Laser beams being aimed at airliners?

Has anyone been following the disturbing (to me anyway) news stories
about airliners approaching to land being hit with laser beams aimed
at the cockpits?

One pilot reported having his eyes temporarily damaged.

The FBI appears concerned because the beams are apparently tracking
the airliners, which implies some very expensive equipment. I wonder
if they really are tracking the incoming airliners, or just being
aimed by people using a tripod and crosshairs. Either way, it isn't
just one location, it's happening all across the country and the
incidents appear to be increasing.

Terrorists have been suggested but the FBI is not convinced that is
the case, or at least don't seem to think it's el Qaeda. They
reportedely spoke to a resident on the east coast but did not report
what the discussion was about.

Hasn't anyone else been following this?

Corky Scott

Hasn't anyone else been following this?

How smart it was for the government to broadcast a bulletin to be on the
alert from these kinds of attacks. Yep, that surely helped.

Fortunately it's not getting a lot of media attention, thereby reducing the
number of copycats.

MORONS!

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

Has anyone been following the disturbing (to me anyway) news stories
about airliners approaching to land being hit with laser beams aimed
at the cockpits?

No I hadn't, but there do seem to be several incidents:
http://www.rense.com/general61/eeed.htm
http://cayankee.blogs.com/cayankee/2...injures_a.html
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-break...3221-3952r.htm
http://www.wcpo.com/news/2004/local/...aserbeams.html

Two incidents in Colorado Springs, Colo., and one each in Cleveland,
Washington, Houston, Teterboro, N.J., and Medford, Ore.:
http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/laserhen.htm

This incident was apparently an accident:
http://www.dailyrecord.com/news/arti...ews2-laser.htm

Discussion:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/004479.php
http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/38220

Laser FAQ he http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/laserhen.htm

Does anyone know if these are industrial strength lasers, or the green
laser pens that amateur astronomy buffs use for pointing out stars?
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Aeroplanes - http://pad39a.com/gene/planes.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

Does anyone know if these are industrial strength lasers, or the green
laser pens that amateur astronomy buffs use for pointing out stars?
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Aeroplanes - http://pad39a.com/gene/planes.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

That's just what I was wondering, Gene, when I read some of the news
reports......

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL-IA
Student - CP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -

"Gene Seibel" wrote:

Does anyone know if these are industrial strength lasers, or the
green laser pens that amateur astronomy buffs use for pointing out
stars?

And blinding the man on the moon.

"Gene Seibel" wrote in message
ups.com...
Does anyone know if these are industrial strength lasers, or the green
laser pens that amateur astronomy buffs use for pointing out stars?
--
According to a radio show last night, the lasers have been all "green"
except one. Sounds like it might be the laser pens, but do those have enough
strength to light up a target several thousand feet away?


Matt -- still using a wooden pointer (you can't scratch your own back with a
laser pointer).
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

Yes, they do, the green lasers especially. In fact, there are several
varieties of emergency signallers which are *designed* to reach search
aircraft. They're obviously not designed to blind the searchers, however,
and this review makes it seem like it would be pretty difficult to keep a
laser trained on a cockpit long enough to cause any eye damage.

http://www.equipped.com/rescuelaser.htm


"Matt Barrow" wrote in message
...

"Gene Seibel" wrote in message
ups.com...
Does anyone know if these are industrial strength lasers, or the green
laser pens that amateur astronomy buffs use for pointing out stars?
--
According to a radio show last night, the lasers have been all "green"
except one. Sounds like it might be the laser pens, but do those have
enough
strength to light up a target several thousand feet away?


Matt -- still using a wooden pointer (you can't scratch your own back with
a
laser pointer).
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

"Jeremy Lew" wrote in message
...
Yes, they do, the green lasers especially. In fact, there are several
varieties of emergency signallers which are *designed* to reach search
aircraft. They're obviously not designed to blind the searchers, however,
and this review makes it seem like it would be pretty difficult to keep a
laser trained on a cockpit long enough to cause any eye damage.

As I previously said, damaging someone's retina at that distance is
practically impossible. Anyone who's not comatose will shut their eyes well
before any damage is done. In decades of audience scanning with high power
lasers (not legal in the US) I don't think there's ever been a confirmed
case of permanent injury to a spectator. And the levels are much higher
than could be acheived at a distance of several miles.

moo