Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Fox: Commercial Pilots 'attacked' with laser
Fox News | Greta Van Susteren

Posted on 09/28/2004 8:12:49 PM PDT by ableChair

Greta Van Susteren reported that a Delta pilot enroute to Salt Lake City was lazed in the cockpit this last Wednesday. Only country I know that has that hardware (for lazing bomber pilots) was the Soviet Union. Pilot reportedly required medical treatment and this was not a minor injury (weak laser) wound. More will come out to tomorrow as this story hits the print press.


TOPICS: Breaking News; US: Utah
KEYWORDS: airlinesecurity; dal; kapitanman; laser
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 441-460461-480481-500 ... 601-610 next last
To: ableChair
This would not be a conventional laser. This would have to be a high-powered laser as it would be fired from a great distance, through lots of atmosphere and glass. The USSR used this idea as a way of blinding pilots in wartime and developed powerful lasers for this purpose.

This could be some type of industrial laser, stripped of it's safety equipment and with sights mounted.

So9

461 posted on 09/29/2004 7:59:16 AM PDT by Servant of the 9 (Screwing the Inscrutable or is it Scruting the Inscrewable?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Servant of the 9

No, no, no, Swervie! See post #432 for an explanation of what this was. Clears everything right up.


462 posted on 09/29/2004 8:06:58 AM PDT by .38sw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 461 | View Replies]

To: .38sw; Elsie
If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

Ohh, I see.
A 666 nanometer laser.
That is visible red.
I would have expected infra-red.

So9

463 posted on 09/29/2004 8:21:21 AM PDT by Servant of the 9 (Screwing the Inscrutable or is it Scruting the Inscrewable?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 462 | View Replies]

To: ableChair
Ok....coming in VERY late into the convo and only read about a 100 replies before I have to say something...not sure if anyone has mentioned this before but Hill AFB has the 388th FW and they have LANTIRN birds.....some F-16 jockey probably lased' the passenger jet on accident....
464 posted on 09/29/2004 8:40:50 AM PDT by Getsmart64 (LANTIRN - Designed to kill, maim, and destroy ....America's enemies...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ableChair
What I'm looking for? Man, there are some pompous jerks on FR! It's your point, dumba$%, not mine. YOU look it up and tell me what you find.

Since I am engaged in laser radar every day, I am more than familiar with the transmission windows.

People like you are so F'kn hilarious...and insecure. You rudely and arrogantly tout all your BS credentials and trade-school degrees like I'm supposed to be impressed.

I haven't named any credentials yet. As far as trade schools, mine is nicknamed North Avenue Trade School.

I thought an 'expert' like you would have all that handy? So, plotting thermal efficiency against wavelength, where's the maxima (hint: find the first and second derivatives)? Oh, that's right, you missed Calculus. You're a f'kn moron. STFU.

I've taken gobs of higher math. There isn't any simple equation to describe atmospheric transmission because it is the product of multiple molecular absorbtions which are quite complex. The charts you need are empirical.

465 posted on 09/29/2004 8:44:00 AM PDT by AdamSelene235
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 303 | View Replies]

To: DB
My point was if you have a laser that is operating continuously at energy levels anywhere near ionizing the air the pilot, airplane and whatever else would have a nice vaporized void where it hit. Being continuous the energy and power levels would be VERY high.

Ok, but you dont need that much CW light for eye damage. A couple watts will suffice.

466 posted on 09/29/2004 8:46:30 AM PDT by AdamSelene235
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 315 | View Replies]

To: arasina
I don't have any information yet, Delta is keeping this close to the vest.
467 posted on 09/29/2004 8:47:29 AM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 440 | View Replies]

To: Darth Hillary
For less than $1000 in parts you can build a NdYAG delivering ten's of watts, the 1064 nm beam is not visible at all. A KTP crystal can inexpensively frequency double that to a lime greem 532 nm.

Right. The green would be very dazzling as well as destructive. However the 1064 is also a good propagator as well as very dangerous to the eyes.

A good quality collimating lens or beam expander would keep the beam focused over many miles. You won't ablate metal, but you could cause serious eye damage.

Yep. Mode quality takes some work but is not too hard.

468 posted on 09/29/2004 8:50:08 AM PDT by AdamSelene235
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 455 | View Replies]

To: AdamSelene235

I've never seen the color of 1064. I have some fiber coupled 808's that have a dim pink color.


469 posted on 09/29/2004 9:15:46 AM PDT by Darth Hillary
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 468 | View Replies]

To: Darth Hillary
I've never seen the color of 1064. I have some fiber coupled 808's that have a dim pink color.

There is definitely a retinal response at 800 nm, however, if you can see 800 nm it means there is a buttload of it and you need to don safety glasses.

Check it out with an IR viewer or a CCD.

470 posted on 09/29/2004 9:52:14 AM PDT by AdamSelene235
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 469 | View Replies]

To: Darth Hillary
I have some fiber coupled 808's that have a dim pink color.

At higher powers it looks sort of blood red.

471 posted on 09/29/2004 9:54:30 AM PDT by AdamSelene235
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 469 | View Replies]

To: AdamSelene235

bump


472 posted on 09/29/2004 11:36:55 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Truth, Justice and the Texan Way)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 471 | View Replies]

To: blackdog
The runway can be seen if you try. It's really not a point of visual focus. You fly the doughnuts. About at the point of the inner marker you confirm the runway. Do you really think a pilot sees the runway at night?

I Googled "fly the doughnuts" and got no hits. What are doughnuts? So are wasting money on approach lights and runway lights? What is your theory on the recent laser incident?

473 posted on 09/29/2004 12:11:56 PM PDT by Dan Evans
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 450 | View Replies]

To: Steve_Seattle
I'm not a pilot, but I thought planes landed in a slightly "nose up" position, so I'm wondering how a laser beam coming from the ground could have the proper angle to penetrate the cockpit in such a way as to strike the pilot's eyes

I'm very confused about this. Blackdog says that commercial pilots can't normally see the runway on approach. Why did the Concorde have that mobile drooping nose? I thought that was so the pilots could see the runway.

474 posted on 09/29/2004 12:27:20 PM PDT by Dan Evans
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 460 | View Replies]

To: dread78645
Even ten years later, I still have "blank spots" where I have to shift my head slightly to get something into view.

Were you wearing protective goggles?

475 posted on 09/29/2004 12:29:37 PM PDT by Dan Evans
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 449 | View Replies]

To: Getsmart64
Hill AFB has the 388th FW and they have LANTIRN birds.....some F-16 jockey probably lased' the passenger jet on accident....

Wouldn't LANTIRN an IR laser? The Delta pilots claimed they saw the light in the cockpit.

476 posted on 09/29/2004 1:11:40 PM PDT by Dan Evans
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 464 | View Replies]

To: Dan Evans

The Glideslope coupled with a localizer are basically dual axis course deviation indicators. In the center of the guage there is a small circle with dots migrating out to the 12,3,6,9 oclock positions which represent both horizontal and vertical courses. One dot on a localizer represents maybe ten feet up/down and left/right when on final and inside the outer marker. That is what you are fixated on. When a minimum decent altitude is only 300' above ground level on a foggy/cloudy night, just what makes you think seeing outside the cockpit is really of much value? It's not. Spending time looking outside gets you killed. Nope, airspeed, course deviation, fuel management, aircraft configuration, radio communications, and such keep you too busy to look outside much. The first time you do a full blind landing(with your safety pilot) you'll be amazed at how much you must trust your instruments. A radar altimeter is the bomb, but if you have your altimeter set correctly, you'll touch down at precisely the published height of the runway. Had the Wellstone idiots set their altimeter correctly and kept their heads inside the cockpit, Wellstone would be alive today. Pilots who just have to see pavement tend to land on taxiways too! You can also do blind departures(wearing a special hood that only lets you see the panel) and actually depart/takeoff and fly the published or assigned SID, and as you are on takeoff roll and departure, you never deviate a few feet from the runway centerline. It's amazingly accurate instrumentation. That's why it costs more than the airplane itself in many cases.


477 posted on 09/29/2004 1:20:14 PM PDT by blackdog (I survived John Dupont's wrestling camp and all I got was a lousy tee shirt and a prolapse.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 473 | View Replies]

To: DB
You won't be able to find one reference on the Web to confirm your contention, why do you suppose that is?

If you could you would have already provided it.
Uhh, because I had to get some sleep?
478 posted on 09/29/2004 1:23:12 PM PDT by ableChair
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 412 | View Replies]

To: Boot Hill

So, umm, what's the difference between 'absorbed' and 'reach the surface'? I'll let you figure out your error. The difference between your 'sources' and the Cambridge Atlas is that your sources are less detailed. Cambridge is breaking the radiative and convection 'blocking' down into greater detail. But, wait, I already said all that at 3 a.m. didn't I?


479 posted on 09/29/2004 1:26:00 PM PDT by ableChair
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 413 | View Replies]

To: Rebelbase

Word.


480 posted on 09/29/2004 1:26:36 PM PDT by ableChair
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 420 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 441-460461-480481-500 ... 601-610 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson