Laser Incidents

[Brent Bergan]

A pilot from a local sheriff's office has been getting lasered recently and was wondering what other folks have done to find & prosecute these guys. I read one article online where New Zeland cops were getting lased, and they found the jerks who where doing it. After the incident, the Kiwis enacted a law where folks who do this can get up to 14 years in prison. The reason being, from what I’ve read, is that getting lased can be completely discombobulating. I’ve never experienced this problem, but, I wanted to know if you have, if you found the guy that did it and if that person went to jail?

[Ryan]

I've never been hit by one, but we had a rash of company machines getting hit a few months ago. Within a week we had about 6 flights hit with lasers, and numerous other operators also got it. Day or night didn't make a difference.

 

The guys were never caught, at least not to my knowledge. Would be tricky to pin point the location without blinding yourself in the process.

[Brent Bergan]

Thanks for the info.... just read about a MD man charged with lasing an ENG helicopter. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9022503006.html

 

 

[Guest jacdor]

I've never been hit by one, but we had a rash of company machines getting hit a few months ago. Within a week we had about 6 flights hit with lasers, and numerous other operators also got it. Day or night didn't make a difference.

 

The guys were never caught, at least not to my knowledge. Would be tricky to pin point the location without blinding yourself in the process.

 

Just curious

What is it you are suppose to see?

A red dot moving around in the cockpit or something?

 

JD

[Ryan]

Just last week I had my first encounter with a laser beam into the cockpit. We were cruising at 3500' over Richmond when it happened. I first noticed a little flicker of light near my feet out of the corner of my eye, but it stopped as soon as I looked down. A moment later it returned. It was a strange red light light coming straight up thru the window by my feet.

 

The light wasn't constant but flashed around as if the person on the ground was shaking the light trying to maximize the chance of hitting us. It also wasn't as tightly focused a beam as you see with pen lasers at close range. I guess given the distance between us and the source the beam had widened out to about 4". Thankfully though we were right on top of the source and didn't get a direct shot to the face.

 

About 2 weeks ago someone was actually arrested near CYYJ for pointing lasers into the cockpits of landing planes. Idiots.

[tDawe]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/200...er-pointer.html

 

1000$ fine for this guy in Calgary. Pointed it at HAWC to boot..

[06HeliMAN]

Wonder if there would be fewer incidents if the media did not make this a top headline? Not milding down the crime, but wonder if their coverage on the incidents only put the thoughts into the heads of ones who never would otherwise thought of doing it?

[Elvis]

There was another incident yesterday in Toronto

 

http://www.thestar.com/article/596823

[Mark_]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/200...er-pointer.html

 

1000$ fine for this guy in Calgary. Pointed it at HAWC to boot..

 

Friggin Moron.

 

[Ryan]

Wonder if there would be fewer incidents if the media did not make this a top headline? Not milding down the crime, but wonder if their coverage on the incidents only put the thoughts into the heads of ones who never would otherwise thought of doing it?

 

Probably right. We had a rash of incidents a few months ago that started the day after a recent laser incident from another province was featured on the news and in the papers.

 

My request for miniguns to be installed on our machines has gone unanswered....