Unauthorized Laser Illumination Event

Marco Leon wrote:


I filled out the form on AC 70-2 and faxed it in. I was thinking about
notifying the aviation dept of Hartford's local PD since they would be both
familiar with the area and in the best position to catch the *******.
Thoughts?

I live under that approach. The LDA2 travels over East Hampton,
Portland, Glastonbury, and maybe a tick of Wethersfield and Cromwell.

Where were you in relation to LOMIS and DANNS when the laser hit you?

Email me direct @ barry at bburke dot com, if I can help or if you want
to share the coordinates.

Judah wrote:
"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in
:

Judah wrote:

I just hope that the noise grumblers don't get the same idea...

I disagree. Hoping of course they don' hurt anyone it would be nice to
put a few of them in jail.

What do you think are the chances of finding the guy, let alone prosecuting
him?

I'd say pretty slim at best. And Marco marked the area with a GPS. I'm not
sure I would have.

Laser Beamed at Plane Leads to N.J. Man's Arrest

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2005Jan4.html

Idaho: 2 Arrested for Pointing Laser

http://www.greenlaser.cn/idaho-2-arr...ointing-laser/

and a bunch more.

Catching them is hard, prosecution easy.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

the warlock society wrote in
oups.com:

ok ill bite; why are you 'not sure you would have' marked the spot
with your GPS? Do I need to make a tinfoil hat before hearing your
answer?

No conspiracy theories or anything. Just cynicism and/or pragmatism.

I just don't think I would spend the time and money to go around and hunt
down this guy after a one-time incident. If it happened a second time I would
probably do it.

Judah wrote:
the warlock society wrote in
oups.com:

ok ill bite; why are you 'not sure you would have' marked the spot
with your GPS? Do I need to make a tinfoil hat before hearing your
answer?

No conspiracy theories or anything. Just cynicism and/or pragmatism.

I just don't think I would spend the time and money to go around and
hunt down this guy after a one-time incident. If it happened a second
time I would probably do it.

Well the second time might get another pilot or you in both eyes and you
will be wishing you'd taken the time.

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
Judah wrote:
the warlock society wrote in
oups.com:

ok ill bite; why are you 'not sure you would have' marked the spot
with your GPS? Do I need to make a tinfoil hat before hearing your
answer?

No conspiracy theories or anything. Just cynicism and/or pragmatism.

I just don't think I would spend the time and money to go around and
hunt down this guy after a one-time incident. If it happened a second
time I would probably do it.

Well the second time might get another pilot or you in both eyes and you
will be wishing you'd taken the time.

Bradley Approach did inform me that there have been numerous laser incidents
in that area. The problem with commuters ans biz jets is that although they
pose the potential for the most damage from a severe incident, they are the
least likely to circle around and get a GPS coordinate. Had I not been on a
climb-out after a missed practoce approach, I probably would not have
circled either.

Marco

Judah wrote:
the warlock society wrote in
oups.com:

ok ill bite; why are you 'not sure you would have' marked the spot
with your GPS? Do I need to make a tinfoil hat before hearing your
answer?

No conspiracy theories or anything. Just cynicism and/or pragmatism.

I just don't think I would spend the time and money to go around and hunt
down this guy after a one-time incident. If it happened a second time I would
probably do it.

as a fellow cynic; I'd have to agree with you.

But like Giga said... maybe it'll save the next guy from the same
problem or worse.

Sometimes you gotta let the utilitarian voice veto the cynic's
voice... thats what my therapist keeps telling me anyways

"Nomen Nescio" wrote in message
...

Damn, that's my home area.
Thank's for taking the time to try to pinpoint the SOB.
The next person to get blinded, either partially or fully,
might be ME.

No problem. It came from the Wethersfield area, that much I know. If you're
in the area keep an eye out for it. If you see anything, let the New Haven
branch of the FBI know. Their phone number is on the www.fbi.gov website. I
don't usually fly in that area so the more pilots that are looking out for
this guy, the better the chances of him getting caught. They *can* catch
them as evidenced by past incidents.

Marco

Judah writes:

What altitude where you at?

I would bet that a kid with a handheld laser pointer might be very difficult
to catch and prosecute, and I bet even a handheld laser pointer will create a
flash in your eye at 2000 feet, even if the beam has diffused enough that the
"operator" won't be able to tell for sure where it's hitting your plane...

If you're lucky, you will only see the diffused portion of the light, and not
the beam itself, which may damage your vision. It sounds like the OP saw only
the periphery, not the beam itself (which, as you indicate, would be extremely
difficult to aim with precision from the ground, unless the culprit also had
some sort of telescopic sight and a way to hold the laser steady). The beam
of a good quality laser (highly collimated, that is) will hardly spread out at
all over a distance of a few thousand feet and thus may still be only a
millimetre or two in diameter.

Marco Leon writes:

I was at 1,700 feet. I used the Garmin 496 to mark the spot so it
conveniently took note of the time and altitude as well. Switching it to the
Automotive mode, I was able to narrow it down to a 6 block by two block area
in a specific neighborhood in Connecticut.

I'm not optimistic about finding the culprit.

There was definitely a flash and I lost my nightvision in the left eye for a
little while which was a weird feeling. It was kind of like wearing glasses
with a bug smudge on the left lense.

Did you see an ophthalmologist?

the warlock society writes:

ok ill bite; why are you 'not sure you would have' marked the spot
with your GPS? Do I need to make a tinfoil hat before hearing your
answer?

Apart from the potential futility of doing so, there's also the danger that
you'd get zapped with the laser again.