No this is indeed a true case.

Link

The baffling thing is that anyone with knowledge about such things would know the difficulties and much easier ways to blind pilots at important points. Not really a viable terrorist threat and certainly not the most serious. A laser designed to launch in a fibre cable will not be powerful enough to permanently blind someone at such a distance over such a short time. It's a distraction not a weapon. Sounds like the guy is getting a serious response to his stupidity though.

Paul.

as I can barely point a laser beam across a room to hit my dogs butt, let alone a quarter mile or more away and moving at 350mph up in the sky target

I wondered about that. I hope it's not a way to ban lasers based on this and create yet more laws to control people or things.

Lasers are used to "paint" the targets of laser-guided munitions, and as point-and-shoot sights for firearms. While there has been some hubub in the press about blinding or distracting pilots, there is as much intimidation/threat involved. There was no way to know if this was someone with a laser-guided munition or a gun with a laser sight until the man was caught.

He was also charged with lying to federal officers. Supposedly he was caught after shining it, again, at a police helicopter that was looking for who hat painted the first aircraft. I'm sure it would be next to impossible to blind a pilot, but, frankly, he had to have some measure of success hitting the plane in a noticable way or it wouldn't have, well, been noticed...

I'm not saying that this guy needs to go to jail for 35 years, but painting passenger aircraft with lasers should not be taken as harmless in a knee-jerk way.

Thanks for the link. It explained quite a bit more and some of the reasoning, not all, but some. Its also still very crazy.

" Thanks for the link. It explained quite a bit more and some of the reasoning, not all, but some. Its also still very crazy."

Seems crystal clear to me. Laser painting commercial aircraft isn't smart, by anyone's standards. The guy did it repeatedly, even the police helicopter that was looking for him. They had no way of knowing if it was the laser sight of a gun.

Granted laser painting for laser guided missiles is more far fetched, but frankly everytime a plane crashes in the US mysteriously millions of people carry around the suspicion that it was shot down with a missle. If you think that is an excessive, feel free to do a search on TWA Flight 800... ( Example)

They don't want people flying planes to be targeted with lasers, they don't want people riding as passengers in planes to realize they are being targeted. If they laugh it off every 15 year old that can afford a laser pointer will join in the fun.

Like I said, I don't think the guy deserves 35 years, and I don't think he'll get it, but I think it would be the height of irresponsibility to ignore this kind of thing.

I think the fact that they used the patriot act as cause to search and prosicute him is the only reason why this is even news worthy. Its pretty comical otherwise. I hope outdoor concert lighting technicians are especially aware of these issues, heh.

"Hey cutie, what ya in for?"

"I blinded a pilot with a fricken laser beam, so you know you better step off bieeeeoootch!"

Hehehe!