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Laser targets Airlines in Nashville
Fox17News -Nashville (article not posted yet) ^ | Self | Self

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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airline; airlinesecurity; jet; laser; plane; terrorists
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
widespread suggestibility, especially given that the only evidence is the aircrews' recollections

You mean lots of recollections from competent air crews that have been highly trained? I sure wouldn't call that widespread suggetibility.

21 posted on 01/02/2005 7:29:56 PM PST by PistolPaknMama (Will work for cool tag line.)
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To: OneTimeLurker

Except that green lasers are not typical off-the-shelf, are they?

Also, at least once incident reported that the plane was actually tracked over a period of seconds. That doesn't sound like a kid in the back yard with a laser toy and not an easy task to accomplish with a toy laser.


22 posted on 01/02/2005 7:30:01 PM PST by TomGuy (America: Best friend or worst enemy. Choose wisely.)
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To: ProudVet77

I doubt the planes are 2 miles away. This latest one was at 3000 feet.


23 posted on 01/02/2005 7:30:45 PM PST by Rokke
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To: TomGuy

Yes, they are. I just googled it.


24 posted on 01/02/2005 7:30:59 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (God is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: TomGuy

Oh, it's probably just light from all those sparks in the fuel tanks. (You know -- the ones that did in TWA 800.)


25 posted on 01/02/2005 7:31:15 PM PST by ReadyNow
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Hey Dude, they say that the light of a laser can like be seen inside a plan.

No Way

Way

Prove it

26 posted on 01/02/2005 7:31:44 PM PST by PFC
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To: PistolPaknMama
"Hardly. 6 miles out and 3000 feet is not the kind of laser you could pick up just anywhere."

The 6 miles out part doesn't matter as the source of the laser likely wasn't 6 miles out. 3000 feet is the operative stat.

When I was a Freshman in college a friend built a laser. We used to point it out his window at people walking blocks away, etc. We even found it visible on a building at least a quarter mile away. Today, building such a laser or buying one can't be too hard considering you can buy laser pointers, etc.
27 posted on 01/02/2005 7:32:48 PM PST by OneTimeLurker
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To: All

This link goes to a site that says:
"Can be used for skypointing, projection on low clouds, signalling, detecting explosives."


http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/5a47/


28 posted on 01/02/2005 7:33:00 PM PST by rdl6989
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To: Pylot
These lasers are as common as your local office supply store.

6 miles out and 3000 feet doesn't compare to your laser you purchased at an office supply store.

29 posted on 01/02/2005 7:33:00 PM PST by PistolPaknMama (Will work for cool tag line.)
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To: rdl6989; All

Oops, sorry, this place sells green lasers for $99.00.


30 posted on 01/02/2005 7:34:35 PM PST by rdl6989
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To: PFC

Are you at an extended New Year's Eve party?


31 posted on 01/02/2005 7:34:57 PM PST by steve86
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To: PistolPaknMama
Hardly. 6 miles out and 3000 feet is not the kind of laser you could pick up just anywhere.

It was "6 miles out" from the airport, NOT from the laser.

32 posted on 01/02/2005 7:35:20 PM PST by WildTurkey
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To: OneTimeLurker
3000 feet is the operative stat.

How does one shine a laser into the cockpit from beneath it? The windows are in front and kind of on top. Ergo, 3000 feet don't mean crap other than the laser was much more than 3000 feet away.

33 posted on 01/02/2005 7:35:22 PM PST by American_Centurion
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To: PistolPaknMama
I only said "could". There could be something going on, but don't discount the likelihood or at least possibility of suggestibility.

In fact these incidents are so rare as to be completely attributable to suggestibility.

If 0.01% (One in 10,000) aircrews report something, it seems like a lot in the media megaphone. A lot of aircrews reported seeing "UFOs" in the 50's and 60's. These things come in spurts.
34 posted on 01/02/2005 7:35:53 PM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Deadcheck the embeds first.)
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To: OneTimeLurker
The 6 miles out part doesn't matter as the source of the laser likely wasn't 6 miles out. 3000 feet is the operative stat

Obviously you have some inside information that tells you the 3k feet is the operative stat and not the 6 miles out? How do you know that?

Besides, if your friend built a laser that could be visible at a quarter mile, that's only about 1300 feet, not 3000.

35 posted on 01/02/2005 7:38:51 PM PST by PistolPaknMama (Will work for cool tag line.)
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To: Rokke

I was thinking about the plane the other day that was at 8500 feet. The angle required to get it in the cockpit would have placed the would have placed the laser atleast 2 miles out. To get through all the airpollution around most airports and be visible in the cockpit it would amaze me if it were a hand pointer. Even so, I hope the guy pointing it didn't drink a lot of coffee. :)


36 posted on 01/02/2005 7:39:38 PM PST by ProudVet77 (Currently interviewing 2005 taglines.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Green lasers are very common in various kid's games, levels,
et al. Likely dangerous, childish pranks methinks, tho the
chance of scouting out targeting for shoulder fired missles should be considered too.


37 posted on 01/02/2005 7:39:56 PM PST by hoot33
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To: OneTimeLurker
This is TERRORISM! It is concerted TERRORISM. This has occurred in 5 cities in 7 days. The good news is that the lasers don't work!! YET! but there is no doubt in the mind of anyone with a brain that these are terrorists, pure and simple.
38 posted on 01/02/2005 7:40:03 PM PST by zipcode101
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

Understood. Thanks.


39 posted on 01/02/2005 7:40:35 PM PST by PistolPaknMama (Will work for cool tag line.)
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To: rdl6989
100-160 mW lasers are running for under a grand on eBay.

The 5 mW laser pointers are not going to injure anyone's eyes in an aircraft, although they can make pretty streaks in the sky for a few hundred yards.

I would expect that anyone seriously trying to interfere with the operations of an aircraft would use a laser in the several watt range, and it probably would be an infrared laser.

I am still skeptical of the "tracking" and "lock-on" claims; if this is true it is essentially advanced military technology.

Without automated tracking, a person with a tripod and a telescopic site could manage a few swipes but not continuous tracking. That is, unless the aircraft is on a long final and the attacker is located not far from the end of the runway. In that case, a few seconds or tens of seconds would be easy.

40 posted on 01/02/2005 7:41:18 PM PST by steve86
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