What those guys said...
Posted on 03/23/2005 2:12:47 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Man who admitted shining laser at aircraft indicted on Patriot Act charge
By JEFFREY GOLD Associated Press Writer
March 23, 2005, 4:51 PM EST
NEWARK, N.J. -- A man accused of pointing a laser at an airplane, temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot, was indicted Wednesday under an anti-terror law.
David W. Banach also was accused of lying to the FBI about the Dec. 29 incident, in which a small passenger jet's windshield and cabin were hit three times by a green laser as the plane readied to land at Teterboro Airport.
The charges in the three-count federal indictment were similar to those filed against Banach in a complaint by the FBI in January. The indictment, handed up by a grand jury in Newark, replaces the FBI complaint.
(Excerpt) Read more at nynewsday.com ...
Shine a laser into HIS eyes.
how do you use a green laser to look at stars? I just don't get it.
Probably, but I'm a bit troubled by the invocation of the Patriot Act. It appears to be much closer to reckless endangerment than terrorism.
Sounds like it would be a cheap and easy way for a terrorist to bring down a plane. Wonder if anyone is working on ways to shield against this?
Amazing!
Personally, I prefer my telescope.
Well whatever it was "considered" it put the lives of everyone on board in jeopardy.
I think this case is sad. I think this man was just playing around and wanted to see if he could see the laser hit the plane. Most people would probably not think it would cause any harm. He probably got scared and lied about it. It certainly doesn't warrant 20 years in prison or a huge fine. Maybe a small fine for lying.
On a grand enough scale, reckless endangerment IS terrorism. The population density of northern New Jersey is incredibly high, and this act put thousands of peoples' lives at risk. I drove by the area the other day, and was taken aback by how easy it would be to bring down a plane at that airport, there are so many places with cover that are close enough to the approaches. I've been by there many times before but for some reason it really struck home this last time I went by.
"Wonder if anyone is working on ways to shield against this?"
A pair of polarized sunglasses would do it.
"The green ones are used in amateur astronomy to point out positions of stars. Green is used because it appears brighter to our eyes than red pointers."
And that laser for astronomy pointing is reflecting off of what, again? What's the need for a laser pointer for pointing into space?!
Out here in the high desert, it would be useless because of the clear air. However, where there's any haze, dust, smog, etc., in the air, a laser beam will partially reflect off the atmospheric contaminants. So, weilding one of these puppies, one can literally cast a green line into the night sky and use it to point out stars, constellations, and so forth.
"Whoops! Sorry honey! That's an airplane, not a meteor!"
for aviation ping
ahhh it's all clicking now :) Thank you
Amateur astronomers have used lasers as pointers to line up their telescope with the star they want to view. It takes the place of the small guide scope usually found on the side of most telescopes.
There is just enough particulates and aerosols in the atmosphere that on a dark night you can see the beam for quite some distance along its path. It is this long beam that allows for the accurate pointing of the telescope. The same logic applies when no telescope is involved, but just two naked-eye viewers trying to point out particular stars to one another.
Just so we're clear, I think that the defendant's claim in this case, of unintentional illumination of the jet while star gazing, is bogus.
--Boot Hill
Trying to bring down the plane is terrorism, being stupid is well being stupid... I do not believe he meant any harm.
What those guys said...
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