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July 30, 2010
Pilots report surge in laser pointer attacks during landings
Published: 9 Oct 09 14:14 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20091009-22457.html
Pilots have been reporting an increasing number of potentially deadly attacks on commercial jets with laser pointers during night landings at major German airports.
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“In our assessment this is very dangerous,” DFS spokesperson Kristina Kelek said on Thursday.
“It’s like a lightning strike,” pilots’ union Cockpit spokesperson Jörg Handwerg said, explaining that at nighttime people's pupils are dilated, and a sudden flash of targeted light can be blinding and deadly.
Landing is the most delicate operation of a flight, Handwerg said, adding that pilots are in a “phase of highest concentration” during which any distraction could cause an accident. When someone shines a laser into the cockpit at this time, many pilots are forced to abort their landing attempt and re-approach the runway, he said.
Interfering with train, ship or air traffic with a laser is a crime that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in Germany. It’s not a new phenomenon – officials in the US and Australia have also reported an increasing number of cases in the last two decades.
The increase has likely occurred because laser pointers are cheaper and easier to acquire than ever before.
Because catching a laser attacker in the act is difficult, Handwerg suggested that government officials institute regulations similar to those for “other weapons,” because “when aimed at people this is definitely a weapon” he said.
DPA/The Local (news@thelocal.de)
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Your comments about this article:
The point is not about the practical/beneficial uses it is about a quick win for the politicos in solving this problem, but it should be.
Very few politicians really think about the implications of their actions, they just look for the easy way out (the quick win). Next the politicians will outlaw knives (all types), axes, hammers, screw drivers, and continuing down the line to anything made of hard plastic or metal, stones, etc. Where does it stop?
getting a good "shot" at the cockpit is doable in HAM on 15/33. 05/23 would be a pain in the ass as you would need to get on a roof to get a good view. I wonder if anyone has tried it from the cafe/bridge, can't get better than that, raised platform and all. of course it would be shut down the next day
i cant understand the umpah, what laserpointer has that wattage to have an effective range of at least 500m?
And yes, the Radiation Protection Commission (interior ministry agency) has been trying to get the government to ban any laser pointers above Class II for over ten years now. Laser pointers that fall under the - legal - class IIIA in the US are classified as IIIB in Germany.
The problem comes from Joe Bloggs the plane spotter. The 50 year old single man who still lives with his mother and has spent his hard earnt pocket money on a 300 euro laser range finder so that he can know how far away an aircraft is before peeing his pants with sheer excitement!!!
The solution is simple and relatively inexpensive. A worldwide cull of all plane spotters!!!
Other than that aircrew can be issued with relatively cheap laser safe goggles/glasses which can be donned before final approach.
heres a good one from youtube concerning a hearing problem on landing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K4QHpVXtxI
Uh, whats that beeping sound?
flashing in cockpit
last 20 sek. NSFW
Using it, by pointing it at airplanes will get you around ten years in prison.
That's what i just heard yestereday.
http://www.greatestmoviedeaths.com/2009/03/catch-22-propeller-scene.html
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