger) boys if they can snag their kite string on an airliner on approach. (And it's not unusual to see lots - and I mean LOTS - of kites around the East Malaysian airfields.)
On the pre-flight walkaround, (I think it was at Kota Kinabalu, but it may have been Kuching), I once found a very long piece of red string draped over the leading edge of my aircraft, so at least one kid had scored a 'hit'.
If the kite itself was to be ingested by the engine, I don't suppose it would cause any major damage, (to the engine at least - it would be severely 'terminal' for the kite), but neither is it something the airline's engineering department would want to encourage.
On the pre-flight walkaround, (I think it was at Kota Kinabalu, but it may have been Kuching), I once found a very long piece of red string draped over the leading edge of my aircraft, so at least one kid had scored a 'hit'.
If the kite itself was to be ingested by the engine, I don't suppose it would cause any major damage, (to the engine at least - it would be severely 'terminal' for the kite), but neither is it something the airline's engineering department would want to encourage.
