Pointing Lasers at Aircraft

[Celticgirl]

I was lased late one night several years ago over Mississauga while flying the Peel Region Police Helicopter Trial. It happened while we were orbitting over a crime scene just north of the QEW, and the idiot was about halfway up a high-rise apartment building - several people were out on balconies watching us. It was only a laser pointer, but it was pretty bright and the red spot on the building was surprisingly large. As soon as we were done, we flew over and put the NiteSun on him, at narrow focus. Our 30 million candlepower easily won. He probably felt several degrees warmer.

Awesome. Love how you handled that one. ;D

Like you, I was also thinking that the news report might inspire some idiots to try it - like the morons that will put a penny on a train track. What the heck is wrong with some people?

 

[The Bread Guy]

(shining bright lights at aircraft in flight is a crime).

MSM says it's illegal in the US, and it appears some laws are being worked on, but here in Canada, is this a Criminal Code offense, or something under one of the acts/regs governing aviation?

 

[PetitGuerrier]

It appears the green ones are much more powerful than the red ones, not from the power of the unit but from the wave properties of the color.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/657a/

And some events here:
http://sci.tech-archive.net/Archive/sci.astro.amateur/2005-01/0965.html

From my POV the planes windshield should filter out these lasers (if possible), the units are sold publically and no training comes with it.

 

[Loachman]

Awesome. Love how you handled that one. ;D

Natural response.

NiteSun is a fun piece of kit.

There was a problem bar in Brampton with a patio. Calls to it were common, and there were more than a couple of nights where a bunch of idiots would still be flailing away at each other in the parking lot while surrounded by patrons, coppers and their cars, and ambulances. We would fly over several times during the evening and put the beam on the patio as a friendly reminder. At narrow focus, it would be about three or four feet in diameter - I used to joke that we could melt the ice in the drinks from a thousand feet.

There was a policeman having a party on the patio of his apartment building on another night. We put the beam on it briefly just to say "hello" as we passed by on route to somewhere else. The building superintendent remarked to him a couple of days later that there was a huge drop in water pressure in the building as we went overhead and he couldn't understand how the helicopter could cause that. The explanation was quite simple - every non-police resident simultaneously flushed their stash in fear of an imminent raid.

 

[Loachman]

From my POV the planes windshield should filter out these lasers (if possible),

Not a practical or economical solution.

To filter out laser light, one must filter out that part of the spectrum in which the laser operates.

Now, filter out red and green and what is one left seeing?

Not good by day, and even worse by night.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The explanation was quite simple - every non-police resident simultaneously flushed their stash in fear of an imminent raid.

But the police residents knew it wasn't a raid, so they didn't flush their's 8) ;D (j/k)

 

[Loachman]

But the police residents knew it wasn't a raid, so they didn't flush their's 8) ;D (j/k)

They were all outside at the party...

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

patio

..but the druggies in the alleyway, thought they had finally reached utopia....


[allright Mods, :-[ back on topic]

 

[PetitGuerrier]

Not a practical or economical solution.

To filter out laser light, one must filter out that part of the spectrum in which the laser operates.

Now, filter out red and green and what is one left seeing?

Not good by day, and even worse by night.

Oh, right, makes sense  :-X

Can you make the assumption that the laser will come only from certain angles so you dont have to do the whole windshield, like sunshades in a (older) car?

 

[benny88]

Can you make the assumption that the laser will come only from certain angles so you dont have to do the whole windshield, like sunshades in a (older) car?

  Might help with commercial airliners, although the pilots need to see through that part of the windscreen as well. But it wouldn't work if some clown was in a high rise shooting at a helicopter.

 

[Loachman]

We have laser protective visors for our helmets, which are obviously far more practical and cheaper than whole windscreens or bubbles. They still only cover certain portions of the spectrum, and the threat is mainly from lasers operating in the non-visible portion of the spectrum such as rangefinders, designators, and weapons. Laser pointers and other non-regulated civilian lasers generally operate in the visible portion, and blocking that out by any means impairs ones vision.

As for angles, one can presume that they will come from below the aircraft and from any direction and blocking any of that out is unacceptable. Conflicting traffic could be anywhere in the same area and one would certainly like to see that before it fills too big a part of one's field of view, and it's nice to be able to see the ground while attempting to land on it.

A more practical and fun, albeit not politically acceptable, solution would be laser-homing missiles.

 

[Celticgirl]

A more practical and fun, albeit not politically acceptable, solution would be laser-homing missiles.

:rofl:

 

[CougarKing]

The ff. update didn't occur in Canada, but is related:

"http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,535161,00.html?test=latestnews

Man's Laser Blinded Police Chopper Pilot, FBI Says
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania man was charged with aiming a high-powered laser at a police helicopter cockpit during flight and blinding the pilot.
The FBI says 51-year-old Williamsport resident James Gautieri temporarily blinded Lt. Anthony Ginaldi as he tried to land the helicopter in northeast Philadelphia in April. Ginaldi had to turn over controls to a co-pilot.
Police say they kept their search light on Gautieri's location until officers on the ground arrived to arrest him. Federal prosecutors aren't discussing a possible motive.
Gautieri is charged with interfering with the operation of an aircraft and reckless endangerment. His defense lawyer hasn't returned a telephone call seeking comment

 

[Loachman]

Excellent. Convict him, tape his eyelids open, and see how he likes his toy.

Punishment should always fit the crime, be imaginative, and provide deterrence and entertainment as appropriate to the individual audience member.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Reviving necrothread with a Canadian incident, with a reminder:  according to Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, "Any person charged with an offence has the right .... to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal."

A member of the Canadian Armed Forces has been arrested for allegedly pointing a laser at a York Regional Police helicopter on the weekend.

Nicholas Caranci, 19, is facing charges of mischief endangering life, unlawfully engaging in behaviour that endangers an aircraft, and projecting a bright light source in navigable airspace.

He’ll be back in court on September 18.

The military confirmed to CityNews on Tuesday that Caranci is a Private. He enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces on February 18th, 2014.

“He last paraded with his unit, 32 Service Battalion, on June 7th, 2014,” the military said in a statement.

“The Canadian Armed Forces take all allegations of criminal activity seriously, and in all cases, investigations are conducted to determine the facts, analyze the evidence, and if warranted, lay appropriate charges.” ....

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I agree we should not judge in advance of all the facts being known. But am I the only one here who thinks this is totally biased reporting to make the CF look bad?

The guy is a reservist, obviously (not paraded since June - 32 Serv. Bn). This is something he was therefore doing at home, wearing his civvies - not uniform, at a time when he is not even subject to the Code of Discipline.

He was not on service, on a base, in uniform or participating in any CF activity. How is being a member of the CF related in any way form or shape to his action for which he is being arrested? What is the relevance of this reference to the CF in the news story? None.

Yet the article almost make it sound as though this happened as a result of his being in the CF, of acting as a member of the CF.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I agree we should not judge in advance of all the facts being known. But am I the only one here who thinks this is totally biased reporting to make the CF look bad?

You raise an interesting question, given there's no ref to military service in the police news release (attached).  Also, here's the YouTube video from the police service.

It'll be interesting to hear more in court re:  how the military link was made, and why it matters.

For the record, here's the CF's statement (at the bottom of the news story):

Full Canadian Military Statement:

Private Nicholas Caranci enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces on February 18th, 2014. He last paraded with his unit, 32 Service Battalion, on June 7th, 2014.

The Canadian Armed Forces take all allegations of criminal activity seriously, and in all cases, investigations are conducted to determine the facts, analyze the evidence, and if warranted, lay appropriate charges.

The matter is now proceeding through the criminal justice system, therefore no further details can be released at this time.

The Canadian Armed Forces hold their members to a very high standard of conduct and performance, in Canada or abroad, on or off military duty. When an incident, a special circumstance, or a professional deficiency occurs that calls into question the member’s suitability for continued service, an administrative review will be initiated to ensure the most appropriate career administrative action is taken.

 

[CountDC]

Jun 2014?  Sounds like he has been NES which raises the question of why he is still a mbr of the unit.  Should have been released by now.

 

[The Bread Guy]

This from The Canadian Press, highlights mine -- shared under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42) ...

Provincial police are investigating a report of a laser being pointed at a U.S. military aircraft in northern Ontario.

Police say they received a report late Tuesday night that a laser was pointed at the aircraft, which was flying at 36,000 feet (almost 11000 metres).

The aircraft was in the area of Sables-Spanish River Township, north of Manitoulin Island.

OPP are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact investigators.

Under the Aeronautics Act, anyone convicted of pointing a laser at an aircraft faces fines totalling $100,000 and up to five years in prison.

Happy to hear from experts, but this is the first I've heard of any plane that high up over Canada being dinged and reporting it.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I wonder if the person even realized they were pointing at an aircraft at that height or could even get a hit on it?