[BartSimpson]

acidcomplex acidcomplex:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

A laser pointer with 50mw throughput can make an aircraft cockpit light up like a light bulb due to the laser light diffusing and speckling. And now there are lasers on the market that put out 1 watt of power - enough to start a fire at 100 meters. Don't tell me that can't hurt an eye at 1 or 2 km.

Oh, and anyone insisting that a mere laser pointer can't harm you should take a laser pointer, aim it into your eye, and see what happens. After all, if it's as harmless to the cops as you say it is, then it shouldn't harm you, right?

so to me seems like a design flaw in a chopper if a single laser can bring it down, and so starts the debate again lol. God forbid these pilots ever hit a sunrise or see a lighting storm while flying.

Again, feel free to shine a 50mw laser into your eye if you are so convinced of its harmlessness. Before you do, be sure to have your relatives familiarize themselves with the following site: http://www.guidedogs.ca/

By the way, do you think it a 'design flaw' if someone can shoot down a helicopter with a rifle? Just curious.

[hurley_108]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

A laser pointer with 50mw throughput can make an aircraft cockpit light up like a light bulb due to the laser light diffusing and speckling. And now there are lasers on the market that put out 1 watt of power - enough to start a fire at 100 meters. Don't tell me that can't hurt an eye at 1 or 2 km.

Oh, and anyone insisting that a mere laser pointer can't harm you should take a laser pointer, aim it into your eye, and see what happens. After all, if it's as harmless to the cops as you say it is, then it shouldn't harm you, right?

Bart's right on the money here. There are some STUPID powerful laser pointers out there, and they don't cost much. There's a 1W blue laser out now for $300 US, and a 60mW green will only set you back $100. 60mW will blind you instantly, and probably permanently, and as Bart said, 1W will burn.

[hurley_108]

G-prime G-prime:

question: who the f*** still owns a laser pointer!?

People who know how awesome LASERs are. I own a 5mW green.

[hurley_108]

uwish uwish:

While I don't condone his stupidity, I think this is a bit of an overreaction. "Blinded the crew" I call BS. These are highly localized energy with a very small diameter so unless you are perfectly looking down the beam to its' source, it won't 'blind' anyone. Throw in a moving heli and I say good luck even trying to keep the device aimed at any one spot on an aircraft.

Not saying it wasn't stupid thing to do, just saying I think this is pretty rediculous.

They actually diverge rather quickly, ~1-2 milliradians. Meaning that the beam diameter widens by 1mm for every meter it travels. That means it's 1-2m wide at 1km, and will flood the cockpit.

[BartSimpson]

hurley_108 hurley_108:

G-prime G-prime:

question: who the f*** still owns a laser pointer!?

People who know how awesome LASERs are. I own a 5mW green.

I've got a 50mw green laser that's awesome for presentations in bright daylight and it's just cool to mess with especially on a lightly foggy night when you can see the beam. Yeah, it's probably just a toy about 80% of the time I pull it out but then I don't aim it at anyone so there's no harm.

I've also got lasers on a few of my firearms and I have at least three lasers for boresighting.

[ShepherdsDog]

it messes with cats too.

[hurley_108]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

it messes with cats too.

And babies. And toddlers. Not that I'd know from personal experience....

[Proculation]

acidcomplex acidcomplex:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

A laser pointer with 50mw throughput can make an aircraft cockpit light up like a light bulb due to the laser light diffusing and speckling. And now there are lasers on the market that put out 1 watt of power - enough to start a fire at 100 meters. Don't tell me that can't hurt an eye at 1 or 2 km.

Oh, and anyone insisting that a mere laser pointer can't harm you should take a laser pointer, aim it into your eye, and see what happens. After all, if it's as harmless to the cops as you say it is, then it shouldn't harm you, right?

so to me seems like a design flaw in a chopper if a single laser can bring it down, and so starts the debate again lol. God forbid these pilots ever hit a sunrise or see a lighting storm while flying.

You should learn about what we call 'diffusion' and 'refraction' in optic physics.

I don't know about cockpit windows in helicopters but I don't think it's a simple glass.

Like someone said, you don't have to look directly at the laser to burn your retina. It's not like the sun. The waves of a laser are very concentrated, at the same wavelength and in the same "direction" (the waves are vibrating in the same 2d plan). Unlike the light waves of the sun that have a very width range of wavelengths that are not so concentrated and multi directional.

[Pseudonym]

Some of these commercially available lasers will mess you up. I wonder if we're ever going to see government making a laser registry?

[RUEZ]

acidcomplex acidcomplex:

yeah another over reaction by the cops, of course, on a side note if you wanna become a terrorist, just buy a laser pointer, no need for that silly jihad training school thingy anymore

How is this an over reaction?

[gonavy47]

For all you doubters out there, next time you are on a commercial flight, and are coming in for a night landing, before you get to the airport, just have a look out the window and see just how little you can see. Then imagine you are in CONTROL of the aircraft, and some bozo fills the cockpit with diffused light, so you can't even see the instruments. Not a pretty picture is it?

[uwish]

hurley_108 hurley_108:

uwish uwish:

While I don't condone his stupidity, I think this is a bit of an overreaction. "Blinded the crew" I call BS. These are highly localized energy with a very small diameter so unless you are perfectly looking down the beam to its' source, it won't 'blind' anyone. Throw in a moving heli and I say good luck even trying to keep the device aimed at any one spot on an aircraft.

Not saying it wasn't stupid thing to do, just saying I think this is pretty rediculous.

They actually diverge rather quickly, ~1-2 milliradians. Meaning that the beam diameter widens by 1mm for every meter it travels. That means it's 1-2m wide at 1km, and will flood the cockpit.

they were not at 1000m (3300feet) they were under 1000 feet!

[BartSimpson]

Pseudonym Pseudonym:

Some of these commercially available lasers will mess you up. I wonder if we're ever going to see government making a laser registry?

I doubt it. Mostly because it's so easy to make a laser and then you can make a laser out of so many things, like Jello.

[Proculation]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Pseudonym Pseudonym:

Some of these commercially available lasers will mess you up. I wonder if we're ever going to see government making a laser registry?

I doubt it. Mostly because it's so easy to make a laser and then you can make a laser out of so many things, like Jello.

Didn't MacGuyver make a laser with a paper clip and some meat twine ?

[BartSimpson]

Proculation Proculation:

Didn't MacGuyver make a laser with a paper clip and some meat twine ?

No, he made a 1932 Bugatti Type 41 Royale with a paper clip and meat twine. He made a laser with a toothpick, fishing line, and a collector's pin from the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley. Handy things to keep around, those Olympic collector's pins.