"Mike" wrote in message
om...
Laser injures Delta pilot's eye
A pilot flying a Delta Air Lines jet was injured by a laser that
illuminated the cockpit of the aircraft as it approached Salt Lake
City International Airport last week, U.S. officials said.
at http://www.washtimes.com/national/20...1356-3924r.htm

I read the article. In a former life, I worked in a laser laboratory
with high-powered lasers capable of inducing significant damage. Laser
damage, when it occurs, is instantaneous and irreversible. That's part one.
Part two, divergence and scattering through the atmosphere will
significantly reduce the energy per unit area. At any range over a few
thousand feet you'd need a weapons grade laser to produce anything more than
the so-called dazzle effect.
Part three, the dazzle effect can be dangerous if it affects a person's
ability to perform a required task -- whether it is a pilot or a tank
driver.
Part four, weapons grade lasers don't operate in the visible spectrum
(mostly) and don't cause dazzles. (Why? Because if you operate a laser in
the visible spectrum on a battlefield someone is going to shoot at you.)
Part five, lasers used in light shows don't have the energy required to
cause tissue damage outside a few meters range.
For the moment, I'm skeptical of the damage to the Delta pilot's eyes.
Oh, I almost forgot, I was involved in an incident where a person got
flashed with a laser. The investigation lasted more than three months. The
end result was "Mr. (blank)'s left eye was not damaged by the (blank)
laser." The report went on to say the symptoms were psychosomatic.