Laser beams being aimed at airliners?

"Joe Morris" wrote in message
...

An argument against the idea that it's a new telescope owner is that
the green laser pens are typically over $100 (vs. maybe $10-15 for
a typical red laser pointer). Also, the green pointers are mostly
used in amateur astronomy by someone knowledgable about the sky,
who (hopefully) has a bit of common sense.

Apparently David Banach of New Jersey didn't have any.



the program's
been running for over 50 years and I would hate to have it shut down.


On the bright side, they didn't need lasers 50 years ago. :-(

I think the whole subject and associated hysteria is ridiculous to the point
of being suspicious. Is somebody OTHER than terrorists trying to scare us?

I mean, if I was Joe Terrorist, I wouldn't dink around with lasers that cost
tens of thousands of dollars and really only **** pilots off. I'd use a
semiautomatic or automatic machine gun or three.

Wanna -really- scare Americans? Punch a few bullet holes in the nose or
wing of a jetliner that's landing or taking off. I know a couple of
locations that would be perfect, and escape without detection would be
trivial. (I ain't tellin', Osama!)

All the lasers would accomplish is distraction, which, it may turn out, is
EXACTLY what's happening.

-gatt
PP-ASEL-IA

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:48:13 -0800, "gatt"
wrote in ::

Punch a few bullet holes in the nose or
wing of a jetliner that's landing or taking off. I know a couple of
locations that would be perfect, and escape without detection would be
trivial.

These days, in the metropolitan areas there are microphones on every
traffic-controlled intersection that can be used to triangulate the
report of the weapon to determine its location. Lasers don't make a
sound.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:48:13 -0800, "gatt"
wrote in ::

Punch a few bullet holes in the nose or
wing of a jetliner that's landing or taking off. I know a couple of
locations that would be perfect, and escape without detection would be
trivial.

These days, in the metropolitan areas there are microphones on every
traffic-controlled intersection that can be used to triangulate the
report of the weapon to determine its location. Lasers don't make a
sound.

Cite? Tens of thousands of microphones connected to a central processing
facility? A gunshot going off a mile away from a controlled intersection
won't be heard over the traffic noise in most cases. Not to mention jet
aircraft noise. Response time will be forever.

moo

Larry Dighera wrote:

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:48:13 -0800, "gatt"
wrote in ::

Punch a few bullet holes in the nose or
wing of a jetliner that's landing or taking off. I know a couple of
locations that would be perfect, and escape without detection would be
trivial.

These days, in the metropolitan areas there are microphones on every
traffic-controlled intersection that can be used to triangulate the
report of the weapon to determine its location. Lasers don't make a
sound.

And now this from CNN:
http://tinyurl.com/497uv

Of course I'm glad they caught this guy but this part is troubling:

"Federal authorities Tuesday used the Patriot Act to charge a man with
pointing a laser beam at an airplane overhead and temporarily blinding the
pilot and co-pilot......

.....[he] admitted to federal agents that he pointed the light beam at a jet
and a helicopter over his home near Teterboro Airport last week.......

......According to the FBI, the Patriot Act does not describe helicopters as
``mass transportation vehicles.'' As for why Banach was not charged with
some other offense over the helicopter incident, Michael Drewniak, a
spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, did not immediately return calls
for comment.....

.......But federal officials have said there is no evidence any the current
incidents represent a terrorist plot."


So they don't have anything else about interfering with air traffic besides
the "Patriot" Act?

And why would I believe anyone who claims the "Patriot" Act won't be abused,
just go ahead and renew it?

--
Frank....H

"Frank" wrote in message ...
Larry Dighera wrote:

And now this from CNN:
http://tinyurl.com/497uv

Of course I'm glad they caught this guy but this part is troubling:



So they don't have anything else about interfering with air traffic
besides
the "Patriot" Act?

No. But they are going to throw the book at him and charge him with every
crime that he has violated. Are you suggesting that this dope should not be
prosecuted?

Larry Dighera wrote:


These days, in the metropolitan areas there are microphones on every
traffic-controlled intersection that can be used to triangulate the
report of the weapon to determine its location. Lasers don't make a
sound.

Do have a cite for that "fact"?


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

"gatt" wrote

I know a couple of
locations that would be perfect, and escape without detection would be
trivial. (I ain't tellin', *****
-gatt

Congratulations. You have just won a file on yourself in the FBI's watch
list, with the previous post.
--
Jim in NC

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 09:29:42 -0500, Corky Scott
wrote in
::


Hasn't anyone else been following this?

The FAA has issued a new Advisory Circular addressing this subject:
http://www.faa.gov/newsroom/AC_70-2.pdf