Laser Pointer Attacks Against EWR Bound Jets

Gonzalo · Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:50 pm

One more time....

http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2..._aimed_at_newark-bound_planes.html

I'm so tired of this "people"... I have no words, If I express sincerily what I think about this kind of people I will be banned for life from the site...

I wonder when the authorities will take SERIOUS actions ... just hope they do something BEFORE we have a seriously injured crew or a plane crashing at a heavily populated area.

Rgds.
G.

prosa · Fri Aug 16, 2013 5:11 pm

I still can't figure out why there are no restrictions on the purchase of laser pointers. Which isn't to say that they should be heavily restricted like firearms, but only that buyers at least should be required to show identification.

DeltaMD90 · Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:33 pm

Quoting PROSA (Reply 1):
but only that buyers at least should be required to show identification.

So if a laser attack happened, the police could narrow the suspects down from the population of the US to a few million? What about people that got laser pointers before being 'registered'? Very bad, ineffective idea

I agree something needs to be done, but trying to ban them or somehow keep track of all the owners is just silly

prosa · Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:50 pm

Being required to show identification before buying a laser pointer might be enough to deter some people who have bad intentions. People who plan illegal things don't like being noticed, even when there's no actual enforcement being done. It's why Wal-Mart long had seniors at the doors greeting arriving customers. Even though the greeters weren't security workers and performed no security-related functions, just being noticed upon arrival was enough to scare off potential shoplifters.

LH707330 · Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:54 pm

Quoting DeltaMD90 (Reply 2):

So if a laser attack happened, the police could narrow the suspects down from the population of the US to a few million? What about people that got laser pointers before being 'registered'? Very bad, ineffective idea

It's better than a pool of 320m. While not perfect, it would still be a start.

tommy767 · Fri Aug 16, 2013 7:16 pm

Today's EWR delay until the evening: Laser pointers. A new one for the airport.

organizethesky · Fri Aug 16, 2013 7:20 pm

Are these laser pointers the simple small kind that are the size of say, half a pen? Are they the kind that that can be bought for just a few bucks at your local Office Depot or are they something more than that?

DeltaMD90 · Fri Aug 16, 2013 7:28 pm

Quoting LH707330 (Reply 4):
It's better than a pool of 320m. While not perfect, it would still be a start.

No, it's not a start. It yields 0 investigative advantages. Even if the number was only 1000, do you expect the police to investigate 1000 people? How will they investigate each of these people anyway? There isn't much you can do without a shred of proof. Having bought a laser in the past month the same color as a laser attack and living within 50 miles of the incident isn't more than just a very broad, questionable suspicion. The real world isn't a TV show, the police need a lot more than that

Plus, people with any sort of forward planning could find a million work arounds to this. All this idea is gonna do is add unnecessary costs and yield 0 results. The government has added enough ineffective measures that just drain money

ArmitageShanks · Fri Aug 16, 2013 9:05 pm

Quoting organizethesky (Reply 6):
Are these laser pointers the simple small kind that are the size of say, half a pen?

I'd say yes. I just bought one online for about 7 bucks and the power of it is scary. I can almost burn through paper and the beam easily goes a mile high. Best 7 bucks ever.

Bacon907 · Fri Aug 16, 2013 9:29 pm

Being lased on short final isn't a lot of fun. Thankfully we had an approach pulled up on the magic black box. Even though we were cleared visual. The PC put his head down and flew a precision approach to minimums. Then transitioned back outside. Luckily we saw it before they hit the cockpit.

I think the only effective way to truly enhance flight crew safety is with safety glasses or special window tinting.
If they were to limit the wavelengths of the devices available for civilian purchase. Then issue safety glasses/window tint designed to block those wavelengths. The devices that are outside those standards would begin to disappear through attrition.

Just my two cents

BTW it's not just a problem at EWR

[Edited 2013-08-16 14:41:11]

brilondon · Fri Aug 16, 2013 10:22 pm

Quoting PROSA (Reply 1):

I still can't figure out why there are no restrictions on the purchase of laser pointers. Which isn't to say that they should be heavily restricted like firearms, but only that buyers at least should be required to show identification.

That really works for guns in the US, what makes you think that it would work for laser pointers. What I really want to know is how would it bring down an airliner, I don't think laser pointers are that powerful and I doubt that a pointer would blow up an airliner.

And to our good friend from Chile, if you don't like these things why did you bring it up as a topic on here.

[Edited 2013-08-16 15:23:28]

DocLightning · Fri Aug 16, 2013 10:34 pm

Quoting brilondon (Reply 10):
That really works for guns in the US, what makes you think that it would work for laser pointers. What I really want to know is how would it bring down an airliner,

By blinding the pilots.

Is there not some glaze that can be applied to glass that would only block highly collimated light?

Bacon907 · Sat Aug 17, 2013 12:07 am

Lasers can blind pilots.

A friend of mine got hit in the eyes on approach. His eyes hurt for 3 or 4 days afterward.

The military is doing some work trying to figure out how to protect their pilots. One of the problems is how do you protect the aviator and still allow him/her to see.

iowaman · Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:22 am

It isn't just EWR that has this problem. It is a widespread issue at many airports around the nation. Every once in a while some one is caught (this one from last year), and in this case they were serious about prosecution:

Quote:

A Las Vegas man who pointed a green laser light at aircraft landing at McCarran International Airport was sentenced to eight months in prison on Tuesday.

....

When Las Vegas police sent a helicopter to look for the culprit, Viera-Crespo pointed his laser light at that aircraft too, prosecutors said.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/cr...ison-pointing-laser-light-aircraft

brilondon · Sat Aug 17, 2013 3:52 am

I thought that the windscreens on aircraft had a coating to eliminate some of the glare from the sunlight and the angle that the aircraft lands at would make it such a crap shoot that it is almost impossible to aim a laser pointer at the eyes of the pilot. Has an aircraft ever been brought down by a laser pointer?

Grisee08 · Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:24 am

I have a blue laser that is very powerful. MUCH MORE than the cheap red ones you buy at Spencers. I have no intentions for ill-use of it though, but it's easy enough to get them on eBay. Type in Blue Laser or Green Laser, and you'll get hundreds of hits.

RWA380 · Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:08 am

Quoting PROSA (Reply 3):
Being required to show identification before buying a laser pointer might be enough to deter some people who have bad intentions. People who plan illegal things don't like being noticed, even when there's no actual enforcement being done.

Quoting PROSA (Reply 3):
It's why Wal-Mart long had seniors at the doors greeting arriving customers. Even though the greeters weren't security workers and performed no security-related functions, just being noticed upon arrival was enough to scare off potential shoplifters

The greeters were put in place as a way to market a friendly, era gone by shopping experience for our rapidly growing senior population who spend a lot of those retirement dollars. By providing a warm atmosphere, competitive prices, seniors feel more welcomed, and in turn will spend more money, than if they were not as at home.

Quoting Bacon907 (Reply 9):
I think the only effective way to truly enhance flight crew safety is with safety glasses or special window tinting.
If they were to limit the wavelengths of the devices available for civilian purchase. Then issue safety glasses/window tint designed to block those wavelengths.

This sounds like the most intelligent idea so far, at least for the short term. Eventually new technology will be created that will allow law enforcement to arrest and take these minless fools out of our society. If they think this activity is funny, or macho, either way they are potentially messing with many lives. I say prosecute as if were attempted malicious murder.

For those pilots that get us safely to our destinations each day, thank you! And I am sorry you know have these A$$#@!#&

Quoting Grisee08 (Reply 15):
I have a blue laser that is very powerful. MUCH MORE than the cheap red ones you buy at Spencers. I have no intentions for ill-use of it though, but it's easy enough to get them on eBay. Type in Blue Laser or Green Laser, and you'll get hundreds of hits.

Don't tell them how to do it..... J.K. But it really should be easier to use some level of technology to find these bastards.

Laser Pointer Attacks Against EWR Bound Jets

Laser Pointer Attacks Against EWR Bound Jets

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