Laser grounds Airliner

[Deleted member 15344]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35577600

How are these not regulated ?

Will it take for someone to be killed before action is taken ?

 

[Tashyboy]

Read this earlier and for the life of me cannot get my head around why someone would want to do this.

 

[HowlingGale]

Don't really get it either. Not sure of the physics around it but surely if we can send people into space, and protect them from all sorts of radiation and death rays etc. there must be some sort of windscreen protector that can be put on the glass to stop it blinding folk.

 

[Captainron]

Most of the lasers you can get hold of are grade 2 which means they are eye safe.

The report said it was hit at 8000 feet? That's blooming high. How on earth did someone aim it so steadily into the windscreen of a moving plane for a time long enough to cause the person to have a medical emergency? I can't use my laser range finder to hit a flag stick at 250 yards without it wavering all over the place.

I know that you can't use a red laser near a train because they have sensors to pick up the red light which cuts the engine as a fail safe for drivers who don't stop for a red signal.

i hope they catch the perpetrators and give them what for.

 

[need_my_wedge]

........The report said it was hit at 8000 feet? That's blooming high. How on earth did someone aim it so steadily into the windscreen of a moving plane for a time long enough to cause the person to have a medical emergency? I can't use my laser range finder to hit a flag stick at 250 yards without it wavering all over the place......

Beggars belief why anyone would want to do this, or think that it was a good idea or funny? Like the Captain says, how the hell did they hit a moving plane window at 8000 feet, let alone hit the co-pilot in the eyes? That was either one hell of a lucky shot, or they have some serious hi-tech equipment for a premeditated strike.

 

[SocketRocket]

When you consider the plane is at 8,000 ft then how can a laser beam manage to be at such an angle that it penetrates the cockpit windows?

 

[6inchcup]

depends on the type of laser used, a chap at work is a keen sky watcher and has equipment that can pin point stars when he gives talks out side,this can be attached to his telescope,as for hitting people in the eyes !!!!, it doesnt it flares on the windscreen like a camera flash and can damage the retina, causing temp blindness

 

[delc]

Apparently the perpetrator was some low life in Slough. Why does this not surprise me? Pilots need good eyesight to be able to do their job. What idiots would put this at risk! :angry:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

One wonders if this was perhaps premeditated. Can't see any reason for it to be random and someone clearly knew what they were doing and the dangers involved. I hope they find the culprit(s) but where the hell do you start looking?