TERRORISM or TOMFOOLERY ??

http://citizengene.blogspot.com ^ | 12/31/04 | vanity

[genefromjersey]

There have been several reports from all over the nation of commercial airline pilots being "attacked" in their cockpits with green lasers.

Is this terrorism, or just tomfoolery ?

Click on the link to learn why I suspect the latter.

[cripplecreek]

Ive been thinking of that possibility myself. Kids do stupid crap especially when they know they aren't supposed to.

On the other hand It seems like it would be hard to target and track a jet with any kind of accuracy.

[EggsAckley]

Instead of dragging us to your blog, why don't you just do the RIGHT thing and just post the article?

[genefromjersey]

It saves bandwidth...which allows more room for responses.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

This phenomenon has been going on for a while. Here in So. Cal. I remember when LAX was having problems with the "green military style" lasers being shone (sp?) into the cockpits of approaching aircraft about 5-8 years ago.

What I don't understand is how the laser is getting into the eyes of the pilots et. al if they are being shined upwards at the planes? Any ideas?

[genefromjersey]

I would imagine the beam is arriving at an oblique angle,and being reflected off the canopy.It has probably spread out somewhat at that distance as well.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

good point, i didn't think about dispersion. I wonder what the rate of dispersion on a laser would be at the 8500 ft. height that was reported in one of these reports as the altitude.