Those laser "attacks" on police helicopters
Discussion
The tiny little lasers which can be had for a couple of quid are probably not the problem - but there are some serious bits of kit being offered for sale on eBay which certainly can and do cause a problem.
It's not just helicopters either - airline pilots are being laser dazzled on a regular basis, usually on final approach at night; there is regularly a right old rumpus about it on the Pprune, although, ironically, whenever the word "Laser" appeared in a thread title or message body, often as not the targetted advertising algorithm helpfully offered the readers high-powered lasers for sale at knock-down prices, which, as you can imagine, did tend to get on the tits of various airline pilots posting to complain bitterly about being dazzled on final into Manchester the night before by some scrote with just such an item. In the end, rather than try and fix the advertising algorithm, they had the swear filter replace "Laser" with "L@ser".
Brilliant...just brilliant.
It's not just helicopters either - airline pilots are being laser dazzled on a regular basis, usually on final approach at night; there is regularly a right old rumpus about it on the Pprune, although, ironically, whenever the word "Laser" appeared in a thread title or message body, often as not the targetted advertising algorithm helpfully offered the readers high-powered lasers for sale at knock-down prices, which, as you can imagine, did tend to get on the tits of various airline pilots posting to complain bitterly about being dazzled on final into Manchester the night before by some scrote with just such an item. In the end, rather than try and fix the advertising algorithm, they had the swear filter replace "Laser" with "L@ser".
Brilliant...just brilliant.
eharding said:
The tiny little lasers which can be had for a couple of quid are probably not the problem - but there are some serious bits of kit being offered for sale on eBay which certainly can and do cause a problem...
Not any more, last time I searched for a laser on fleabay they'd banned listing anything above 5mw. Which would no doubt be pretty unpleasant at close range, but over a few hundred feet the beam diverges to that it's no more dazzling than a cheap torch.In any case, it's not the lasers that are the problem, it's the select band of knobheads who use them to play silly feckers with aircraft. Much like the cocks who shoot people/dogs/cats/windows with airguns, thus making life harder for those of us who just want to use the damn things for safe, legal fun.
eharding said:
It's not just helicopters either - airline pilots are being laser dazzled on a regular basis, usually on final approach at night; there is regularly a right old rumpus about it on the Pprune, although, ironically, whenever the word "Laser" appeared in a thread title or message body, often as not the targetted advertising algorithm helpfully offered the readers high-powered lasers for sale at knock-down prices, which, as you can imagine, did tend to get on the tits of various airline pilots posting to complain bitterly about being dazzled on final into Manchester the night before by some scrote with just such an item. In the end, rather than try and fix the advertising algorithm, they had the swear filter replace "Laser" with "L@ser".
And breath 
colonel c said:
eharding said:
It's not just helicopters either - airline pilots are being laser dazzled on a regular basis, usually on final approach at night; there is regularly a right old rumpus about it on the Pprune, although, ironically, whenever the word "Laser" appeared in a thread title or message body, often as not the targetted advertising algorithm helpfully offered the readers high-powered lasers for sale at knock-down prices, which, as you can imagine, did tend to get on the tits of various airline pilots posting to complain bitterly about being dazzled on final into Manchester the night before by some scrote with just such an item. In the end, rather than try and fix the advertising algorithm, they had the swear filter replace "Laser" with "L@ser".
And breath If you're not careful, I'll quote something from Hansard - you'll be out cold from asphyxiation within 5 minutes reading that lot
Edited by eharding on Wednesday 8th April 20:55
eharding said:
colonel c said:
eharding said:
It's not just helicopters either - airline pilots are being laser dazzled on a regular basis, usually on final approach at night; there is regularly a right old rumpus about it on the Pprune, although, ironically, whenever the word "Laser" appeared in a thread title or message body, often as not the targetted advertising algorithm helpfully offered the readers high-powered lasers for sale at knock-down prices, which, as you can imagine, did tend to get on the tits of various airline pilots posting to complain bitterly about being dazzled on final into Manchester the night before by some scrote with just such an item. In the end, rather than try and fix the advertising algorithm, they had the swear filter replace "Laser" with "L@ser".
And breath If you're not careful, I'll quote something from Hansard - you'll be out cold from asphyxiation within 5 minutes reading that lot
Edited by eharding on Wednesday 8th April 20:55
Somebody call the grammar police.
colonel c said:
eharding said:
colonel c said:
eharding said:
It's not just helicopters either - airline pilots are being laser dazzled on a regular basis, usually on final approach at night; there is regularly a right old rumpus about it on the Pprune, although, ironically, whenever the word "Laser" appeared in a thread title or message body, often as not the targetted advertising algorithm helpfully offered the readers high-powered lasers for sale at knock-down prices, which, as you can imagine, did tend to get on the tits of various airline pilots posting to complain bitterly about being dazzled on final into Manchester the night before by some scrote with just such an item. In the end, rather than try and fix the advertising algorithm, they had the swear filter replace "Laser" with "L@ser".
And breathIf you're not careful, I'll quote something from Hansard - you'll be out cold from asphyxiation within 5 minutes reading that lot
Edited by eharding on Wednesday 8th April 20:55
Somebody call the grammar police.
"Breathe" is the word you are looking for.
RegMolehusband said:
Can one of those cheap little laser pens really cause eye damage at 500ft or are the police just exagerating because they're getting a little bitter and twisted? It seems to me it's just a little fad that would have died away if they'd kept quiet about it.
Tell you what, I'll stand 500 feet away from you, wobbling about a bit, as if suspended from a whirring disc of speeding metal, and if you can damage my eyes with a mickey mouse laser pen I'll give you my maison and my first born. 
How sensible/plausible/stupid does that sound?
I've got a 150mw green laser.
It is extremely powerful and woud certainly cause temporary or permanent blindness if you were zapped in your eye. It can also burst balloons, burn skin etc...
Fortunately I am a sensible member of society. Others however.... probably shouldn't be allowed to own them.
It is extremely powerful and woud certainly cause temporary or permanent blindness if you were zapped in your eye. It can also burst balloons, burn skin etc...
Fortunately I am a sensible member of society. Others however.... probably shouldn't be allowed to own them.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Actually, I think I can arrange a nice little earner here.I know this bloke who's willing to pretend to be a helicopter, and bets his house and first born that your little laser pen from 500 feet (shhhh...) won't cause him to blink, let alone do him any harm.
I'll arrange the time and the place, we split the proceeds from the house, and let his first born grow up to kick his poor old (half-blind) Dad's head in for being a muppet and losing the house.
What do you reckon?
eharding said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Actually, I think I can arrange a nice little earner here.I know this bloke who's willing to pretend to be a helicopter, and bets his house and first born that your little laser pen from 500 feet (shhhh...) won't cause him to blink, let alone do him any harm.
I'll arrange the time and the place, we split the proceeds from the house, and let his first born grow up to kick his poor old (half-blind) Dad's head in for being a muppet and losing the house.
What do you reckon?
King Herald said:
Hoi, I thought we were talking about cheap little laser pens, not Ronnie Reagans Star Wars prototype.
Ahhhhh - too late to back out now. Sorry.Now, if you'll just put the Deeds to the property in the corner over there, tape your eyelids open, then we can get started.
Is there any particular helicopter you'd like to pretend to be? I'd ask Eric for some recommendations, but apparently his attempt to escape was foiled. The mods have got him bundled up in a cellar somewhere, and are pulling out his finger nails until he tells them his best tax-efficiency tips for avoiding benefit-in-kind liability for availability of the PH company electric cattle-prod for personal use. Poor little sod.
Anyway, if you'd just stand over there we can begin.
TheEnd said:
Anyone know if the inverse square rule works for lasers?
No it doesn't, as the light is emitted in a tight beam. However the cheap lasers don't have that tight a beam, so it does spread out fairly quickly e.g. from a 1mm dot at 10cm range to a 150mm circle at 20m. The lasers used to reflect off the moon have much better collimated beams - IIRC they are only 30km across at a range of 300,000 kmGassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff