Morons with laser pointers - awesome takedown...

[mixedgas]

Much deleted as something else is going on in the background. Laserwizardry is having a really bad day, please place him in your thoughts and prayers.

That said,

Ignore history only at a great risk. Idiots with handheld lasers have done huge damage to this industry.

Steve

[drm916]

Of course they do. They elected (reelected)Obama and Merkel. They depend on the adults in society to be the back stop and to pull them out of the mud. We should show more judgment.

LOL.. best quote of the day!

[Laser Wizardry]

"opinion removed because everybody knows laser pointers are safe to look into while piloting an aircraft and it would be wrong to make the punishment severe enough to actually deter a dangerous crime"

[drm916]

ROFLOL. yep, whats going on in the background is I took yet another hit to the eye from a high powered pointer the other day. The asshole aimed at my dog too. He is lucky I did not have my 9mm on me. Unfortunately the police officer that responded to my call did not seem to think the pointer was dangerous.

end of story.

ban all pointers.

he didnt think it was dangerous? Well... then he would not be afraid to take a hit directly to the eye then. Seems fair. Try it out Mr officer.

[ghosttrain]

Yeah, and the dumbasses that throw rocks off a bridge onto moving traffic below probably don't intend to maim or kill either; in every incident of that I've ever read or heard about, the idiots were just doing it because they thought it would be fun.

Am I not being clear? That's a false analogy. Even kids know what falling rocks can do, most people don't know what handheld lasers are capable of.

a few more harsh sentences it probably the only thing that will truly make a difference.

Again, law has evolved from a simple deterrent mechanism as it has been proven to be ineffective. It's not just about humanitarianism or compassion, it doesn't work.

definitely a growing problem to be dealt with before someone gets seriously hurt or killed.

As buffo said, you don't see airliners falling out of the sky. If you're making such a claim, you should provide evidence. A gif from the cockpit won't do. You can argue that nothing has happened yet but because we've been lucky when arguing about literally anything.

Hell, if you watch the whole video I originally linked to, it appears the dumbass KNEW he was doing something wrong & illegal - between laser shots, he even appears to mockingly simulate the prone position sometimes required during an arrest

That doesn't prove anything. He could as well be mimicking a villain from his favorite movie.

For those naysayers that seem to think it's no big deal to be on the RECEIVING end of an aircraft being lit up by lasers -
Do you think the FAA would make such a big deal out of the requirements for reporting outdoor laser shows if there wasn't a serious hazard involved?

Yes, I would actually. I come from a family of lawyers and stupid decisions and discussions happen all the time everywhere. Not saying this isn't a big deal, nor that anyone breaking the criminal code isn't technically a criminal and I never did. I'm just saying a guy that got a laser toy and no knowledge of it's capabilities is as guilty as someone who got his water gun filled with acetone (acetone doesn't melt every type of plastic btw, and you could ignore it for the sake of argument in any case). And if you think ruining someone's life as a warning for others is right then maybe move to Saudi Arabia.

[Draco]

"opinion removed because everybody knows laser pointers are safe to look into while piloting an aircraft and it would be wrong to make the punishment severe enough to actually deter a dangerous crime"

What the fuck is that intended to mean?

[Stuka]

"opinion removed because everybody knows laser pointers are safe to look into while piloting an aircraft and it would be wrong to make the punishment severe enough to actually deter a dangerous crime"

Now THAT is the best quote of this thread, Karl!!
Sarcasm recognized & appreciated.

Having been on the receiving end myself, and since I still have several friends flying medevac and law enforcement helicopters that continually have to deal with this BS-
I will continue to cheer every time one of those laser-toting idiots that decides to target a low-flying aircraft winds up in handcuffs.

Which, I realize in the eyes of some, makes ME the bad guy -
But when it comes to this particular subject, I can live with it!!

(As in other threads about this subject elsewhere on this forum, I have learned that continually trying to present a real-world argument about the dangers to aircrews is pretty much pointless on this forum. I do find it interesting that the comments about bringing down airliners do NOT come from the few experienced aviators who have tried to chime in with some real-world concerns and experiences...)

[Draco]

well this problem wont do away for the short future and take offs and landings are the exemption and in my view the only dangerous conditions that exist, and besides even when i was trying to get small craft flight license the whole idea was to deal with distractions and not let lose control. but what some forum members have expressed is miles away from what should be done to people illegally doing this, education is the key now i am not defending the person in the video but what other members have expressed are extreme and will do nothing but to make it an illegal rush if you will . education is probably the best way to curb this effect and teach pilots to fly though a distraction at high altitude and at low altitude. We DO NOT Need draconian laws, they will not fix a thing and make it worse. Now i disagree with the government making new laws with the exemption of pointers that throw out a much more then rated power, yes i would miss the high power pointers but i have some older ones horded away. or at lest keep track of the people that have the high power pointers even they are next to useless for what we use laser here for and i believe a ban would be on pointers and not display equipment, along with that accurate info on output power should be enforced, not banned but reported as the correct power, i think these people see 5mmw on the case and assume they are 5mw and not 30mw and operate them as such
but my last observation to me sees to be an attempted at trolling, when some one can't get others on there side i tend to see stupid comments like that and i would like to think we are more educated to resort to a post that sounds like it came from a 12 year old ( my defense though, i have autism and all my grammar and spelling sounds like it was typed by a 10 year old, but i try my best)

lengthy laws just are not a deterrent, they never have been and never will be, the war on drugs will be my example a 20 year scentance wont stop people from dealing as drug dealers and users. education in my view is the only way this would work, these morons seem to think they are safe devices because they found them online, education is the only way to lessen this problem.

[Eidetic]

I noticed that Stuka qualifies his statements with "low-flying aircraft". I wonder if he will agree that the laws regarding pointers should be different for high-flying aircraft, and how those on the ground should know where the line is drawn? I'd agree with maximum enforcement for helicopters (the Egypt video aside)(those idiots usually get caught anyway), and include fixed wing aircraft with wheels down. Maybe define by distance from an airport? Anyway, "zero tolerance" and "one size for all" is just wrong in this case, and unjust. "Ban all pointers"? Lasers don't blind people, people blind people.

[kecked]

The people sorry Neanderthals do it are idiots I think we can all agree. I think a good night in the clink would probably cure most of them. If someone really wants to do harm just fly your drone into an engine. Not a little one but one of those 100 lbs jobs. Carry a few balls of steel wire along with you or some barbed wire. You don't even need to get that close as the jet will suck you in. Take off and landing they are only doing about 150mph. Hey or laser wise carry that converted laserscope right up to the cockpit ad crack the glass from thermal stress.

My point is even a normal person can think of way worse ways to do something horrible than a laser pointer.

Why can't they 520-550nm coat the windshields? Or give them glasses to wear on approach. They wont even see the issue. The red and blue pointers I doubt are a problem. OR land on instruments and close the window. If it were a military flight I think they would just fire back.