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Hey Wilbur, why do pilots get all uppity about laser pointers being shined up at planes?


Randomguy

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Well, it is a major distraction in the cockpit when some jackwagon manages to hit you.   Other than that, no biggy.  We report it, sometimes the cops arrest the guy, sometimes they don't even respond.

People would get more excited in the days we could lock lasers on them. :) 

Edited by Wilbur
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Well, it is a major distraction in the cockpit when some jackwagon manages to hit you.   Other than that, no biggy.  We report it, sometimes the cops arrest the guy, sometimes they don't even respond.

People would get more excited in the days we could lock lasers on them. :) 

​I resemble that.

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Laser beams spread out over a distance, and can reflect off cockpit glass.  A strong green laser can not only temporarily blind a pilot, but a strong enough one can, in theory, cause permanent eye damage.

So far, pilots have recovered, but the potential for loss of control of an aircraft resulting in injury is there.  Several chopper pilots have already experienced temporary blindness from some jackwagon not smart enough to understand what they're doing.

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Laser beams spread out over a distance, and can reflect off cockpit glass.  A strong green laser can not only temporarily blind a pilot, but a strong enough one can, in theory, cause permanent eye damage.

So far, pilots have recovered, but the potential for loss of control of an aircraft resulting in injury is there.  Several chopper pilots have already experienced temporary blindness from some jackwagon not smart enough to understand what they're doing.

​Is this true?  It sounds like an old wives tale.

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​Is this true?  It sounds like an old wives tale.

​Try shining a commercial handheld green laser into your eyes, and find out.

Truth is, almost any fool can buy a fairly hefty powered laser.  Some of which can  burn a hole in paper at close range.  There's not a whole lot of regulation, and there's always some idiot that, because they can buy it easily, thinks they basically bought a flashlight with a pretty color.

It's a federal offense to shine an aircraft with a laser.  Since people are often hard to trace/catch, they have made some harsh examples of ones they managed to track down.

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