I really don't know how a person could shine a laser pointer at an object several miles away moving at 300+ mph. I have a small laser pointer and when I shine it only a couple hundred yards onto a tree in my backyard, it is darn near impossible to keep the target steady.
Also, the laser light appears to get somewhat diffused the farther away the target is.
Methinks that this is not your average laser pointer.
Not just point at an object, but keep it directed into the cockpit window long enough for a crew member to even detect it? Do airliners have laser detectors in the cockpit today? Unless the beam has a fairly complex focusing system and tracking system, I don't see how it could be done either. One could be built for a few thousand dollars, but your not going to do this with what one would buy at an office supply store. There must be more to this story.
How about a 193 mW green laser? The ones at Office Depot are less than 1 mW. This one is strong enough to burn a hole through a plastic cup [video link]. It will burn your retina out faster than you can blink. Here's a picture of a beam hitting a tree a quarter of a mile away.
Here is how I do it, and it works:
I have one of the old laser pens that is roughly 1/2" in diameter and seven or eight inches long. I also have a pair of 10X50 manual focus binaculars. I discovered that by holding the pen firmly against the bracing between the two sides of the binoculars, I was able to point it at a reflective road sign a half mile away and got a very bright reflection back in the center of my field of view. BTW, the reflection was about 6" in diameter if memory serves. Also, a friend was there at the sign and, via cell phone, said it was incredibly bright to his eyes. He looked at my position and saw a very, very bright point of light.
If I was serious about it, I could repeat the experiment and simply "look at " airplanes with my binoculars (with the laser attached) and asume that they would see the light.
It's pretty darned simple - and effective - really. I never thought about actually doing it, however. I don't see the point.
I really don't know how a person could shine a laser pointer at an object several miles away moving at 300+ mph. I have a small laser pointer and when I shine it only a couple hundred yards onto a tree in my backyard, it is darn near impossible to keep the target steady. Yeah I have a couple of laser pointers. Mine farthest ranged one has a range of 1500 feet but even at 500 feet even the slightest movement puts the beam way off. You would need the same type of lasers that the military uses to guide bombs and those are neither cheap nor easy to get.
"I really don't know how a person could shine a laser pointer at an object several miles away moving at 300+ mph. I have a small laser pointer and when I shine it only a couple hundred yards onto a tree in my backyard, it is darn near impossible to keep the target steady."
Think tripod. Think telescope. Think duct tape.