Chat & Social > The Bar - General Chat
Lasers and aircraft...
V8MoneyPit:
There was some footage on the Beeb showing a handheld laser being pointed at an aircraft by 'someone in a hood'! It is fair to say the aircraft was a *long* way off and it was being illuminated by the laser. Now, I don't know the technical info for these lasers, but it certainly wasn't a low powered item. There were also interviews with a couple of pilots who had experienced it first hand and they weren't happy bunnies.
Whether or not it can bring down an aircraft is maybe not the point. It is plain stupidity to try to dazzle a pilot and that is why this guy deserved being put away.
Saffy:
it's called aircraft tagging.
A low end, low power 5mW laser pointer start from 1p on ebay (and you can get much higher power ones)
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=5mw+laser+pointer&_sacat=See-All-Categories
so what is a crappy 1pence 5mW pointer said to be capable of...
--- Quote ---A 5 milliwatt laser: a distraction 2 miles away
The diagram below shows the hazard distances for a 5 milliwatt green laser pointer:
It is a potential eye hazard from the pointer to about 52 feet.
It is a temporary flashblindness hazard from the pointer, out to about 260 feet. On the diagram, this is illustrated in the inset photo “Near-flashblindness” which shows what a 5 mW laser looks like at 350 feet.
It is causes glare and is a disruption hazard from about 260 feet to about 1,200 feet. This is shown in the “Glare” inset photo where the runway is not visible.
It is a distraction hazard from the pointer to over two miles (11,700 feet). The distraction can be dangerous during a critical phase of flight, such as takeoffs and landings.
The laser’s light is not truly safe until it is indistinguishable from background lights on the ground. A pilot may notice a flashing dot of light, but it should not be enough to cause a distraction. (This does not mean that anyone should aim a 5 mW laser at a plane if it is over 2 miles away. For one thing, it is very difficult to gauge aircraft distances at night. Even more important, there simply is no reason to aim a laser at an aircraft except in an emergency situation such as a wilderness rescue.)
--- End quote ---
A 300milliWatt (about 30 quid) pointer is a distraction hazard up to about 18miles away!
some interesting hits here on this site :
http://www.laserpointersafety.com/news/files/tag-airplane.php
esp this one ...
http://www.laserpointersafety.com/news/files/1c62d3016e17124d27a48445b715bfee-48.php
"Six planes had to alter their flight paths into Sydney airport after pilots were targeted in an unprecedented laser "cluster attack', authorities say."
Disco Matt:
In terms of law-abiding uses for these things, they make great cat toys. The cat will chase that red dot around the house for hours! :lol:
freelanderpx54:
--- Quote from: Disco Matt on October 14, 2009, 17:40:25 ---In terms of law-abiding uses for these things, they make great cat toys. The cat will chase that red dot around the house for hours! :lol:
--- End quote ---
But I don't think the Pilots passengers will appreciate being whizzed around the sky whilst he chases a dot on the clouds.
I doubt the action of shining a crappy laser will bring a plane down but imagine half a dozen lasers pointed at a plane. If you were on that plane and the call went out for a pilot as the captain and copilot were incapacitated - would you think oh the plane will land itself.
In cases like this it is better to be over cautious and see 300 folk walking off a plane rather than hearing on the news that 300 folk died because of some dick with a laser pen
dxmedia:
--- Quote from: freelanderpx54 on October 15, 2009, 00:16:42 ---would you think oh the plane will land itself.
--- End quote ---
Fair point, they have done for the past 20 years.
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