[Closed] my plane was lasered!

Do you remember which house the laser came from?

Maybe mention it to the relevant airport security? I doubt they'll do much but they might be able to put an eye on it, not sure what the worst case is?

Just be thankful the missile didn't get target lock on you...;0)

We were too high to see which house it came from, but to begin with you could see the beam swirling around trying to focus in on the plane, then it flashed through the window, at that stage I looked away. But when I looked back you could see the beam still trying to follow the plane. What an arse!

[url= http://www.laserpointersafety.com/laser-hazards_aircraft/laser-hazards_aircraft.html ]I'd say yes.[/url]
or you could attache one of these! [img] [/img]
When the scrotes laser you just release it it should follow the beam and deal with the problem. 8)

The word on the street has it that South Bristol has strong Al Qaeda activity

Report it to MI6 now.

[img] [/img]

funnily enough, when I searched for that image on google I found it from a 7 month old stw thread

I was doing night circuits at 'Newquay International' last summer when some bozo from Trevelgue campsite lazed me.

I gave quick shout to ATC stating exactly where the dude was and which campsite (camped there many a time!); next time I flew over (about 4 minutes) the whole area was lit up with blue flashing lights!! No doubt the poor teenager had a bit of a shock explaining his special brew and spliffs to the local rozzers.

Been lazed by an industrial laser before. That WASN'T nice!

More likely bleedin chavs than Al Quaeda, if you saw it did the pilot I wonder? Is it a regular approach to Bristol problem.

Certainly a spreading one, 737 incidents last year according to this report

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-10795767

And this guy looks likely to be jailed for it:

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/192873-fruit-picker-endangered-fighter-jet-by-shining-laser-into-pilots-eyes/

You were probably over AnalogueAndy's house at the time. It was him 🙂

llama - Member
You were probably over AnalogueAndy's house at the time. It was him

Tis true I live on the flight path into Bristol, am not a big fan of their planned expansion, but I have you know I definitely don't live 'in an estate' 🙂

[/Runs outside to see if his Exposure will reach in the sky to light up the next bloody noisy Easyjet from Poland]

Have been lasered once on approach (I fly the A320) and it's not a nice experience. I used to think it was virtually impossible to hit an aircraft from a distance, but I got full in the eye with a green laser and it took about 30 seconds to get my night vision back.

Like mikertroid said, the police are incredibly fast at responding, though these scroats didn't help their cause by also lasering the police helicopter... 😉

I became aware some 'person' in housing estate

but to begin with you could see the [b]beam[/b] swirling around trying to focus in on the plane

That powerful a laser was it? 🙄

Urban Myth no. 3,427,689,518.

You sure it wasn't a frickin' dolphin?

Or maybe a Sea Bass?

Tis true I live on the flight path into Bristol, am not a big fan of their planned expansion, but I have you know I definitely don't live 'in an estate'

Bl00dy middle class NIMBYs ruining a perfectly good expansion plan!

Elfinsafety - Member

That powerful a laser was it?

You seen a green laser in use? I have and yes, you can see the beam.

Do pilots normally 'land' a plane or or does the pooter take over?

elfinsafety,

an industrial laser is in a different league to the poxy red pointers. You'll see the source if its pointing anywhere in your vicinity.

couple of lads had those green pointers at farmer john's dh race weekend last night and you could clearly see the beams as they struck any dust and moisture droplets in the atmosphere.
one of them was trying to hit planes coming in to land at manchester too, the ****t.

A friend of a friend got home pissed earlier this year and decided it would be fun to shine a laser pointer at a police helicopter hovering overhead (forethought evidently isn't his strong point). Needlees to say very few minutes passed before the police kicked his front door in 🙂
He got 6 weeks in prison and is currently wearing one of those security tags.

Mugboo - 99.9% of the time the pilots land. Letting the computer do it increases work load because the airport has to protect the localiser and glideslope transmitters, and switch over to diesel generators - something they usually only do in low visibility conditions.

I've seen one autoland in the last six months, and that was in good conditions for training purposes.

So if I was to see someone pointing a laser at a plane it is my duty to do what I can to stop it I suppose? What sort of force is OK? Or should I just ask politely?

Just seen that two donuts have been nicked in Cambridge for lasering an aircraft
Seems that the old bill make every effort to apprehend these fools very quickly and no doubt its quite a serious offence to be charged with

TooTall - Member

Tis true I live on the flight path into Bristol, am not a big fan of their planned expansion, but I have you know I definitely don't live 'in an estate'

Bl00dy middle class NIMBYs ruining a perfectly good expansion plan!

Too right 8)

Appropriate to this thread work I'm about to start on this [img] [/img]

I'd be very surprised if terrorism legislation isn't thrown at anyone shining a laser pen at a plane. It seems to be applied to umpteen rather less threatening situations, so I can't see why it wouldn't be used for this.

It's a shame we're likely going to see heavier restrictions on ownership of these devices in future because of a small percentage of total idiots who aren't capable of thinking before they act. I do a bit of amateur astronomy, and own a reasonably bright green laser because they're perfect for pointing out celestial objects (a visible beam is a necessity for this).

I would never point it at an aircraft, or anything that would unpredictably reflect/refract the beam, or in any way that might send it towards a persons eyes. They're just so cheap and easy to obtain these days that people think of them as totally innocuous, and never consider that a person could be blinded or even killed due to their stupid actions.

i am struggling to see how this can bring a plane down!! If it can why isn`t there a bunch of terrorists at every airport trying this out.It would be way easier than trying to get something on board nowadays

i am struggling to see how this can bring a plane down!

Have a look at this

[url= http://www.pangolin.com/faa/laser-aircraft-animation-and-explanation.htm ]http://www.pangolin.com/faa/laser-aircraft-animation-and-explanation.htm[/url]

It certainly endangers life.

and never consider that a person could be blinded [b]or even killed[/b]

is it like the really strong ones in the movies that all the baddies have to cut the goodies in half?

[url= http://info.sfr.fr/regions/ile-de-france/articles/condamne-avoir-pointe-son-laser-sur-des-avions,146715/ ]In Paris too.[/url]

So how does/can it bring a plane down? Does it interfere with navigation systems or is it what it does to the pilots' vision when it hits the cockpit?

From 1 January a law was brought in which allowed offenders to be charged for shining the light which dazzles the pilot.

The laser, which distracts or could even temporarily blind a pilot, is a serious safety risk, especially during take-off and landing of aircrafts, the CAA said.

You really couldn't work that out for yourself?

Pfft. At worst a laser can temporarily dazzle a pilot. Bearing in mind the co-pilot is there with dual controls ready to take over, the actual risk of danger is tiny. Someone would need to have an incredibly steady hand to be able to aim it at a moving plane some distance away and keep the beam trained on a specific spot for more than a tiny fraction of a second. Plus, consider the angles; a person would need to be quite high up in order to be able to aim the beam straight into the cockpit.

You'd need a fairly powerful (and expensive) laser to do any 'damage'. Think about it: The sun is far, far more powerful than any laser, and looking straight at the sun for a split second won't permanently damage your eyesight.

I appreciate that shining laser beams at people is potentially dangerous, and I would imagine there may well have been road accidents as a result of malicious use, but as for bringing 'planes down, well, it's just more reactionary paranoid bollocks. Like not being able to take a bottle of drink on board a 'plane. FFS.

A Sea Bass with a sharp knife is more dangerous.

You really couldn't work that out for yourself?

Wow, that really told me.

Had the same thing happen last month. Landing at Liverpool,easyjet flight from Geneva, last flight in on a Sunday night, & some scouse ****t was lighting up the 'plane with a green laser...****in bright it was too.
Probably [s]bought[/s] nicked it from Poundland..

Hmmmm are you realy a pilot ? if so standards have dropped ,why are you asking on a mtb forum?

Fred you are in cloud cookoo land to be honest an aeroplane is not the same as a bike or even a bus or a car if this needs to be explained you realy arnt the sharpest tool in the box,you need to think before you post.

if this needs to be explained you realy arnt the sharpest tool in the box,you need to think before you post

Uh? That's too compulcated for me.

How many pilots have been blinded by lasers? How many 'planes have crashed as a result?

as you are having difficulty thinking beyond your normal enviroment i will spell out a few points you may not be aware of

1: aircraft need both pilots to be fully on form when completing the most dangerous part of flying ie landing

2:why? well it is quite busy in the cockpit prior to landing there are lots of things to monitor ,mainly height,speed,attitude,rate of desent, heading,remaining fuel,talking to air traffic and lastly comunicating with the punters in the back.

3: If there are any doubts they have to over shoot and get in the queue to land whilst working out how much fuel is left and where the diversion landing is and if it is available.

4:So having some muppet shining a laser at an aeroplane with 200 plus people is a serious offence and is dealt with accordingly by the courts.

Aeroplanes may be just another method of transport but to run safely they are complicated animals as many people have found out to their cost.

How many pilots have been blinded by lasers? How many 'planes have crashed as a result?

as you are having difficulty thinking beyond your normal enviroment

So it comes as quite a relief, that there are kind souls like you to attempt to do my thinking for me... 🙄

I dare say many accidents each year are due to the driver being dazzled by sunlight/oncoming car headlights. To date, not one accident has happened as a result of lasers being aimed at planes. I'm not saying those stupid enough to think it's funny should go unpunished, but the fuss being made about it here and elsewhere is disproportionate.

the fuss being made about it here and elsewhere is disproportionate.

Dazzle a driver and there's a small risk of there being a 1 car accident. Dazzle the pilots of an aeroplane, and there's a small risk of a massive fireball and a couple of hundred dead.

It's a fairly simple concept - risk VS severity of potential outcome.

No, people should be actively encouraged to light up airports like an Orbital gig till we have enough empirical evidence of the potential results.

😉 , just in case.

Dazzle the pilots of an aeroplane, and there's a small risk of a massive fireball and a couple of hundred dead.

Oh don't be so melodramatic ffs.

One of the worst things about this kind of hysteria is that making a big deal out of it in't media just makes other idiots think 'hur hur that's funny' and go out and try it themselves.

Even official studies/investigations have shown almost no pilots suffering any long term damage. Incidents are very rare. The only incidents where pilots have sustained any injuries have come as a result of industrial lasers, at light shows and that. Not from publicly available laser pointers.

[url= http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RS22033.pdf ]

FAA researchers have compiled a database of more than 400 incidents since 1990 in which pilots have been startled, distracted, temporarily blinded, or disoriented by laser exposure. [b]To date no aviation accidents have been attributed to laser lights, although there have been crashes caused by similarly debilitating glare and flashblinding from natural sunlight.[/b] Flight simulator studies conducted by the FAA found that exposure to bright lasers can result in unacceptable levels of visual and operational problems, but concluded that enforcing already established limits to protect pilots from laser exposure when operating near airports provides an adequate margin of safety.

Jeeze, when I were a lad, you could buy catapults and airguns. Crime was higher, yet there was less hysteria.

dealextreme do a cracking lazer nice and cheap, the battery needs proper sealing and the delivery times aint great but i might try one.
fred, i cant see you getting to the end of the month without yet another ban for trolling. Is anyone running a book?

Thing is, 1W lasers have just come on the market at very cheap prices and from short range they can blind you before you get time to react and close your eyes. Won't be long till a 2 watt laser comes out, then a 10, then a 20. Kids will be able to draw pictures on the moon before long.

This has never been a problem before because the technology has not been available to do it.

Think what you like, and bear in mind that you're quoting from the FAA, who don't control UK airport legislation - the document you quote from mentions laser free zones of several miles surrounding the airport. Not something that's going to happen in somewhere with the UK's population density.

I hope you aren't responsible for risk assessments in your line of work 😆

Fred

Further typical trolling from you. You evidently don't understand the issue and cannot put it into context. However, you plough on regardless with ne'er a regard to common sense. Most people have an internal voice telling them to stop - it appears yours is drowned out by the other voices. For the love of all the little pixies, troll another forum. There must be many out there where you'd be seen as some sort of messiah. No matter how well you re-start, you resume your usual antics in the same old style.

From the CAA website:

The targeting of aircraft and ATS installations by lasers poses a threat to aircraft safety and security through the physiological impact upon pilots and ATS personnel. This can include distraction, glare, temporary flash blindness, afterimage, and possibly eye injury. Current expert opinion is that, except over short distances, lasers pose minimal threat of permanent or long-term personal injury. At critical stages of flight, however, distractions caused to aircrew or ATS personnel by lasers could threaten aircraft safety.

fred, i cant see you getting to the end of the month without yet another ban

What for, having an independent opinion? Have I offended anyone? Do I not have the right to express my own opinions like everyone else?

My point is, that whilst I accept there is a tiny element of danger in such stupid activity, the level of hysteria it generates is disproportionate, as was the ridiculous banning of all fluids from hand luggage (so the airlines can sell you expensive drinks...).

If we just get on with our lives, accepting that shit happens sometimes, instead of worrying about 'what ifs' all the bloody time, then maybe we'd relax and not be so stressed.

Seems that the media consider this a far more serious issue than aviation authorities anyway, proving me right. 🙂

My point is, that whilst I accept there is a tiny element of danger in such stupid activity, the level of hysteria it generates is disproportionate, as was the ridiculous banning of all fluids from hand luggage (so the airlines can sell you expensive drinks...).

I'm all for people making informed decisions. I remember at the time, a professor of chemistry or some such explaining why creating an explosive by mixing two liquid was near impossible to do on a moving aircraft.

I understand the concept of moral panic, and how it's applied by the media and by politicians.

However, you're taking a stance that's just as illogical as the bloke who believes everything he reads. You seem to think that just because the media is making a fuss about something, it cannot be a problem.

Several people have provided explanation of how this could be very dangerous, and you're just not listening. To go any further in explaining the issue would probably breach anti terror law...

Fred, You have shot your bolt so many times on this forum that you are on a short leash as far as we are concerned. You DON'T get the same levels of freedom as other more temperate and respectful forum users get. You have endless warnings and bans on your record and the very fact you are allowed to post at all, ever, is a huge concession on our part that you really need to be very thankful for.

Mark; YGM.

Well said Mod.

You'd need a fairly powerful (and expensive) laser to do any 'damage'. Think about it: The sun is far, far more powerful than any laser, and looking straight at the sun for a split second won't permanently damage your eyesight.

Umm, Fred, you are really not on top of this thread at all mate. In the daytime, your eyes are well used to bright sunlight and can cope much better. At night they are tuned for darkness.

First hand experience: On a mountain walk that ended in darkness, someone decided to take a photo of the group. Of course, the flash was activated. In normal evening indoor conditions, flashes are just a bit bright. After a few hours of night vision, it was very painful indeed. Take it from me.

You're not a pilot, nor are you an eye doctor. So you don't really know for sure what the risks are. Are you advocating not bothering to do anything about the problem until there's a plane crash? Then we'll know for sure what the risks are.

Not really worth the risk, is it?

Oh, and car headlights are quite different to lasers.

I'm backing out of this one, as it's clear I've upset someone and that's not my intention.

Peace.

Good man.

I think pilots have every reason to be concerned, especially with more powerful lasers coming available and being the sort of job that requires total focus.

The sun produces immense energy and light in all directions so by the time it reaches your eye its original power is reduced many times. The lens in your eye can still focus it enough to damage your retina though.

However, a Laser produces a beam of photons all travelling in a straight line that don't stray a lot from their original pattern and aren't as far away from the sun

If the sun provides us with 1400W/m2 this doesn't sound much compared to a 200mW laser but the raw beam may only be 0.5cm2 so then we're looking at a power density of 400000W/m2. Not insignificant methinks.

can i set my cows on him? please? can i?

I recently saw an advert for a ridiculously cheap and very powerful lazer that states, in a way that guarantees that the idiotic most certainly will, that you must not shine it at planes, motorists, cyclists and anything else that might be affected. It also delighted in the significant eye injury that could be wreaked. With such low prices and ever increasing power, I don't think it will be long before pilots are bathed in lazer light in the way German bombers were swathed in searchlights in WW2.

If the threat of terrorism isn't an illusion then one might argue that these amateur attacks are doing aircraft users a favour by pointing out the potential danger, and for that matter it doesn't take a terrorist but merely any disaffected citizen to take a pop with almost zero chance of being caught...

Just so you know - it is taken seriously

[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-11332837 ]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-11332837[/url]

Just seen this thread for the first time.

What a lot of hysterical hogwash from most of you. Sheesh.