Laser Lights/Pointers Danger to Pilots

[AirDX]

That flare launcher sounds fun, but I'd be worried about it being followed up by number 6 .

As in:

http://www.khon2.com/mostpopular/story/Police-Flare-gun-sparked-Koko-Head-brush-fire/uPBPXmXtaU2-AAJe7ingJg.cspx

The Rest of the Story:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/15646184/firefighters-battle-big-brush-fire-in-hawaii-kai

[Major Lord]

My guess is that it was a 12 Gauge flare gun. Since they don't go too high, they sometimes land hot......Of course, if you fire it horizontally, its an incendiary tracer round! Remember: Only you can prevent forests! ( with apologies to Smokie the Bear, R.I.P.)

I relined a 26mm German Flare gun (these are solid steel and aluminum, not plastic) with a 12 gauge insert, that chambers a short blank, and allows you to drop a Cyalume stick ( which happily, is just right for a 12 gauge shotgun....) It makes a great night time signal with minimal collateral fire damage. I use the 12 Minute super Bright Orange sticks. This is primarily for a line thrower gun, with the addition of an open face fishing reel, but the glow stick busts internally when fired, lighting it up, and its soft enough not to cause any damage if I hit a ceiling pipe, heater vent, innocent bystander, etc.

Major Lord

[Al Sayre]

Maybe you can market that idea to the cops.  Come up with a frangible cyalume round that doubles as a "Rubber Bullet".  Makes it easier to track a fleeing perp at night if they keep running...

[wuzafuzz]

The last two posts were very poignant. I just came back from Pacificon ( a big Ham Convention) in Santa Clara California. I have never seen so many of those scooters in one place at the same time!
Major Lord

I wonder when APRS will have to include a "scooter mobile" icon?

[Major Lord]

The last two posts were very poignant. I just came back from Pacificon ( a big Ham Convention) in Santa Clara California. I have never seen so many of those scooters in one place at the same time!
Major Lord

I wonder when APRS will have to include a "scooter mobile" icon?

Hmmm, excellent idea! I will be visiting Finland next summer and will bring up the idea with Hessu, who owns aprs.fi

Major Lord

[blackrain]

Wasn't there talk about using lasers in the D.C. area to warn aircraft that they were straying into restricted/prohibited airspace.

Anything come of that?

On a side note we used green lasers in convoy ops in Iraq to warn civilian vehicles to get out of the way. Very effective though I don't recall the power rating they had.

[mocap84]

Just last week in STL, an airline flight that took off from Lambert and was heading north was blinded by a green laser outside of St. Charles. 

[PHall]

Wasn't there talk about using lasers in the D.C. area to warn aircraft that they were straying into restricted/prohibited airspace.

Anything come of that?

Judging by the numer of small GA aircraft that have been intercepted in the DC area lately, I don't think it went past the "idea" stage.

[flynd94]

Phil,

It's just not GA pilots who screw up. Many an airline pilot has flown into the prohibited area. I really don't understand why. If you are taking off from DCA to the north, you turn left and keep the river to the right/east of your aircraft. Don't cross the river and you are safe. Doing the river visual approach keep the fiver to your left, don't cross it.  DCA is one of my most favorite airports to fly in/out of, epsicially doing the river visual. Nothing like flying down the Potomac and looking up at the Washington Monument.

[PHall]

Phil,

It's just not GA pilots who screw up. Many an airline pilot has flown into the prohibited area. I really don't understand why. If you are taking off from DCA to the north, you turn left and keep the river to the right/east of your aircraft. Don't cross the river and you are safe. Doing the river visual approach keep the fiver to your left, don't cross it.  DCA is one of my most favorite airports to fly in/out of, epsicially doing the river visual. Nothing like flying down the Potomac and looking up at the Washington Monument.

Haven't seen any news reports about the F-16's being launched because of an errant B-737. But there has been a few about Cessna/Piper pilots busting the line into the prohibited area and the TFR over Camp David.
Of course the airliners were talking to approach/tower while most of the GA aircraft weren't talking to anybody.

[bosshawk]

Add to that the fact that all airliners and most corporate aircraft flying from and into Washington National, Dulles and BWI are on instrument flight plans, which means that they are in positive radar contact and are in constant radio contact with the ground, while a large percentage of GA aircraft are neither on instrument flight plans nor are talking to anyone.  Yep, it is the GA guys who are getting busted.

I know that airspace from my days in DC and I fail to understand why so many pilots don't seem to get the picture.  I chalk it up to carelessness and lack of following the rules.

[Buzz]

Okay, given a choice of the necessity of signalling an aircraft at night, pick one or more of the following preferences:

My preference is to avoid being in a position where my life depends on signalling an aircraft at night.