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Blinding laser attacks on airline pilots surge
Published: 25 Oct 10 10:19 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20101025-30729.html
Dangerous blinding attacks with high-powered lasers on aeroplane and helicopter pilots in Germany have risen dramatically in recent months, according government figures released Monday.
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The high-powered lasers put the lives of the pilots as well as airline passengers and people on the ground at risk, aviation experts say, prompting calls for the devices to be treated as weapons.
At Düsseldorf Airport alone there were 15 such attacks in the first nine months of this year.
The number of cases has particularly spiked in the autumn, with its greater hours of darkness per day.
Air traffic controllers were powerless to do anything about the attacks, said Ute Otterbein, spokeswoman for the DFS air traffic authority.
“We can’t do anything about it, except pass on the information as quickly as possible,” she said.
Jörg Handwerg, spokesman for the pilots‘ association, Cockpit, said the reason for the dramatic spike in attacks was simple: “These dangerous, high-powered laser pointers are ever more common because they have become cheaper.”
Although sales of the high-powered versions of the device are actually banned in Germany, they can still be easily bought on the internet.
Yet many people still did not appreciate how dangerous the devices were, Otterbein said.
“They regard it simply as a stupid kids’ prank to blind someone with it,” she said.
Yet the attacks could have potentially catastrophic consequences.
Handwerg added: “They can burn a hole in CDs or take away someone’s eyesight from hundreds of metres’ distance.”
He said that the lasers should be regarded as weapons and regulated with corresponding strictness.
Car drivers have also complained of laser blinding attacks.
DAPD/The Local/dw
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Your comments about this article:
German police should wake up and do the right thing fast and stop this thing by arresting these criminals.
It is hard to believe that in a developed country where a lot of educated people live can happen this thing.
1) Even in final approach, most planes will not be crashed due to laser blindness (the development of ILS technology means that most planes are not landed by hand/eye coordination alone)
2) Simple solution to these "terrorist strikes" = applying intelli-tinting to the cockpit
While it is just bad manners to go blinding random strangers, two pilots screaming and flailing around the cockpit on final approach because their retinas just got fried are definitely going to crash the plane. The ILS is not going to magically kick in and save the day.
Perhaps someone can develop a 'Laser Finder' system similar to those used in big cities to triangulate for gunshot sounds. The technology must be out there to 'traceback' the lasers as I am sure the Defense industry would love to be able to 'traceback' targeting lasers and such.
As I understand it, the dazzling of the pilots comes from the laser scattering in the cockpit. While a direct hit to the eye is statistically difficult, a direct hit to the eye destroys the eye.
I have also been a passenger on a state-of-the-art commercial jet that was hit by a microburst/wind shear on final approach. I saw the wingtip hit the runway (with damage). The ILS did nothing. The [alert] pilots saved us. With a dazzled, or worse yet, blind pilot, we would have been a pile scrap metal and meat on the runway.
Using a toy laser pointer on someone is stupid. Using a high energy laser on airline pilots is terrorism. Full stop.
I still stand by my statement: "While it is just bad manners to go blinding random strangers..."
Do you still stand by this:
"...most planes will not be crashed due to laser blindness ."
Most planes will not???
Is less than "Most" planes crashing OK?
Any more questions?
You are obviously a troll, so I will leave this discussion now. Please look into the laser with your remaining eye.
Tschüss.
You might "professionally analyze scientific data from systems like ILS", but I professionally "analyze" weapons systems, and I can "professionally" tell you that lasers are not weapons (not yet anyway, just ask the folks at Boeing).
Terrorism? Let me guess, you are part of the crowd that believes AQ is developing 4th gen bioweapons in some London basement?! Sorry to disabuse you of your paranoia, but terrorists are inherently low tech. Bullets and explosives are a lot more cost effective than full scale R&D programs.
In order crash a plane in the manner you suggest (seconds before wheels-down), you'd pretty much need to be in the control tower for that. At higher altitudes you would need a megawatt-class laser, and quite frankly a surface-2-air missile is much cheaper...
Btw. when I opened this article on the Local, an ad for high powered green lasers popped up on "ads by Google" section on the right side of the screen. As my favourite troller on the local would say.... komisch
I never claimed to know anything about FLYING a plane, only bringing them down (if that doesn't get me flagged I don't know what will). Anyway, I do have a hand in designing tactical combat aircraft, radar tech, and seeker heads (so its safe to assume that I'm familiar with the field).
But I think I DID, in a way, respond to your comment in post #13 (re: laser position during the last few seconds of final approach)
BTW: lol about the Google analytics thing. Can't say that I'm surprised tho ;-)