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FrozenGate by Avery

One Dumb Ass With Wicked Laser Ruins It For All Of Us

hey guys, I'm from New Zealand, and signed up to try and learn a bit from some of you who know a thing or two , and to confess something. This last christmas, I did the whole christmas thing, you know, spend the day with family and so on. well, by the time I walked home it was 1 in the morning, and the night sky was weirdly very brightly lit,almost luminescent. Any way, I was still way too intoxicated to sleep, and was playing around with my 50 milliwatt green laser pointer,when this chopper cruises by....and ,well,for less than 2 seconds I flicked the beak across and back over the chopper, a quick up and down movement-I was surprised to actually see the beam reflect off that chopper.But I was even more surprised when the chopper started circling my house,and even MORE surprised when two police officers showed up,and very angry they were too. Now, needless to say, there's no way in hell I would have done this if I was under the influence of a dozen beer, a bottle of tawny port,antidepressants,painkillers and maybe sleeping tablets. It was an impulsive,uncalculated random dumb-ass thing that I did, and honestly, I still have trouble thinking how I could do that, but I did.Our laws in NZ arent quite as draconian as yours, but that said, theres a 14 year max jail term to this-and I have no idea whats really going to happen,sentence wise. The pilot was not affected, although the guy in the back who was operating the FLIR was apparently dazzled and flash blinded for 30 seconds. It was a search and rescue chopper, on its return to base. questions- why was the operator still using the FLIR after the mission was finished ? -(they were looking for a tramper in the hills-about 50 km back) also, could a 50 milliwatt green laser pointer really do that to someone using the FLIR?? the witness staement was a lie or not accurate at least-he said I lased them for 30 seconds to a minute-which I know for FACT is not the case-it was no more than 2 seconds max. like I said, this was not some vicious deliberate attempt to crash a helicopter for gods sakes! I contacted the pilot after christmas apologised, he wasnt angry. I dont doubt what I did was wrong,stupid and all the rest, but I really wonder,seriously, just how much risk was there really with a 50 milliwatt laserat a ditance of 2000 feet? coments? ps, if your going to hassle me,dont bother, I've already had that in every form you could imagine...
 





Sorry, the links not working for me what is it saying? So by what I can tell in the US you can have a ak47 but not a 30mw astronomy laser? Ha! No way. Not going to happen.
 
You can have. any laser you want but you cant import or selll unless they complly with the law. just keep it in your pants so to speak and ther will be no trouble.
 
Typically in the USA if a federal law were to go into effect re lasers, the lasers already in the hands of the public would be "grandfathered", as the Constitution forbids the passage of ex post facto law.

But the very fact that we are discussing the topic suggests to me that I should try to get the lasers I want fairly soon, just in case something does come down in the future. State and local laws and laws in other countries may or may not be similar, one would have to DYODD in that case.

As far as lab lasers go, IIRC several years ago someone in the S.F. Bay area/region was busted shining a "small" Ar ion laser (!) at an aircraft. I really don't think the law discriminates either way.

I could see laser parts such as diodes or plasma tubes being regulated in the future so as to be sold only as replacement items to "authorized owners/users/repair facilities". Etc.

T.
 
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TheDukeAnumber1 said:
Handhelds in USA aren't illegal, only the selling and buying is illegal. Regardless of what laws are passed, as long as products with lasers diodes are available to the public and this forum is allowed to stay active the hobby will live on.

Also the injury in the picture is complete BS. No way he received that from the laser. +600ft of divergence with the loss through a windshield and the short exposure. Replicating those conditions I would even volunteer to be the guinea pig for that one. That being said I'm still all for the zero tolerance policy for laser abusers. Pilots shouldn't have to worry about the cockpit being lighted up. Waste of tax dollars.
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Its not like the fcc is going to go start banning spectrums of light from being produced, diodes will continue to exist. I think cops and leo may go on a little power trip by feeling belittled from being "touched" per say. There has been numerous cases of these kids using laser pointers to touch air craft. I remember a group of kids getting arrested and jailed for using an ebay pen to play around with a helicopter years ago. That being said, if its used in a malicious intent, I do believe it should be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. I just hope cops are able to determine malicious intent over trying to prove a point just because.


I hope the pilot wasnt faking to prove a point but hey, who is to say 2 cant play at that game? if I get pulled over, im just going to rub my eyes really hard til they get red and start bitching about him pointing a laser at my eyes.

k5hxPo1.jpg
 
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I'm thinking at least some fraction of LEOs in a laser-targeted helicopter are less concerned about the nuisance light as they are that the laser might be attached to a rifle, especially in more rural or less-populated areas.

Either way I can understand how badly they would want to make an example of the perp.

T.
 
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Amalan said:
I just hope cops are able to determine malicious intent over trying to prove a point just because.
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Good luck with that. Cops have been on a power trip in the US for decades now.

The goal of a cop is no longer law enforcement, or keeping the peace. It is simply revenue generation for the city or state.

How quickly a cop is promoted is dependent almost entirely on the number of arrests, and citations. Not the quality of those arrests. (Over 50% of those arrested are later released with charges dropped - often because the person in question is not doing anything wrong to begin with.)

Numerous people are arrested each year for so much as touching a cop, and charged with assault. Meanwhile someone has to die to even bring up the question of excessive use of force.

I wouldn't put it past cops to charge people with assault if a flashlight beam happens to hit them, let alone a laser beam.
 
InfinitusEquitas said:
Wow, that's a pretty harsh sentence. I wonder if there is more to the story.
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hes an idiot.
In March 2012 Adam Gardenhire aimed a green laser pen at a business jet and then shone it at a Pasadena police helicopter sent to find the source.
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right after that is says:
He is the second person in the US to be sentenced for aiming a laser at an aircraft.
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Is it a harsh sentence? absolutely. but as the 2nd person it could be just to prove a point/set precedent so other people know/learn NOT to do it. However, i feel like there's much more people who have been caught....

EDIT:
yeahp:
Aiming Laser Pointer at Airplane Gets Man 2.5 Years in Prison | Threat Level | Wired.com

In this case the judge really felt it was serious behavior and he wanted to make sure that people understood it was not a joke,
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Do Not Point Lasers at any plane, especially at a small personal Cessna while they are trying to land... What if the pilot flipped out swerved and crashed into a school or house or anything... Bumper to bumper traffic? You...
 
HitShane said:
Do Not Point Lasers at any plane, especially at a small personal Cessna while they are trying to land... What if the pilot flipped out swerved and crashed into a school or house or anything... Bumper to bumper traffic? You...
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are you directing that? I would never! I'm not sure who " You..." is.... :P
 
Shining a laser at a plane is stupidity, plain and simple. Those that do it should suffer as hash a sentence as possible. The only thing they are doing is endangering numerous lives, and making laws pertaining to laser possession much more strict.

Thanks to these people in particular, Australian laser laws today are amazingly overzealous.
 
Especially with Class IV lasers these days, you can easily permanently blind a pilot. How much do you pay for making a guy blind in one eye? Now what if he/she has passengers on board and crashes... how do you pay for people's lives? Very stupid.
 
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