Is it legal to point a 150mw green laser in the sky? In the US?

[InfinitusEquitas]

Good luck with the surgery!

I prefer goggles from OEM, and Survival Lasers - the OEM ones are certified, the ones from Survival Laser, are not, but they are exactly as advertised.

Laser Eye Protection
Safety

You won't be able to see the beam with any proper goggles... but you will still be able to see the dot.

 

[ARG]

Are there any goggles that allow you to see the beam/dot?

I only use my goggles for alignment. If you're enjoying the dot/beam just set it up in such a fashion that it wont move around, and it's pointed at a non-reflective material

 

[Captainjman]

Thanks guys - I am looking into them now. Thanks for. The links. This laser is much brighter than I expected - the. Beam is visable in very bright condo hallway even at perpendicular angles!!! Wow.

Thanks for your warm wishes and prayers - I need all the help I can get!

 

[LSRFAQ]

Actually there is one laser show company in the US who has to co-ordinate futher up then FAA on outdoor shows. Collimated 30 watt copper vapor lasers can't kill satellite sensors, but they can annoy them.

Steve

 

[Captainjman]

Howdy,

Hey, I am starting to feel better - the first week or so after the surgery I was put on Ketamine and was out of my mind- pain was out of control and was totally suicidal - willing to kill myself just to make the pain stop.

I am a day shy of 8 weeks post surgery and I feel much better than I did. I was discharged 8 days after surgery- I was completely unable to use a computer - so ironic that I got my Ipad, macbook pro, laser, everything but the kitchen sink and the only thing I needed was a simple pair of underwear. LOL

I would definitely like to get to know other aviators on this forum. Aviation is like a disease - once you get infected with it and have fun- its like a full blown addiction to Heroin - so yeah, lets chat with the other aviation addicts

I got hit with a laser out of LGA La Guardia, and it was brutal. It was night, my eyes were acclimated to dark cockpit conditions. I was in a steep left bank and was sitting in the left seat (I was captain), and my cockpit and I had a few seconds of intermittent (probably due to shooters shake of hands) laser light, at what I would approximate as one watt of power.

The laser came from just outside the airport perimeter, and so the distance was not that great, perhaps between 700-1000 feet at the closest distance and a mile or so at the farthest. I can tell you that even at a mile if it hits the pilots eyes at night, especially on a cloudy, no moon, low city light pollution - or in the case of LGA (KLGA to be exact) - overwater - the temporary blindness can be extremely dangerous. Anytime an aircraft is "lased" for lack of a better term- below 10,000 feet is significant. In my case we were lased at 200 feet till about 1500-2500 feet and it rendered me completely blinded temporarily for about 20 seconds.... which while hand flying, close to the ground could be really dangerous. I happen to be not at the controls, as captain and First Officers swap flight controls each flight (basically).

Anyway - I have started added, so many times to this response I am going to send it as is and I will await your response with anything else I may have left out or forgotten to discuss.

Jason

 

[Captainjman]

I would recommend checking websites that display where planes are live with tracking then you know weather or not to shine above you.

using web services for live flight tracking is not an accurate way to ensure you do not lase an aircraft. Believe it or not, I have actually tracked my own flight, in flight - and while passing over a waypoint on the FMS - the tracking software showed me 35 miles behind me and about 15 miles right of course

 

[OneRadChick]

hi im alex, im new to all this stuff, i had a question about lasers, and i was looking to actually buy my first laser today maybe just like a 50mW laser. i was even going to just start using it and pointing in the sky tonight but after reading some warnings, it seems very sketchy to use. i live in Lancaster California, theres a lot of desert out here but i cant go far so i was just gonna do it from my house... but i definitely dont want cops showing up at my door at 4 in the morning just to put hand cuffs on me for using a laser thats rediculous and not only that, my dad would KILL ME. so just asking for some advice before i go off and spend 50 bucks on a laser for nothing, please does anyone know if im going to get in trouble for using it in the sky tonight? or if cops will show up and just throw me in the back of their car for simply using a laser? not looking to get locked up for 3 years because of a freaking laser lol

 

[Razako]

hi im alex, im new to all this stuff, i had a question about lasers, and i was looking to actually buy my first laser today maybe just like a 50mW laser. i was even going to just start using it and pointing in the sky tonight but after reading some warnings, it seems very sketchy to use. i live in Lancaster California, theres a lot of desert out here but i cant go far so i was just gonna do it from my house... but i definitely dont want cops showing up at my door at 4 in the morning just to put hand cuffs on me for using a laser thats rediculous and not only that, my dad would KILL ME. so just asking for some advice before i go off and spend 50 bucks on a laser for nothing, please does anyone know if im going to get in trouble for using it in the sky tonight? or if cops will show up and just throw me in the back of their car for simply using a laser? not looking to get locked up for 3 years because of a freaking laser lol

Unless you're pointing it into the sky with planes all around you it should be fine. Try not to attract too much attention and don't use it around strangers though.

 

[Sta]

hi im alex, im new to all this stuff, i had a question about lasers, and i was looking to actually buy my first laser today maybe just like a 50mW laser. i was even going to just start using it and pointing in the sky tonight but after reading some warnings, it seems very sketchy to use. i live in Lancaster California, theres a lot of desert out here but i cant go far so i was just gonna do it from my house... but i definitely dont want cops showing up at my door at 4 in the morning just to put hand cuffs on me for using a laser thats rediculous and not only that, my dad would KILL ME. so just asking for some advice before i go off and spend 50 bucks on a laser for nothing, please does anyone know if im going to get in trouble for using it in the sky tonight? or if cops will show up and just throw me in the back of their car for simply using a laser? not looking to get locked up for 3 years because of a freaking laser lol

Welcome to the forum, Alex!
Razako is right on all counts. If you don't scare anyone with it, the police aren't going to care.
Also - how old are you? If you're a teenager, the worst the police will usually do is warn you.
A 50mW beam won't be visible from a great distance anyways.

 

[Benm]

The basis of the legal system is that everything is allowed unless there is a law against it.

There is no law that limits how bright a beam you can point skywards regardless of what light source you are using (lasers, xenon short arcs, whatever you wish).

There is legislation against interfering with (the safety of) air traffic. It's not likely your laser would pose any problem for air traffic at cruise altitude, but if you live anywhere near an airport you should be cafeful and avoid aircraft. This can be problematic since sometimes pilots can see your laser clearly while you cannot really see their airplane.