Laser Incident Close To Home

[KapHn8d]

You super-tech guys probably already know this, but should you have an iPhone, you can ask Siri what planes are flying overhead currently and she will give you commercial flight paths nearby... altitude and angle.

"Siri, what planes are flying overhead right now?"

Try it out.

/c

ps. I'm not suggesting you use this as your only source of info... common sense applies. It's just a neat feature of the app.
pps. Please don't derail this into an iPhone/Android discussion. 1) I don't care what phone anyone uses. 2) You shouldn't either. :beer:

 

[busman2]

As for me I am thinking of drawing up some sort of contract with Ray-pair Sunglasses and getting a few million pair of Aviator Style laser protective goggles made unto sell to the worlds aviation bodies as it is obvious that they know nothing about them as of yet! Imagine how many lives I will save from prevention of Commercial and private aircraft crashes, the amount of military craft that will not be lost due to some Jihadist shining his 5mW eBay pen at them and no longer will the police forces around the world be held up in the donut shop because they live in fear of flying their helicopters!
Trying to stop the idiots of this world is impossible, a new one is born every minute but there is a solution to this, it cost $40 retail and can be worn when flying in the "Danger Zone" I would, if I was a betting man put odds that the military and Police aviation units already have this technology incorporated into their helmet visor! For the rest of pilots a stylish pair of laser glasses.

 

[rodman1369]

Live From Austin Texas:
AUSTIN (KXAN) – The man who pleaded guilty to shining a Laser pointer at an Austin Police Department helicopter was sentenced to two years in jail and three years probation.
Gabriel Soza Ruedas Jr., 25, admitted to a United States Magistrate Judge that he knowingly aimed the laser at the helicopter as it was on approach to land at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Court documents show the helicopter aborted its landing to investigate the source of the laser, and air traffic controllers issued a warning to other pilots about the incident as they attempted to land.

GOING IN-DEPTH // A National Problem


•The FBI announced a national campaign in June to discourage people from pointing lasers at aircraft, even offering rewards of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of individuals who commit the crime. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal offense.
•Four Texas cities, including Austin, were among the top 20 when it came to reports of laser strikes against aircraft.
The helicopter crew was able to relay location information to ground crews who apprehended Ruedas. The laser pointer was found in his pocket.

 

[Alaskan]

My cousin was pointing a laser at a street light and was arrested for pointing it at an aircraft, a helicopter off on the low horizon saw it and turned him in... so the story goes, I'm told. This was a couple of years ago, I hadn't talked to him in over 45 years but recently found out about it.