Pilots are complaining of Lasers.

[Taylor1]

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0621886420080307?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Not kidding in Canada.

[DeclinetoState]

Well, if the laser is flashed by a guy consorting with a moose, we'll know who it is!

[DoctorDoom]

It's becoming a common hazard for pilots, although the chance of actually hitting a plane, let alone a window, with a handheld red-light laser is not that good. The odds change drastically with green lasers. The beams are clearly visible during night hours and make aiming much more accurate. And since the human eye's sensitivity peaks in the green part of the spectrum, the chance of being temporarily blinded is far greater. Beyond that, there are lasers available in excess of 100 milliwatts, which can instantly and permanently damage eyes.

The culprits, if they are ever found, should be locked away for a very long time.

[BarkleUSA]

I've heard that too about the green lasers having a much longer range and they are trying to ban them. The article didn't mention the color of the light or if it seemed to be coming from the ground.

[DoctorDoom]

I doubt that they'll be banned. Legal maxim: Ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia - The consequences of abuse do not apply to general use. The fact that a thing can be abused is not an argument against its proper use.

IAC, there will be a thriving black market if they are.

Re the range, the color sensitivity of the human eye increases the apparent brightness. This graphic shows the response of the human eye to various colors.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/DocDoom777/Science/EyeSens.jpg

Green lasers are near the peak of the curve at 532 nm.

These laser pointers produce an intense beam that is highly visible under most conditions. Intensity is about 35 times brighter than a red 670 nm basic laser pen. Visible effects are greatly enhanced over water, in the fog, rain or snow and humidty. lf one was to look in the direction of the laser, it would appear as the brightest source of light on the horizon from a distance of many tens of miles.Laser Beam Visibility Information (http://www.amazing1.com/laser_pointers.htm)

Science 101 is dismissed.

[ThomasMore]

Laser threats are something pilots are taking very seriously.

Lasers can cause permanent eye damage. Royal Canadian Air Force pilot Capt. Patrick Barnes and United States Navy Lieutenant Jack Daly suffered severe, permanent eye injuries from an apparent laser attack when they were monitoring the Russian trawler Kapitan Mann (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/155443_laser06.html) in 1997. The Clinton administration took no action.

Transcript of Lt. Daly's testimony (http://armedservices.house.gov/comdocs/testimony/106thcongress/99-02-11daly.htm) before Congress.

The Chinese have designed a powerful blinding laser weapon called the ZM-87 (http://www.defensereview.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=325). It is capable both of antipersonnel uses and blinding satellites in orbit, and compact enough to operate from the bed of a pickup truck. The Chinese have exported this weapon to third-world countries.

A number of pilots have complained of being lased northeast of Detroit airport, over Dearborn, MI. It may, or may not be coincidental that Dearborn is home to the largest Muslim community in the United States.

[Wolfcounsel]

What's going to happen probably is, the LASERs will have their pinpoint lessened to about 5000 feet or so. Fully-functional ones will require registration and fingerprinting, and they will be pulse-timed, so that the bad guys can be caught. Sound familiar, as in gun control?