Another knuckle dragger around Heathrow:

[Ddraig Goch]

I hope this hasn't been posted elsewhere, if so delete.

"Laser Attack Forces Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner Diversion"

More at: https://simpleflying.com/laser-attack-virgin-atlantic/

Feel free to rant and rave!

[MPN11]

I have a friend who was PAX on that flight. He told me that the pilot had lost peripheral vision and was advised to return to LHR. An additional inconvenience was that the standby pilot at LHR had "the wrong type of Covid test" for entry at Tel Aviv, thus requiring the pax to be overnighted at the Hilton Garden Inn. His journey resumed the following morning.

My opinion of the [email protected] user is unprintable.

[DaveReidUK]

Culprit has been arrested, according to this report.

[Dan Dare]

How can the punishment for this xxxx ever fit the costs, inconvenience and injury? Every penny that he [am I allowed to make this assumption?] has every earned and will ever earn won’t scratch the surface of the costs to Virgin never minding delays and incidental costs to all the passengers and freight. They are very lucky that I’m not in charge of justice! I hope the pilot is not permanently scarred.

[Timmy Tomkins]

A [email protected] event "over Paris" seems unusual. I wonder what altitude and how the, presumably French, police found the culprit, when ours seem to struggle to nail them? Clever technology? A special unit?

[Euclideanplane]

Timmy
It was hit on departure, turned around over Paris.

[Icanseeclearly]

The CAA have a safety notice (SN - 2020/017 - [email protected] attack).

SN-2020/017: [email protected] Attacks

it includes a self assessment tool (paragraph 2.3) on whether you might have suffered any immediate effect or damage, maybe worth carrying a copy or downloading in case some fool targets you.

[ATC Watcher]

French, police found the culprit, when ours seem to struggle to nail them? Clever technology? A special unit?

Simple denunciation I guess , easy to see who it is from the ground, a smartphone snapshot, put it on FB and bingo .

[G-ARZG]

So, to protect us existing 'knuckle draggers around Heathrow', this was a French knuckle dragger, not one of ours? Needs clarifying.
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[OvertHawk]

The aircraft was hit on departure from LHR.

Presumably the turnaround over Paris was due to the time it took the crew to identify and ascertain that the pilot's vision was affected - it can take some time to recognise the onset of symptoms. They will probably have been in contact with their ops to take advice.

[G-ARZG]

Post 5 suggested the perp was caught by French police. Perhaps it was, after all, a rogue member of the Heathrow KD's

[RVF750]

We were targeted many years ago, not very accurate and I might have risked it a bit spotting it but with Google Earth up I was actually able to pinpoint the actual house it had come from! Hint is if you are stupid enough to fire a [email protected] at an aircraft, perhaps think before leaning out your bedroom in the house that's right at the edge of town, on the corner of a junction and clearly identifiable from the air, even in twilight.!!

West Sussex Constabulary promptly turned up and gratefully took the screenshot attachment from me together with statement. Apparently the house was well known by them.

[FullMetalJackass]

Originally Posted by ATC Watcher

Simple denunciation I guess , easy to see who it is from the ground, a smartphone snapshot, put it on FB and bingo .

A few years back I was targeted with a [email protected] when flying an SEP on the approach into EDLP at night; fortunately I had my GoPro recording at the time; this also recorded GPS data available. From the footage, the police were able to identify which building the [email protected] had been aimed from. Unfortunately the building was a residential complex of a number of flats so they couldn't identify the culprit definitively in order to press charges but the Police did advise that they had 'knocked on a few doors' and since then, the reports of [email protected] targeting aircraft at that location had stopped.

[Del Prado]

Originally Posted by G-ARZG

So, to protect us existing 'knuckle draggers around Heathrow', this was a French knuckle dragger, not one of ours? Needs clarifying.
​​

only to you. It’s perfectly clear in the report.
[email protected]$er incident was on departure, The pilot was becoming increasingly challenged so out of an abundance of caution turned round over Paris.

The chance of a ‘successful’ hit and injury caused at or near cruising levels is much reduced compared to low level.

[RoyHudd]

Laser targeting of aircraft equals endangering life or even attempted murder. Should not the punishment fit the crime?