Highlighted in BBC news today:
BBC News - Rise in laser pen attacks on airline pilots over London
252 reported incidents over London in 2012.

Into muscat runway 26 , there always some nut with a green laser . Always thought trying to get our attention never knew he is trying to get attention of Aliens .. Damn distracting especially on approach at low altitude ...

Any approach into Cairo, lasers guaranteed!

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/35145.../photo/1/large

Mixed feelings on this one - but flying an apache over a crowd of protesters and you are kind asking for it.

More pics / videos: Egyptian Protesters Painted a Helicopter With Hundreds of Laser Pointers | Gizmodo UK

And they like the military!

http://media.gizmodo.co.uk/wp-conten...be6zrxpjpg.jpg

As an extension of the above, the BBC yesterday even shows a 'positive' friendly slant to use of green lasers! :eek:
BBC News - Laser pens light up Egypt protests

L@sers attacks on Aircraft
 

Same on dutch "news", brought as "protesters showing their gratitude towards the army by painting the aircraft green with lasers"....

A sharp contrast with pointing a laser at a police helicopter and being tracked down and prosecuted. Bit of a "mixed" message I guess.

Having experienced only one green beam shot at me, and knowing how blinding that is, I still can't imagine how bad it must have been for that crew in the Egyptian heli. Watching the Egyptian protests with the shear number of people with green laser pointers being used maliciously against people, cameras ,police helicopters etc, and considering the number of times they are used elsewhere, be it at a football match, drunk youths in city centers, or at landing aircraft, it must surely now be the responsible thing by all authorities around the world to ban these things. They are too cheap and readily available, and only being used for hostile purposes

Alternatively, one might ask if 1000 green lasers shining on a helicopter at low level caused no problems, perhaps we need to untwist our panties a little re the perceived dangers.....

There are two elements to the problem.
 

Firstly: I totally agree that pointing one of these things at the crew of a low flying helicopter at night with the vehicle at low level in proximity to crowds of people is extremely dangerous and potentially lethal.

However if I were a peaceful protester exercising their right to publicly protest; at some risk of deadly response from the prevailing powers - I would consider in the application of such a device to alleviate the catastrophic effect of deadly fire: with or without warning, from the military vehicle, by temporary detraction of the fire crew, with he attendant risk of disorientating the flight crew.

I think the reports could have totally misrepresented the meaning of the underlying purpose, of the illumination of the helicopter and possibly misrepresented the seriousness of tensions being presented by both parties.

A powder keg of a situation.

Edit:- They have their industrial and scientific uses Stop public sales and use a stick at presentations. Hunting allow for night adaptation of eyesight or use NVG's

PPS: Even for Astronomy club nights out - There are programs (apps) which can provide night sky views on phones.

Recklessly endangering life??

A police investigation is under way after a l@ser beam was targeted at Aberdeen Airport last night. An airport spokesman told the Press & Journal: ‘There was a report of green l@ser light being directed onto the airfield from the Overton Garage area.'
Two airport employees reported seeing the light yesterday. Police and airport security staff swooped on the site where the l@ser light came from – a mile to the north-west of the runway.

Switzerland is preparing a new law against ownership of dangerous lasers. Sale and reckless use are already prohibited, but clearly that's not enough. Outlawing ownership (without a permit, for legitimate uses) would give customs and police a possibility to prevent dangerous situations, instead of waiting until something goes terribly wrong. The problem isn't limited to aircraft. Swiss railways says dangerous situations occur every week, and cars, trucks, even football players are deliberately targeted. Some police forces are looking into (no pun intended) protective goggles.

I just researched protective measures - I was thinking, in theory there are relatively cheap dyes/coatings, why not just apply them to windscreens. The problem with current technology seems to be that protection against multiple wavelenghts significantly reduces all light transmission, which defeats the purpose of a windscreen. :uhoh:

As both a pilot and a user of a Class II green laser, I understand the concerns. Admittedly something of a 'special case', I (and several of my colleagues) bought one because I undertake wildlife safaris and - for reasons that escape me - species such as elephant seem to react little, if at all, to a diffused green light, whereas a white light can send them bananas. When focused down to a parallel beam, however, I'd definitely classify it along with my firearms as a dangerous weapon, requiring similarly disciplined use and safety measures. If prosecution and adequately deterrent sentencing don't/won't work, maybe legislation & controls are indeed required.

Got hit by a green laser as was passing through 2,000' to the south on SID out of LIRA a few nights ago. Only glancing hits.......distracting.

Saw a very powerful 532 nm green laser sweeping the hold short area of 25L at BCN. It seemed to be coming from an airport building on a hill beside the runway.

But wait, it's in the notams:

Folks, you can't make this stuff up... :eek:

I saw this on the 07R take off roll a couple of weeks ago, seemed to be coming from the other end of the runway out to the right. I looked it up on google earth and assumed that it must have been kids at the park that seems to be just next to the airport. What an awful system. Other chap didn't see it, it was only brief but distracting nonetheless. I couldn't be sure if this was the bird dispersal system or just a local idiot. Not impressed eitherway.

Yahoo! News Canada - Latest News & Headlines
Does anyone above the mental age of 12 still think aiming a laser at a passing aircraft is good, harmless fun?

What's the object of this exercise? The only thing I can assume is the person doing the pointing hopes for a reaction, for something to happen. What exactly? Forcing the aircraft to veer out of control, to crash maybe? I suspect if you asked, you'd get a smirking shrug for an answer.

Another judgment-challenged young man was arrested in Calgary this week for allegedly targeting a police helicopter with a powerful Type 3 laser, The Canadian Press reports.

The pilot was blinded momentarily while the chopper was on a routine patrol, police said.

"This caused extreme anxiety of our pilot," Insp. Guy Baker told CP on Thursday. "The potential for eye injury was great.

"And you can imagine, if you're temporarily blinded and you're operating a helicopter, what kind of precarious position that would put ... the pilot, the people inside the helicopter and of course people living on the ground."

A 19-year-old man faces a charge of mischief, as well as a charge under aviation legislation, Baker said.

A pilot of Swiss was blinded by a laser Wednesday night in the Lucerne area after taking-off from Zurich.

Arrestation: Un pilote de Swiss aveuglé par un laser - News Suisse: Faits divers - tdg.ch

Defense Against Laser Attacks
 

There is new technology that will permit you to see normal colors including green at night while essentially blocking green laser attacks.

The technology involves an extremely narrow "notch" filter which blocks only the 532 Nm green laser wavelength without blocking nearby wavelengths, thus permitting normal color perception day and night.

If you do not need glasses, then there are protective glasses that you would wear defensively, perhaps for approach and departure only.

For those of us who now need glasses to meet vision standards, there will be a clip on version soon available.

I had an opportunity to try these on at a recent air show and they seem to do the job quite well.

The company's web site has the following news release:
The link to the web site is here Iridian - Home - Optical filter manufacturer for telecom, Raman, fluorescence applications