New FAA Fines Coming

Came across this article while eating lunch, thought I'd share it with you guys;

FAA to crack down on people who target planes with lasers - CNN.com

Doesn't apply to us for the most part as I know no one here is stupid enough to actually shine a laser at an airplane, but it is definitely a move towards more regulation of our hobby:undecided:

From article: "The number of pilots reporting being targeted by lasers nearly doubled last year to 2,836, up from 1,527 the previous year, the FAA said."

I hate people...

I think this is a positive step.

This targets the idiots misusing the device, not the devices itself.

-Trevor

Yes it's great to target the actual offenders and not what they are using. I think it would be great if they were more lenient with customs laws, and got even more severely strict with the specific "pointing a laser at aircraft/law enforcement/vehicle/people" thing.

My problem is, it opens the door for idiocy from law enforcement. Cops are taught to be boneheaded to take control of situations, whether they are doing right or wrong, is not something most of them are trained to be concerned with.

For example, a cop sees someone using a high power laser pointing it in the clear sky... and doesn't like it. No one is getting hurt, there are no complains.

So what happens next? For the moment, not too much, usually a warning, sometimes a confiscation. Rarely anything more.

Now same scenario, the cop writes out a report, passes it on, and you will get an 11k fine on the mail...

I'm all for targeting actual offenders, especially ones that put peoples lives at risk, but I don't know that I can call this a positive step. Somehow I doubt the new laws will provide ANY protection for laser hobbyists.

Personally I wouldn't mind some kind of a test to take to be certified to handle a class 4 laser.

And sadly, that's where it can easily go from being a good thing, to being a bad thing. A cop could claim you were "trying to target a plane" if you are just shining it in the air. There's all sorts of forks in the road of what these laws could pave.

Some of the comments to that article are downright idiotic though, and are similar to the 'But the windows are on top!' argument i've seen happen here numerous times. I always love it (feel the sarcasm here heh) when people have never flown a plane (not claiming I have though) swear up and down it's 'not an issue'.

I stopped reading the comments on news articles long ago. Usually make me too mad to see that much stupidity under a (in most cases) well formed article.

Yeah... I am worried about police officers being boneheads too....

Recently I was pointing my 445 into the air (stupidly, I admit) near traffic. While I wasn't pointing it any planes (of course!) and wasn't shining it at any cars, a friend of mine who was in a car nearby (passing by) got pulled over by a police officer and questioned. They did not do anything wrong, and, in fact, I did not do anything wrong, either. Yet, police officers will often be stupid just to be in control.

And can they legally confiscate? That's my biggest concern. If I get an $11,000 fine in the mail, I will go to court with it and defend it (I would never point it at a plane), but confiscation is possibly hundreds of dollars that goes down the drain at the discretion of a police officer who doesn't understand the value or the hobby, whatsoever.

I didn't read the comments... usually. Sometimes I do just for laughs. The amount of idiocy in them is astounding.

@Wolfman29 -

Did they pull your friend over just for nothing, or because they saw you pointing the laser?

As far as confiscation is concerned, a cop absolutely can and will confiscate anything that they perceive to be dangerous. If you're questioned by cops, don't be argumentative, you can stand your ground somewhat, but do so without getting confrontational. Cops are taught one thing above all else... many times to a detriment IMO... Control the Situation... if they think they are in control, they will be less likely to do things everyone will regret.

As I said over on another forum I welcome this over an Australian style ban on anything over 1mw.

I think if they are stupid enough to shine a laser at a plane, they should just throw them in jail for a couple of years.

Wolfman29 said:

And can they legally confiscate?.

Click to expand...

1. Cops can do what they want.
2. Yes they can because you're not suppose to take high powered lasers out of your house, in the US. They are legal to own, but only indoor use.

Going a bit OT, but I've seen things vanish with cops involved... Happens more often than one would think.

FROM FOX NEWS DALLAS
- People who point powerful lasers at planes and helicopters will now face hefty fines.
Allied Pilots spokesman Scott Shankland explained the light is a problem because it temporarily blinds pilots. He said when the laser hits the windshield of an aircraft the light diffuses and explodes with intensity.
“It actually just turns the cockpit window into this big sheet of light,” Shankland said.
He said it almost always happens at night and during the most critical times of flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration said pilots have reported more than 1,100 incidents in the United States so far this year. The problem is particular bad in North Texas. There have been 51 reports in the area.
The FAA’s new fine could be as much as $11,000 per incident.
Shankland is hoping the high dollar fine will make people think twice.
“It is amazing how incapacitating it is. I mean, the light that fills the cockpit is so bright you can’t see the instruments, can’t see the ground, can’t see the runway,” Shankland said. “We’ve had several incidents even this year where the pilot has been laser affected so badly he’s had to turn over the controls to the other pilot and allow that pilot to complete the approach and landing.”


Read more on myFOXdfw.com: FAA To Fine People for Pointing Lasers at Planes

^^^Funny... or not in this case. I remember someone asking in another thread very recently why so many laser hobbyists are in Texas.