[AdamSelene235]

Lasers that will damage the eye, are indeed, available on ebay. However, to aim such a laser at someone's eye (even at 100 feet) would be very difficult. To try to catch a pilot's eye at 1000 feet would be next to impossible.

It would be a bit tricky, but not beyond the ability of a competant grad. student.

Even if you got lucky, the exposure would only be tens of microseconds and would be harmless.

You're thinking CW, a Q-switched laser would do the job in nanoseconds.

The bottom line is... This article is a bunch of horse puckey.

Perhaps, but if it did happen. I suspect it was a government or research system such as a GuideStar.

[RadioAstronomer]

Perhaps, but if it did happen. I suspect it was a government or research system such as a GuideStar.

Or some idiot thinking he could see a spot on the moon and hit a plane just right instead.

[babygene]

" You're thinking CW, a Q-switched laser would do the job in nanoseconds."

How are you going to aim this thing? You have two choices:

1. You can diverge the beam, but the power goes down with the square of the area... This would require a huge laser.

2. You may be able to accidentally hit the target. The odds are overwelmingly against this.

If a terrorist really wanted to take down a plane, a laser is not the right weapon. There are much simpler beam gadgets available with much more power.