Laser hits helicopter Chattanooga TN.

[123]

I happen to catch this thought it was pretty cool.


YouTube - Air Medical Chopper reports laser

 

[AlmostHandy]

You know, they were just having a problem with this up here in King County. They arrested someone, but later released him.

This article has a video shot from a KC Sheriff Plane, while someone was lasing it.

 

[gmclam]

I happen to catch this thought it was pretty cool.

Yeah you'd think it was cool if the helicopter crashed down right on top of you. Some idiot was just arrested here in Northern California for pointing a laser at a loaded SouthWest jet, then later at a LE helicopter that came to check it out. FEDERAL OFFENSE.

 

[davidbond21]

I remember many years ago watching America's Most Wanted, and they were showing this manhunt going on for some fugitive(armed and had shot at police already) out in some sparsely populated back country hills. Well some doofus redneck saw a helicopter(part of the manhunt) flying around near his property so he got his little laser pointer (this was back around when laser pointers became cheap and available everywhere) and started shining it at/on the helicopter for a few minutes until he got bored.

He didn't think much of it until about 15 minutes later when all of the search party closed in on this guy's house thinking it might have the fugitive and surrounded him with a dozen or two LEO's armed to the teeth. I can't remember if the redneck was arrested or fined or both, but I know he got one heck of a butt-chewing for it(and lost the laser pointer), especially because he had drawn all the officers away from their original tracking. I do remember the segment ending saying they were still looking for the fugitive.

 

[123]

Yeah you'd think it was cool if the helicopter crashed down right on top of you. Some idiot was just arrested here in Northern California for pointing a laser at a loaded SouthWest jet, then later at a LE helicopter that came to check it out. FEDERAL OFFENSE.

The only cool part was that I caught this tx. NO IT IS NOT COOL TO POINT LASERS AT AIRCRAFT!!

 

[mkewman]

the sacramento bee had an article on the number of "laserings" of LE aircraft on the increase. i guess i can see that the normal layperson doesn't understand the dangers of shining a laser at an aircraft, but because it's so dangerous, It should really be publicized more that it's illegal, especially during the state fair here in Sacramento.

UPDATE:
Lasers imperil Sacramento police copter pilots - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

 

[N_Jay]

We could use "Scanner on Aircraft" logic.

"Since I have never heard of a laser causing a crash, and lasers are just light, and aircraft fly during the day, there is no reason I should not shine a laser at an aircraft."

"This law is obviously just an attempt at the airlines to keep laser shining to themselves so they can sell it to you are part of a light show."

"If you want to do this, just keep your laser in your bag and shine it through the hole you use for your ipod headphone cord."

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Have a great day!

 

[musicman1260]

Some guy did that in south albama near florida line,although this night he picked the wrong aircraft,it was a specail ops C-130 Gunship with laser sighting of their own,they just pinpointed his location,radioed it in and circled overhead until law enforcement pulled up in his driveway.

 

[wise871]

Too bad the gunship couldn't just let loose with a few 105 rounds. That would teach someone to laser an aircraft.

 

[prcguy]

A class IIIb laser is harmless at any distance that an aircraft would encounter and the intensity drops 75% (6dB) every time you double the distance. It is a nuisance but not a hazard in my opinion. Have someone point a class IIIb laser pointer at your eyes from 100yds away while you drive you car in a dark area, you'll see its not a problem. If the power level gets above the 5mw class IIIa level then all bets are off.
prcguy

 

[Tommahawk]

Wicked Lasers sells high power lasers online. I'm wondering if this is what they used...... According to the information on the website they are supposed to be the brightest lasers around anywhere.

 

[w8jjr]

real danger here is hitting the pilot's eye with it and burning the retina.
Lasers can do some real damage to the eyes. Even the pointer ones.

 

[prcguy]

With a class IIIa not likely unless its right at the eye, at several feet less likely, double that and its down by 75% and so on. Anything you can legally buy with a push button like a laser pointer is going to be class IIIa. If its higher power it would have a key switch to be legal in the US and would be a class IIIb or higher.
prcguy

real danger here is hitting the pilot's eye with it and burning the retina.
Lasers can do some real damage to the eyes. Even the pointer ones.

 

[Tommahawk]

prcguy;

You better check your facts... Wicked lasers sells lasers legally in the US...... At 300ma with the green lasers they are capable of being beamed indefinently.

 

[prcguy]

Class IIIa lasers which include most visible laser pointers with a power level up to 5mw are not considered harmful except at very close distances and your eye blinking reflex is the first line of defense against damage. According to the FDA any end use laser that is higher than 5mw that is sold to the public will have an on-off interlock key switch at minimum if its legally sold in the US. The stuff that Wiked Lasers sells does not appear to have on-off interlock switches and does not appear to meet current FDA and other US regulations. Their prices are also much higher than other internet sources. I have a 50mw green laser pointer that will definitely cause eye damage at close distances and if you point that at an aircraft you deserve to be arrested and beat up by the cops.
prcguy

QUOTE=Tommahawk;1059696]prcguy;

You better check your facts... Wicked lasers sells lasers legally in the US...... At 300ma with the green lasers they are capable of being beamed indefinently.[/QUOTE]

 

[JoeyC]

If you point any laser at an aircraft you deserve to be arrested. It doesn't matter if you consider it to be of a power level that is not considered harmful or not.
They arrested an idiot the other day here in San Diego, (National City actually) for shining a laser at the police helicopter. Once he did that, he basically said here I am, come and get me as the helicopter kept an eye on him until ground units scooped him up. He was charged with at least a federal crime, and the FBI was notified.

 

[jrholm]

It's not just a matter of if the laser is going to damage the eye. Try flying a police helicopter in low orbits looking for a bad guy with your F.L.I.R. and some A/H is now shining a laser back and forth across your vision. It's at the very least a dangerous distraction to the safe operation of the aircraft.

 

[INDY72]

Here is the real danger.. A pilot flying an aircraft must multitask to the extreme.. Here you go distracting his attention for the slightest fraction of a minute... If there was an sudden need of his attention and you distracted him playing around... and made the aircraft crash... Wow that makes you a domestic terrorist, possibly murderer, and responsible for thousands to millions of dollars of damage... Now, add in the fact that if your shining a red laser at an LEA aircraft, which is the same color of 90 percent of the lasers on a weapon,... think about it.

 

[AlmostHandy]

Here we glow again in Seattle.

Laser pointed at planes approaching Sea-Tac

AHAHAH.

I crack myself up.

 

[N_Jay]

. . . and the intensity drops 75% (6dB) every time you double the distance. . . .

You might want to check on that. It depends on how well it is collimated.

Under most reasonable distances a laser delivers most of its energy.