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"For what it's worth, my take on the current spate of laser strikes on incoming airliners is that they are *probably* the uncoordinated result of teens with too much time on their hands, and not enough discipline in their lives. That said, I estimate that there is a 15-20% prob that this is *could* be a part of a coordinated terrorist action by wannabe jihadis to disrupt airtrans over the holiday season."

I don't necessarily think it's terrorists; I honestly don't know what to make of it all.

As to those who don't believe it's a 'childs toy', the improved laser pointer I referenced in an earlier post is fully capable of accomplishing these strikes. It has a range of ~5 miles with sufficient coherency at that range to be recognizable in the cockpit. Because the beam itself is visibile (all these strikes were at night, I believe) it is not difficult to target a jet cockpit on approach from a distance, even one moving at 250-300 mph.

The latest one in TN was 6 miles but it's not just that how many miles high the plane was but how far away too. In other words, the laser would not only have to reach 5-6 miles high but also 15 miles away (reported by the pilots in OH). On the other hand, being intrigued and not knowing much about lasers, I took advantage of Cindy's links and did a little research on my own and found lasers that claim they can reach 20 or 200 miles aways (now I forget which).

"If any of the attacks occurred during daylight hours, or if the cockpit was truly 'illuminated' - which would indicate a military system capable of target locking, tracking and scanning - then I would be more inclined to support the conclusion that a military system is being used."

Now that I'm going through the thread regarding the TN incident, I saw a post that leads me to believe that the cockpit was truly illuminated. I think it would be extemely difficult to not only hit a plane several miles up, as well as several miles away but to also hit the pilot in the eyes with a thin beam. At least one of the pilots (in CO, I believe) was reported to have eye injury. I'll have to take another look at all of the incidents to see if that was the only pilot who received an eye injury/was temporarily blinded/had trouble seeing; one incident of not only being able to reach a plane 5-6 high and 15 miles away, as well as hitting the pilot in the eyes may just have been sheer luck (on the part of the aimer) but if several pilots' eyes were affected, I would have to the think it's a laser stronger than the everyday laser pointers used in offices and whatnot.