Laser bad press heats up

[qumefox]

Most of the articles about aircraft incidents say that the green lasers are the most dangerous to pilots. Could they not just put a coating on the window that reduces the amount of 532nm light that can get through?

Nope... A lot of lighted visual signals and runway markers are green... Plus passing legislation banning lasers is much cheaper than having the windscreens on every aircraft in the country coated..

However.. with the way the current administration likes to spend money.. Try hitting them up, you might get an earmark for it in the next stimulus! :tinfoil:

 

[DTR]

Nope... A lot of lighted visual signals and runway markers are green... Plus passing legislation banning lasers is much cheaper than having the windscreens on every aircraft in the country coated..

However.. with the way the current administration likes to spend money.. Try hitting them up, you might get an earmark for it in the next stimulus! :tinfoil:

Yea they do seem to think they can spend themselves out of debt.:thinking:

 

[ZapU]

"Offensive Weapon", "Public Health Menace". I can see the law making it a crime just to display a laser in public, like discharging a firearm. :gun:
How far away can they be seen? All you need is a pissy neighbor, or some little old lady scared by all the news reports.

That won't help the DIY owners.

 

[Benm]

As i've commented in other threads, i do not believe that this boys eye damage is the result of an accidental reflection grazing his eye. I've seen the retinal pictures, and thoe display serious damage, perhaps cause by staring down the barrel of this 150 mW laser, perhaps even more than once.

Plus passing legislation banning lasers is much cheaper than having the windscreens on every aircraft in the country coated..

Hmm.. i call BS on that argument really. If someone wanted to purposely interfere with air traffic, they would already know they are committing a felony. Somehow i think the additional charge of owning and operating an overpowered laser would be neglible in comparison to the legal implications of purposely and knowingly endangering an aircraft.

The chief things to note in that regard are:

- there is no case of any life lost or equipment damaged due to lasers pointed at aircraft.
- there is no indication that lasers are used to intentionally maime people.
- that a laser is no more dangerous than a hammer - both could be used for assault, murder or downing aircraft, with the hammer being easier to use and more readily available.

I think lasers just suffer from the bad rep gathered from scifi series where they are featured as weapons... currently, the only party in the world to seriously consider and test lasers as offensive weaponry is the US government.

 

[gecko991]

Very true and rather Ironic

 

[qumefox]

The chief things to note in that regard are:

- there is no case of any life lost or equipment damaged due to lasers pointed at aircraft.
- there is no indication that lasers are used to intentionally maime people.
- that a laser is no more dangerous than a hammer - both could be used for assault, murder or downing aircraft, with the hammer being easier to use and more readily available.

You either live in a hole with no connection to the outside world, or you don't live in the US... Politicians here can't be bothered with things like facts so your argument is invalid. It doesn't matter if it's true or not. If they THINK it's happening... or think banning something, etc, can get them more votes or money from lobbyists, you can damn sure bet that's the route they'll take.

 

[Tech_Junkie]

Benm is from Holland I believe.

 

[00Giorge]

It is sad that the actions of a few morons, ruin the enjoyment of many.