Posted on 01/02/2005 7:16:29 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants
Just reported: An airline on approach to the Nashville airport has had it's cockpit targeted by a green laser. The plane was about 6 miles out and at 3000 feet when the incident occurred. The plane landed safely and no one was injured.
This makes SEVERAL reports of green lasers being targeted at commercial airlines in the past several days. Something really weird is going on and it is a concerted effort by several individual groups acting in concert or one very mobile unit.
If it is possible that kids are playing with lasers why would there be any concern or a news story?
Watch the video before you ask another question.
I own one of these green lasers. They are harmless. You would REALLY have to point it into someones eye and it would have to be there for awhile to do serious harm.
I have been hit in the eye a number of times and know other people that have as well.
This is noting more than kids or adults playing around with these things. They CAN NOT bring down a plane. They are NOT military type lasers.
With that said...anyone aiming one at an airplane is in violation of law.
They are harmless though...if used correctly. They can not do damage to anything.
Never mind, I see it's an MPEG. Will get it in just a minute.
Having worked at length in a National Laboratory, where lasers a magnitude more powerful are common, the video was quite unexceptional.
The seller was selling them as Christmas gifts.
The pilots are reporting high-power (assumed given the distance they are at) green lasers -- not 5 mW red lasers. So what does your statement about the harmlessness of 5 mW red lasers have to do with the news stories about the pilots getting painted with green lasers?
Aha! Thanks! An array of "glass half-cubes" Almost what I guessed!
Now, do you think such a thing could be mounted on an airliner, maybe under the nose?
That would be a "laser" (with the quotation marks).
Texas penal code outlaws pointing a laser pointer at the eyes of a law enforcement officer (and certain other public officials) but it is not against the law to shoot the common man on the street in the eyes (the law wouldn't distinguish different people based on profession).
Now, do you think such a thing could be mounted on an airliner, maybe under the nose?
I don't see why not. They are certainly small enough to go nearly anywhere.
Yes it is. 6 miles is not that far for even a pointer quality laser. The beam spread at 6 miles would probably be no more than 5 feet.
We have nothing but vague reports by pilots of laser light in the cockpit, no indication of the size of dot, or if its just a bright green blob of light when the look out the window. In other words, we have no indications of the quality or power of the laser involved.
Go get your laser leveler or laser pointer, and find a dark road with no traffic. (mount on camera tripod if you have one). Shine down the road to progressivly farther and farther traffic signs. You will find even an el-cheapo pointer will light up a traffic sign 4 or 5 miles away (and remember it has to bounce all the way back for you to see it).
I don't recall mentioning "red" lasers. Why are you making up stuff?
Common green laser pointers are also 5 mW or less. The same regulations apply.
So how is the potential destructiveness (to Styrofoam) of a laser almost 40 times as powerful as the ones commonly available on street relevant to those who think you can go to Walmart and buy a laser pointer to blow an airliner out of the sky?
You have to look at the power per centimeter^2 or similar. After diffusion, the intensity is going to be pretty meager.
Some evening, these pilots should look up at the sky. They will see thousands of lights pointing at them!
Pilots look at the Sun every day, and this is much brighter than any laser which has been reported. Pilots, like any other human, will simply blink, or avert their eyes when viewing a bright object. This is an involuntary reflex, which is used hundereds a times each day by the average person.
It only took me 30 seconds to locate this high-power Green laser.
...Our powerful 5mw laser uses a continuous beam (many others use only a 50% duty cycle resulting in a noticeably dimmer beam even though they have the same power rating)....Green laser pointers are great for pointing out subjects in the sky. Features a top quality Sony Laser Diode. Runs on 2 AAA batteries, included.
Most of the reported incidents have noted flashes of light illuminating the aircraft cockpit. This is exactly what would be viewed, if someone on the ground was moving a laser pointer and the airplane inadvertantly passed across the beam. No high-tech targeting device could have been used, or the beam would have been steady.
As usual, this is simply a case of media hype.
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