Laser + Airplane = 3 years in prison

you are all to damn right

I find it ridiculous that in a country where a proportion of the adult population can carry guns in public places, that a laser over 5mw is banned. Nobody has died from laser pointers, which is much more than can be said for handguns. I guess that an aircraft full of people is more significant than the short-lived spree a gun could give, but what are the chances that a laser could actually bring down a plane anyway? Unless they were landing or taking off, it'd be minimal risk to most jets.

Helicopters are another matter altogether though. You can't glide or "feel" the controls easily in a helicopter, and they're generally much slower and lower, with more exposed cockpits. I've seen footage of a green laser from a helicopter, and any police chopper could easily pick out the guy and trace him using IR cameras. If the guy's such an idiot he shines it around even after a police helicopter is circling him, he deserves at least 3 years for each offence, 10 for the drugs charges, plus castration, lest those defective genes get passed on...

People are more careful with and respect guns (MOST OF THE TIME - Asides from the idiots) b/c they actually harm and people see lasers as harmless and the stupid people can't realize it can really screw up the pilots of the planes/heli's. To this day people show a moderate level of safety with guns as compared to lasers. Lasers are just toys to people and since you can't fry someone people think they can do whatever they want.

Stupidity at its finest.

IMO from his picture he looks more than greatly qualified for this article...and jail.

Don't do drugs, kids.

Click to expand...

AusLasersSuck said:

If I were was a stupid idiot shining laser's at a plane I'd use bluray cause they can't see the freaking beam.

Click to expand...

You would still get caught.
I would still be able to see the point of origin as a bright blue dot. Then make an immediate report to ATC, check the FMS for current latitude/longitude and jot that down. Then I would quickly make a sketch of the landmarks in surrounding area - things like roads, buildings, water etc and make a mark on the sketch of where the laser originated from. After I land connect to the Internet go to google earth, find the spot where the laser was (easy), put a place-mark on the location, call the FBI and tell them to check their email and then email it to the FBI.
If you did it from your backyard, house, or place of business you would go down in a hurry.

Joe said:

[quote author=AusLasersSuck link=1232901513/0#15 date=1233390460]If I were was a stupid idiot shining laser's at a plane I'd use bluray cause they can't see the freaking beam.

Click to expand...

You would still get caught.
I would still be able to see the point of origin as a bright blue dot. Then make an immediate report to ATC, check the FMS for current latitude/longitude and jot that down.  Then I would quickly make a sketch of the landmarks in surrounding area - things like roads, buildings, water etc and make a mark on the sketch of where the laser originated from. After I land connect to the Internet go to google earth, find the spot where the laser was (easy), put a place-mark on the location, call the FBI and tell them to check their email and then email it to the FBI.
If you did it from your backyard, house, or place of business you would go down in a hurry.
[/quote]

Well said. You don't want to be doing this lol.

charlie bruce said:

I find it ridiculous that in a country where a proportion of the adult population can carry guns in public places, that a laser over 5mw is banned. Nobody has died from laser pointers, which is much more than can be said for handguns. I guess that an aircraft full of people is more significant than the short-lived spree a gun could give, but what are the chances that a laser could actually bring down a plane anyway? Unless they were landing or taking off, it'd be minimal risk to most jets.

Helicopters are another matter altogether though. You can't glide or "feel" the controls easily in a helicopter, and they're generally much slower and lower, with more exposed cockpits. I've seen footage of a green laser from a helicopter, and any police chopper could easily pick out the guy and trace him using IR cameras. If the guy's such an idiot he shines it around even after a police helicopter is circling him, he deserves at least 3 years for each offence, 10 for the drugs charges, plus castration, lest those defective genes get passed on...

Click to expand...

Well you're right, but remember bearing arms is one of the first 10 amendments of the U.S constitution, and you can't screw around with the first ten.


I think he should have ten years, because a few years after he gets outta jail it will be like nothing ever happened. He's lucky no one sued him for the event.

Interesting you should say that, perhaps people in the US could appeal that lasers are a firearm when the inevitable ban comes. That way the responsible US citizens with firearms or scientific licences can continue to play with lasers responsibly. That spoils it for all the immigrants and young people though....

What if i said to the cops that i shined at an UFO trying to protect my country?? I dont have a primary or secondary radar to know if its human or not... and i believe in aliens until proof otherwise.



:

Why do people always try to equate gun laws and lasers. None shall the two cross, ever (it's also a logical fallacy). Indiscriminate use of firearms resulting in fatalities is exceedingly rare. It's not rare in the public conscience but that's due to other psychological factors we don't need to delve into here. When firearms are used in anger over 90% of the time it's between individuals who know each other. Even criminals who use guns in the commission of a crime rarely pull the trigger.

Lasers on the other hand have the potential to kill many at once, albeit it is a very low probability but the act is totally indiscriminate. Point the laser at the next passing aircraft without regard for the safety of the passengers and the game turns into reckless endangerment. I think that is what jump starts politicians.

If you want to shoot someone at home with a gun politicians can live with that because it's personal between the involved parties. But point a laser at an aircraft where the passengers and crew have no control and the power balance shifts to the perpetrator politicians hate that in their districts. Politicians know the probability that someone will die in their districts due to firearms but there is no definite statistics relating to lasers. This allows the imagination to run rampant and all kinds of facts and figures arise. Whether they are realistic or not does not matter.

Ownership of laser systems is not a right. You cannot argue from that perspective because you will never win. Regulation and control of laser systems has been in place since they were developed. Stating the government should not control a personal laser is a very ignorant position to take and will lead to greater restrictions. Personally, I think it's amazing what systems a person is allowed to have (in the U.S. anyway). The FDA has pretty much left the individual alone and there are only a handful of laws on the books around the country regulating personal laser use. Because these systems have been regulated from the beginning, before there was a laser hobby, it is the responsibility of the owner to control the use of their systems in such a way as to minimize exposure to bystanders. When this cannot be done, the FDA does and will step in. This is why they heavily regulate laser light shows and why they can legally go after personal use when used in public.

There is no accounting for ignorance and irresponsibility. It sometimes requires a good beat down to get it into some idiots heads. If someone wants to be part of the solution then never point a laser at an aircraft but the world is full inconsiderate, self centered fools, who think it is their right to whimsically encroach on the safety of others for their own personal amusement. Because of this, personal use of laser systems will go the way of the dodo. It's only a matter of time.

@frothychimp : Someone idiot enough to point a strong laser to an aircraft while knowing what consequences will it have could aslo start shooting at it with a gun. The diference is that guns have been the base of your country since you got the lands killing the poor natives so you asume they are good while lasers are a new thing and people is very ignorant about them and so they can be so dangerous exaclty in the same way a gun in hands of a moneky is.

the solution is to tell people what are the dangers of a laser and not to bann them.


Sorry if my words are so hard but I'm really pissed off with that about "guns are not that bad in good hands". Thats the fallacy. Even a nuclear bomb is not that bad in good hands, the solution is to restrict them to the foverments as noone can ensure a single person (a random one) can know how to use it. Thats exactly what you are doing with lasers and what you should do with guns.

Sorry but i can't see any differences.

Also what you say here

"If you want to shoot someone at home with a gun politicians can live with that because it's personal between the involved parties. But point a laser at an aircraft where the passengers and crew have no control and the power balance shifts to the perpetrator politicians hate that in their districts."

And how you know someone isn't going to use a laser to blind a single enemy and a gun to get an helicopter down? I'm pretty sure its much easier to do it with a gun.

Yours,
hallucynogenyc

I think IMHO!. That if you were to ban guns I know , but here me out , that if you were to ban gun's then you would open the
general population up to the wolves of the world. There are three people in the world the sheep , the wolf, and like me the sheepdog
you choose who you are and know who you are in that order . This debate has been around forever.

IF YOU BAN GUNS FOR ONE YOU MUST BAN FOR ALL or if you ban some guns but not others that is failed policy also. Gun laws are
a joke in USA allready it will take you 15 days waiting period a background test and by then that fact that you need a gun for protection in the first place is mute. The street thud or lets say like this fellow a real stand up citizen : is going to have a gun in no time he's a criminal
news flash all criminals do all day is think about how to victimize somebody that is the wolf. The same goes for lasers I know
Frothychimp as many degrees as he has and rightfully so dosen't get it (in no way do I slander him or his opinion) That a laser, portable laser ,is used by wolves to invade your personal space, that gets the flight or fight primal instincts agoing. This statement is proposed to all pointer euthusist you know it's true. Lets say for the sake of silplicity that when that stupid bastard put that beam
into the path of the airplane he expected some reaction. Now lets say that like guns everyone carried and all at once they stood up and lazed that bastard right back all with 500mW hulk lasers, that my friend would put to rest the whole issue . Same as guns.

Thank you for reading and hope as not to draw to much neg. attention. If anything sounds off base please PM me I wasn't slamming anyone just putting out the stuff as was raised on in [highlight]referance to guns and lasers[/highlight].

Guys, please, you are shooting the messenger. The difference is that gun ownership is constitutionally protected whereas laser ownership is not. It's not about whether lasers are used for good or bad. It's about how politicians perceive the risk and how easy it is for politicians to go after the perceived risk. Because there are regulatory rules on the books for laser systems and because there is no constitutional impedance, politicians can ban to their hearts content and there is not a thing that you or I can do about it because public use of lasers is already controlled by the FDA. Every idiot that causes a problem with a laser only heightens the awareness of our politicians and government officials and provides the impetus to act. It doesn't matter what the true risks are. Knee jerk reaction is the modus operandi of our government. It allows the politicians to appear to be doing something even when the true nature of the risk is negligible.

in all seriousness that guy should get 20 to life no bail if not capital punishment. reason is wtf was he thinking
2.) attempted murder of over 200 people hmm. wtf else was he trying to do? show pretty lights? its just like the arsonists in victoria. there is a chance of death but people still do it for "funsies" if ur not smart enought to see that wat your doing can cause injury or death them you don't deserve to walk the streets simple as that obey common sense or get screwed

note living in australia does not sway my stance

it is illegal to have a laser pointer thats greater than 1mW...
It sucks, cause it also applies for NSW

Is that 3 years for bringing down the Chemtrailers too?