Some dumbass shined a laser at a helicoptor in Detroit

[Accutronitis]

Pattern altitude is 800 feet, normally, 2000 feet above populated areas is the rule for small aircraft, but never less than 500 in sparsely populated.

I must have been thinking of 500 feet not 5000 but my keyboard finger I chicken pick the keyboard with must have gotten hyperactive with the zeros 000000000

A star with flashing lights didn't tip you off?:can:

Twinkle Twinkle little aircraft how I wonder how far off you are ?

 

[Razako]

If the aircraft is so far away you can't even tell it's an aircraft you probably won't cause any significant trouble for the pilot from a quick flash.

 

[Alaskan]

At 35,000 feet a 50mw laser pointer with 1.5 mRad divergence will produce a beam diameter of just over 50 feet and a power density of under 3 mw per square centimeter. A sq cm is much larger than the average pupil size, for example, a US dime has an area of 2.52 cm2. I think they could see it as a bright light on the ground, if they happened to look, but that's all, not even an annoyance.

Edit: I doubt anyone could even track them with the spot well enough to keep it on them, not when traveling several hundred miles an hour, good luck. Far more likely that they would not see it when looking for it.

 

[Accutronitis]

At 35,000 feet a 50mw laser pointer with 1.5 mRad divergence will produce a beam diameter of just over 50 feet and a power density of under 3 mw per square centimeter. A sq cm is much larger than the average pupil size, hugely larger. I think they could see it as a bright light on the ground, if they happened to look, but that's all, not even an annoyance.

Edit: I doubt anyone could even track them with the spot well enough to keep it on them, not when traveling several hundred miles an hour, good luck. Far more likely that they would not see it when looking for it.

That's what I was thinking as well, Really if it was right under them they would have no way of even seeing it.....

 

[Alaskan]

At 35,000 feet a 50mw laser pointer with 1.5 mRad divergence will produce a beam diameter of just over 50 feet and a power density of under 3 mw per square centimeter. A sq cm is much larger than the average pupil size, for example, a US dime has an area of 2.52 cm2. I think they could see it as a bright light on the ground, if they happened to look, but that's all, not even an annoyance.

Edit: I doubt anyone could even track them with the spot well enough to keep it on them, not when traveling several hundred miles an hour, good luck. Far more likely that they would not see it when looking for it.

I have never understood why members quote the post directly above their own, unless they want to make sure someone doesn't edit their post, or prove what they really wrote. Why did you quote me?