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Thread: Another Laser Pointer Idiot

  1. #1
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    Default Another Laser Pointer Idiot

    Someone's really done it this time with a ban under consideration:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11363586

    Targeted the police helicopter protecting the pope!

  2. #2
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    Sickening!

    make them illegal already. PERIOD. if you want one, get a license. Im sick of hearing all the "debate" also. the incidents are getting worse and the powers are going up exponentially. i have said it a quadrillion times, there is NO NEED what so ever for a "handheld" Laser at powers above 5mW!! NONE WHAT SO EVER!!!

    and if you *absolutely have to* have a high powered one, then get a license!

    -Marc
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  3. #3
    soforene's Avatar
    soforene is offline The Troll formerly known as Herbert Von Poople-Futtocks
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    "Last week, a fruit-picker who shone a laser pen at a Tornado jet as it was trying to land at RAF Leuchers in Fife was jailed for four months. Migrant worker Radu Moldovan, 28, from Romania, kept the beam focused on the jet cockpit for up to 10 seconds, distracting the pilot and navigator."


    That dude has one steady hand to accurately track a fast moving target like that for a whole 10 seconds!!

  4. #4
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    I'll believe a general crackdown on lasers of all types when I see one. Until then any speculation to that end is a waste of time and a pointless source of stress.

    Even in the country with the harshest laser restrictions oem modules, parts and components are still 100% legal to buy and own. I just can't see any point to restricting all lasers because of some idiots with pointers. Of course anything is possible.. a rock from space could kill all of us before this hour is out.. Personally I'll spend as much time stressing over having a hard time getting oem show/lab lasers and parts as I will stressing over being crushed by an asteroid. Both are equally possible IMO.

    Simply getting rid of the possibility of importing illegal portable lasers is the obvious best solution to this issue. I'm sure that obviousness isn't lost on the legislators of most civilized countries. It would be difficult for a customs agent to confuse a lab laser or oem components with a pointer/portable, so there clearly is no need to impose blanket restrictions that cover anything that can produce a laser beam or be rigged to do so. It's a very specific type of laser that is the problem here. More specifically it's a specific type of laser USER that is the problem, but you can't legislate stupid.

  5. #5
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    The only good news in any of these stories is that they are actually catching some of these fools and shoving the law where the pointer doesn't shine.


  6. #6
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    Default Steady hand

    Quote Originally Posted by soforene View Post
    "Last week, a fruit-picker who shone a laser pen at a Tornado jet as it was trying to land at RAF Leuchers in Fife was jailed for four months. Migrant worker Radu Moldovan, 28, from Romania, kept the beam focused on the jet cockpit for up to 10 seconds, distracting the pilot and navigator."


    That dude has one steady hand to accurately track a fast moving target like that for a whole 10 seconds!!
    As a pilot my self, If the fixed wing is on final aproch, flying slow and dirty (meaning flaps at full down) VNE being around 75 to 150 miles per hour and that distance amplifies motion, holding a laser dot on a aircraft would not be a chalanging task, the devergence of the beam would also help as well. The chalange is to hold the dot perficaly still by hand, on any long distant target that is not moving like a telephone pole.
    I got a feeling were going to loose this in the long run, they should make examples of the violaters, Extreme examples, considering the extreme danger their placing on the public by flashing the pilot of fixedwing or rotorcraft flying at night, a momentary flash of a laser, 532nm being the werst of the wave lengths wipes out a pilots night vision and takes up to 30 minets or longer for the pilots eyes to recover meaning no instruments, and no visuals.
    We fly under two standards VFR, IFR (Visual flight rules and instrament flight rules) with a green dot imprinted on the pilots retinas he can no longer see to fly by the numbers (IFR instrument readings) and by VFR for anti colision as well the instrument readings.
    I my self was flashed with a hand held 1M candel power spot light while training for night flight in helicopter "R44" and thank god I had CFI pilot in left seat to take over, I cought the spot light direct on this ruind that nights training. A two hour training block min at $300. per hour plus, fule plus instructor = about $750.00. I paid to be a idiots spot lights target even though I got to log 1.4 hours PIC.
    BEAMANN (GODSLIGHT SHOWS)

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by mikkojay View Post
    The only good news in any of these stories is that they are actually catching some of these fools and shoving the law where the pointer doesn't shine.

    well some good might come from it if they shine it where the sun dont shine...might zap away a cancer tumor or something....
    Will there be three phase!!!!

  8. #8
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    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by gottaluvlasers View Post
    make them illegal already.
    Where do you draw the line? Do you want to ban all battery powered lasers above 5mw? What about if it's line powered, but in a cylindrical hand-held enclosure?

    This issue is too varied to trust a "one size fits all" approach to any new legislation.

    What's more, lasers are actually not the primary threat to aircraft. On the ILDA cruise, one of the things we discussed was a study performed nearly 10 years ago where a laser and a spotlight were both aimed at a helicopter under strictly controlled test conditions at varying distances. Guess what? The spotlight was *more* distracting even at distances when the laser wasn't even noticeable. Yet there are *NO* restrictions on spotlight use. None! (Can you believe it?)

    The media are blowing this whole "pointer thread to aircraft" thing way out of proportion, and our legislators are starting to take notice. There is a bill before the senate that has already passed the house that was intended to criminalize shining any laser at an aircraft. Unfortunately, as the bill is written, it essentially outlaws *ALL* outdoor unterminated laser shows, even if you have a variance. (Google HR 5810) This is the sort of thing we need to control if we want to have any hope of surviving.

    Sure, it's nothing more than "feel good legislation", as it won't impact air traffic safety in any meaningful way. It's just a way for a congress critter to say to his constituents: "See? I'm doing something about this!" But in the mean time, if it passes in it's current form, the laser light show industry gets screwed. So instead of adding to the hysteria, we really should be acting smarter about this.

    In short, be careful what you wish for. New laws are rarely beneficial once the ramifications are clear. (Patriot act, anyone?)

    Adam

  9. #9
    gashead's Avatar
    gashead is offline Admin Verified: Best Accent Ever(Tm)
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    Quote Originally Posted by buffo View Post
    The spotlight was *more* distracting even at distances when the laser wasn't even noticeable. Yet there are *NO* restrictions on spotlight use. None! (Can you believe it?)
    I'll just step in here and discuss the UK.

    Here you need to lodge the same application you would for a outdoor Laser Show / Fireworks Display / High Powered Searchlights (same form) to the CAA to grant yourself permission to use the equipment in UK airspace.

    I'm kinda surprised nothing of a similar sort exists in the US !?

    Cheers,

    N.

  10. #10
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    Smile

    To perform an outdoor laser show in the US, you first have to have a variance from the CDRH. (You need that even for an indoor show.) But then you have to send a letter to the FAA telling them the specifics of the show. If you get a letter of non-objection back, you're good to go. Finally, you have to notify local authorities (usually the tower at the airport) and provide them a copy of the FAA letter. So in that respect the process is at least similar to what you have to do in the UK.

    However, for spotlights, there is no requirement to have a non-objection letter from the FAA. That's what's screwed up. You can do a lot more damage with a spotlight than with a laser, but they're not regulated, at least not at the federal level. (Some States and/or local jurisdictions may have their own laws, but many of those same States have their own additional laws regarding lasers as well...)

    Adam

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