News what the fuck is wrong with some people ?!

[Mabs]

makes me so angry reading shit like this, i dont understand how people can find it acceptable

BBC News - Laser 'shone at Wiltshire Air Ambulance' in Calne

 

[Cadelin]

makes me so angry reading shit like this, i dont understand how people can find it acceptable

BBC News - Laser 'shone at Wiltshire Air Ambulance' in Calne

While its a really twatish thing for an adult to do, it could just be a 5 year pretending to shoot space aliens.

I don't think a helicopter should be stopped from landing because of a class I laser. More powerful lasers are regulated already and shouldn't fall into the hands of children.

 

[soze]

I think i read about similar about piolots coming into land at one of the major airports getting targeted and it ended up being a noise polution protester.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Could've been a 5 year shooting aliens(as said), or a random occurance of misplaced laserpointer, or a faulty thingydoo on a rooftop, or a moron with no sense. Whatever the case, if a laserpointer can do this much damage, i'd take a look at some of the modern gear if a 5 year old can possibly stop an aircraft.

 

[soze]

200mW Green Laser Pointer Pen Black - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

Here is a (claimed) 200 mw laser pen that looks like it will ship to the uk for $50. That's a ordinary harmless laser pen. As seen by Australia banning anything over 1 mw.

I do believe that these (if the piolot was hit by one of these) could cause a helicopter pilot some issues. If he is coming into land he needs tomcheck his instruments and clearance ect. If he then can't see that's a problem.

 

[StRaNgEdAyS]

Banning the OTC sale of lasers greater than 1mW was a bit retarded IMO.
It's piss easy to get higher class lasers delivered to your door. Industrial stuff.
BTW it doesn't take much intensity of laser light to completely disorient someone trying to focus on a very bloody important task.
Anyone pointing a laser of any class at an aircraft should be suspended by their testicles.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Mind you, i don't condone lasers at planes/choppers, but was merely pointing out that there might be a worthwhile upgrade to try and counter these.

 

[Zenith.UK]

200mW Green Laser Pointer Pen Black - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

Here is a (claimed) 200 mw laser pen that looks like it will ship to the uk for $50. That's a ordinary harmless laser pen. As seen by Australia banning anything over 1 mw.

I do believe that these (if the piolot was hit by one of these) could cause a helicopter pilot some issues. If he is coming into land he needs tomcheck his instruments and clearance ect. If he then can't see that's a problem.

There is no normal everyday use for a 200mW green laser. The power level is completely excessive. Even 5mW laser pointers are more than enough for indication. Anyone working on a till is exposed to class 1 laser from from the scanner. Thankfully you are unable to permanently damage your eyes from staring into one of those. The speckly glow around the spot is much like the speckly glow when you look at a yellow sodium vapour streetlight. Twinkle, twinkle.

Due to the divergence, a 200mW laser on the cockpit of a plane wouldn't be dangerous enough to cause permanent damage, but it's more than enough to make you blink, look away and mess up dark adapted night vision. All things that can distract a pilot at a critical time landing a plane. That's why it's taken so seriously, and in a way, I agree with it.

 

[StRaNgEdAyS]

There are glasses available that will filter out the laser but they are type specific and put a serious dent in the cool factor of the whole aviator image.
I suppose you could embed the filter into the screen, but it will also block the corresponding frequencies of visible light and you really don't want stuff to be interfering with your view out the front in an aircraft.

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

It does actually say in the article that shining the laser pen at the 'copter didn't affect the outcome.

I don't condone the behaviour, actually the opposite, but I don't see from the article how the outcome would be any different without the person that interfered.

Interestingly, the article doesn't even confirm that a laser pen was shone at the pilot. Hard to say if its BBC legalise avoiding being sued or sensationalism desperate for a story.

 

[Raven]

The BBC are getting very tabloid these days, some of their reporting is actually quite comical. Just look at the shit storm they tried to whip up with, what they made out to be, the armageddon that was swine flu.

 

[Lamp]

I'd put this story in the same basket as the idiots who make prank / hoax calls to the emergency services. And what about those assholes who attacked fire / ambulance crews during the riots? Makes my blood boil.

 

[Ctuchik]

Just look at the shit storm they tried to whip up with, what they made out to be, the armageddon that was swine flu.

Pretty much all news papers in the EU jumped on that train though.

 

[Mabs]

It does actually say in the article that shining the laser pen at the 'copter didn't affect the outcome.

I don't condone the behaviour, actually the opposite, but I don't see from the article how the outcome would be any different without the person that interfered.

Interestingly, the article doesn't even confirm that a laser pen was shone at the pilot. Hard to say if its BBC legalise avoiding being sued or sensationalism desperate for a story.

well quite, but it doesnt excuse the behavior and it could of effected it, and tbh, its pretty hard to mistake an AIR AMBULANCE for something else, ya know