Another knuckle head

[trussmonkey25]

I just saw on NBC News another idiot fired a blue high powered laser at an aircraft.. It was somewhere in California. From what I can tell he got arrested thank God. How can We protect our hobby if people like this get a hold of cheap high power pointers? I'm glad the pilot had a level head and the right glasses handy. If anyone captured the story please post it here.

 

[RedCowboy]

 

[trussmonkey25]

Thankyou

 

[trephanation]

Unfortunately a lot of idiots get their hands on lasers. Slightly unrelated, but if you go on youtube, almost everybody who is making videos about those cheap Chinese chrome case style lasers should not be in possession of them. Case in point:

This guy straight up shines the laser at a wall with his cat in the room, and brags about not wearing his safety glasses. WTF!!!

This guy claims his gatling laser is 5000mW and proceeds to use the included safety glasses. Not criminal, but just really really stupid.

 

[RedCowboy]

These idiots must think that it's ok to point at anything........every laser add on ebay needs to have the aircraft/people/cars/eyes warning in large print, hell I have seen too many idiots on YT shining lasers in their own face, granted we all make mistakes but you would think peoples sub conscious would kick in.

...edit... Yep, was just thinking about all the YT videos

Video #1
Shining through a window will produce a reflection of about 5% IINM that's why lenses use AR coatings and that cat deserves a better owner.

Video #2
Ebay 405nm lasers are labeled 5mw but they are 75mw on average last time I checked, you could hardly see 5mw of 405.........the moron said it was very safe because of it's 5mw label.......of course it's not safe at all.

 

[trussmonkey25]

Those guys on you tube are competing for a Darwin Award

 

[WizardG]

Highway patrol pilot suffering pain after blue laser pointed at aircraft hits him in eye

Jan Sears, a pilot for 12 years with the California Highway Patrol, said his crew is hit by lasers once or twice a week.

abcnews.go.com

 

[RedCowboy]

The suspect was arrested for two felonies -- discharging a laser and aiming a laser at an aircraft -- and booked into the Solano County Jail. He could face federal charges along with FAA fines, the Golden Gate Division Air Operations said Tuesday.

Felony of " DISCHARGING A LASER " .......is this something new ?

I am not finding anything outrageous, but I'm sure new laws are written all the time.

RCW 9A.49.020: Unlawful discharge of a laser in the first degree.

app.leg.wa.gov

RCW 9A.49.030: Unlawful discharge of a laser in the second degree.

app.leg.wa.gov

California | Laser Pointer Safety - News of aviation-related incidents, arrests, etc.

www.laserpointersafety.com

 

[Alaskan]

I had not heard discharging from a laser was illegal, why use the word discharge too? They want it to sound more like a weapon, I guess. It can cause harm though, obviously, but when I think of discharge, I think of a substance coming out, light is not a substance, not a piece of lead like discharging a fire arm. That choice of word is unwarranted and obviously used to cause legal harm to the idiot who was using a laser improperly. Issue I have with it is that label sticks, anyone using a laser outside could potentially be arrested for "discharging a laser".

Rule of thumb is never point a laser at an animal, person or locations where either could be hit by the beam. I think there is a third component too, vehicle might be what I'm thinking of and that should include UAV's. Years ago I could have been arrested for pointing at an aircraft, I didn't know it was there, pointing at the horizon you can hit one and not know it is there. I later knew it was there when I saw it's landing lights pointing strait over my house as it was inbound to an airport 15 miles beyond me. So, add that rule of thumb, never point at the horizon, the beam can travel further than you can see an aircraft.

Some folk are using pointers to point at what they believe is a extra terrestrial aircraft, if you are going to join that club of enthusiasts, use an infrared laser pointer so no one can see it, but if you are pointing at a UAV which has a camera that can see IR, you could be arrested for that too and charged with interfering or trying to disable a law enforcement aircraft camera. Shit can happen when you least expect it, be careful with pointers! This idiot should have expected it, he is stupid for two reasons, one is doing it, the other is doing it from home or a location he didn't immediately depart from.

 

[Shotgundrums]

Words made to sound sensational.
Discharge is not the proper term.

Albeit, laid out relatively clear.
Just Shine, emit, radiate...at your own property or safe direction. Plenty of times have I gone out to the beach on a pitch black night to stargaze with a 1W blue. It’s awesome. Of course, great care is taken to avoid aircraft. But because of nonsense like people shining down aircraft and people... it has been a long time since I’ve gone out to do that... they’re ruining it.

Laws do little to hamper ill will. Responsibility and care must be observed and taken. No different than with cars, guns, knives, anything inherently dangerous.
SGD

 

[trussmonkey25]

Words made to sound sensational.
Discharge is not the proper term.

Albeit, laid out relatively clear.
Just Shine, emit, radiate...at your own property or safe direction. Plenty of times have I gone out to the beach on a pitch black night to stargaze with a 1W blue. It’s awesome. Of course, great care is taken to avoid aircraft. But because of nonsense like people shining down aircraft and people... it has been a long time since I’ve gone out to do that... they’re ruining it.

Laws do little to hamper ill will. Responsibility and care must be observed and taken. No different than with cars, guns, knives, anything inherently dangerous.
SGD

 

[trussmonkey25]

True, they sell chainsaws and machetes to anyone that walks into Home Depot.
Damned politicians demonize everything.
I'm surprised they don't require licenses to operate chainsaws after all the injuries caused by them or all the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies

 

[steve001]

He looks like a person of limited intelligence.

 

[Coonie]

Why do people do this? Why?

 

[RedCowboy]

The laws I read pertains to shining a laser at a person, car, aircraft, ect.... and it talks about shining a laser scope which is what they are calling a laser aiming device attached to a firearm but they do cite self defense as a valid reason that's not illegal, so ATM I don't read anything that says just shining a laser at a stand of trees or pointing out stars is illegal, but the way the report was worded got my attention.

 

[trussmonkey25]

I had not heard discharging from a laser was illegal, why use the word discharge too? They want it to sound more like a weapon, I guess. It can cause harm though, obviously, but when I think of discharge, I think of a substance coming out, light is not a substance, not a piece of lead like discharging a fire arm. That choice of word is unwarranted and obviously used to cause legal harm to the idiot who was using a laser improperly. Issue I have with it is that label sticks, anyone using a laser outside could potentially be arrested for "discharging a laser".

Rule of thumb is never point a laser at an animal, person or locations where either could be hit by the beam. I think there is a third component too, vehicle might be what I'm thinking of and that should include UAV's. Years ago I could have been arrested for pointing at an aircraft, I didn't know it was there, pointing at the horizon you can hit one and not know it is there. I later knew it was there when I saw it's landing lights pointing strait over my house as it was inbound to an airport 15 miles beyond me. So, add that rule of thumb, never point at the horizon, the beam can travel further than you can see an aircraft.

Some folk are using pointers to point at what they believe is a extra terrestrial aircraft, if you are going to join that club of enthusiasts, use an infrared laser pointer so no one can see it, but if you are pointing at a UAV which has a camera that can see IR, you could be arrested for that too and charged with interfering or trying to disable a law enforcement aircraft camera. Shit can happen when you least expect it, be careful with pointers! This idiot should have expected it, he is stupid for two reasons, one is doing it, the other is doing it from home or a location he didn't immediately depart from.

If you are pointing out an object that could be moving, circle it, don't hold your laser directly at it. No matter where the object is from, its pilot might not like a laser shined in his eyes.