Terrorists use lasers to blind airline pilots

[Rik Meleet]

Do you realise how hard it is to aim with a laser from a long distance ????
1 degree off means meters off near the plane.

This is obviously an urban myth.

 

[Hitro]

This is pure scaremongering by the media, there are so many more efficient tactics a terrorist could use that nobody in any sort of right mind would waste his energy on this. And even if they should blind a pilot, what then? Wouldn't the plane still land on itself? Wouldn't there still be someone else left to land it?

 

[Jawz II]

Oh no, they plenty of backblast danger from it. It's even addressed in the book.

Besides, I guess only Somalis know how to modify RPGs, right?

i dont understand what the first sentence means at all

as for modifying RPGs, i mean, you dont know how to do it, right?

and afghanis didnt know how to do it in their war with the russians

they used to climb tall trees, tie themselves to it and then try to shoot down choppers that way

anyway none of this stuff is really important, cause RPGs werent made for shooting down planes, even with modified ones your chances to shoot down a helo are at best very slim, and planes? none
and isnt this thread about lasers? no lasers on RPGs!

and btw how many RPGs are there in america? 2?

 

[Jawz II]

hey, guess what, they caught the laser terrorist!

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37560.htm

 

[IglooDame]

This (not North King's response, quote withing his quote) is probably another example of fearmongering producing conservative reastionaryism. But if it is terrorists then this is not good. Now, they'll have to ban all devices that produce light at airports except for laser pointers.

On a more serious note, it is a bad thing if this actually is terrorists. I have a friend whose mom works as a cargo loader at the airport. We should ban laser pointers at airports no matter what, though, since whether it is terrorism or not, it can be harmful to planes. I wonder where in the landing the incidences occured? If they didn't occur when the plane was close to the gate (and thus in a laser pointer's range) then I'd guess terrorism, since a kid couldn't get a laser that powerful. Otherwise I wouldn't get too worried but I'd investigate it nonetheless.

Banning them at airports wouldn't do any good, they can barely keep knives off of airplanes, and in any case these lasers appear to be coming from neighborhoods under or near approach vectors, not from the airports themselves.

 

[Alvaro da Luna]

Any terrorist organization sophistacted enough to teach its personnel how to fly airplanes knows that their is an autopilot that can land, takeoff or you name it with an airplane. Secondly, what material gain could they possibly have from this attack? They're not attacking a major political or economic centre, and even if they are successfull in "downing" an airplane, how easy is it for airport authorities to divert flights to other runways and resume economic activity? Terrorists have to be very picky about their targets, and I mean very picky, if they want to inflict any damage with their limitted manpower. Who in their right mind would face detection by the US over such a useless and haphazard operation?

 

[Sanaz]

Who needs terrorists when there are idiots like this?

New Jersey man charged in alleged aircraft laser incidents
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/04/laserbeam.aircraft.ap/index.html

A man who initially claimed his daughter aimed a laser at a helicopter was charged after he told federal agents that he pointed the light beam at two aircraft, authorities said Tuesday.

 

[phoenix_night]

Maybe he got the idea from the terrorists, and wrote a book before they could be implemented in real life?

Maybe he is a terrorist?

 

[EdwardTking]

Any terrorist organization sophisticated enough to teach its personnel how to fly airplanes knows that their is an autopilot that can land, takeoff or you name it with an airplane.

Autopilots are very good for maintaining level flight. While they can be
set up for landings and takeoffs, such additional functionality is not provided for all planes currently in service, may not work at every airport and may not be configured on. Permanently blinding both plots will very likely destroy the plane and murder all on board. The key difficulty is getting both pilots. I.e the second before he/she puts protective googles on and turns plane away.

Secondly, what material gain could they possibly have from this attack?

None, (unless they are speculative investors in goggles, auto-landing or take-off equipment suppliers); but terrorists are not interested in material gain.

They're not attacking a major political or economic centre, and even if they are successfull in "downing" an airplane, how easy is it for airport authorities to divert flights to other runways and resume economic activity?

Depends upon whether there are other runways. Some places just have one.
At which stage the terrorist diverts his attack to those alternative runways and airports.

Terrorists have to be very picky about their targets, and I mean very picky, if they want to inflict any damage with their limitted manpower.

Well suicide terrorists must strive maximum kill because they only get one chance; but a terrorist with a laser may likely take probability of survival to attack again; as well as likelihood of success and slaughter inflicted.

Who in their right mind would face detection by the US over such a useless and haphazard operation?

Nobody, but then presumably they hope not to be detected or maybe the terrorists are just not in their 'right mind's.

 

[IglooDame]

Maybe he is a terrorist?

And if he was outside the US, he would be eligible for a free lifetime stay in Guantanamo...

 

[Jawz II]

Who needs terrorists when there are idiots like this?

New Jersey man charged in alleged aircraft laser incidents
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/04/laserbeam.aircraft.ap/index.html

yeah thats the guy they caught, i already posted a link but i guess people rathe argue than actually read something