Ground Teams Utilization of Laser Signalling Devices?

[RADIOMAN015]

See:
http://www.greatlandlaser.com/what-people-are-saying.html
Notice CAP unit endorsement.

Pertains to this $100.00 product:
http://www.greatlandlaser.com/

Good idea for ground teams at night
RM

[Spaceman3750]

See:
http://www.greatlandlaser.com/what-people-are-saying.html
Notice CAP unit endorsement.

Pertains to this $100.00 product:
http://www.greatlandlaser.com/

Good idea for ground teams at night
RM

Or blind our pilots.

99.999% of the times we signal our aircraft it's not an emergency signal, and therefore falls outside the exemption.

[RiverAux]

According to their fact, such devices are legal for emergency signal use.

[Spaceman3750]

According to their fact, such devices are legal for emergency signal use.

99.999% of the times we signal our aircraft it's not an emergency signal, and therefore falls outside the exemption.

[RiverAux]

My statement doesn't contradict yours.

[Spaceman3750]

My statement doesn't contradict yours.

Fair enough.

http://www.amazon.com/Leland-Marine-Emergency-Strobe-Light/dp/B002XF00CI seems a little more reasonable. There was a cadet at NESA running around with one of these a couple of years ago. I thought it looked pretty goofy hanging off of his harness but I could see some limited use when signal mirrors won't work for whatever reason. I always wanted a magnetic upward-facing only strobe that I could stick on top of a vehicle to make us easy to identify.

[♠SARKID♠]

They're class IIIA (5mW) laser pointers with a line filter; same that you get with any common laser straightedge.  You'd be a darn fool to pay $100 for one.

[jpizzo127]

I cannot imagine pilots approving of Ground Teams pointing lasers at them at night. It seems very contradictory to common sense.

In a related note, should CAP members be endorsing products and members of CAP?

[ol'fido]

I see this more as a neat gadget looking for a situation to be useful or someone to play with it. 

[JeffDG]

I see this more as a neat gadget looking for a situation to be useful or someone to play with it. 

The classic "solution in desperate search of a problem"

[Eclipse]

I see this more as a neat gadget looking for a situation to be useful or someone to play with it. 

The classic "solution in desperate search of a problem"

I agree.

I can't think of a single situation where I would authorize a GTL to use something like this, and CAP members should not be endorsing commercial
products.

[RiverAux]

I see this more as a neat gadget looking for a situation to be useful or someone to play with it. 

The classic "solution in desperate search of a problem"

Well, it is a solution to the problem for which it was designed.  Perhaps not the most pilot-friendly solution, but one nevertheless. 

In so far as use for non-emergency signaling by CAP ground teams it certainly isn't necessary.  Just how often are CAP ground teams really in need of signaling a CAP aircraft at night anyway?  The currently available strobe lights, both vehicle mounted and handheld, seem adequate for those needs.

[JeffDG]

I see this more as a neat gadget looking for a situation to be useful or someone to play with it. 

The classic "solution in desperate search of a problem"

Well, it is a solution to the problem for which it was designed.  Perhaps not the most pilot-friendly solution, but one nevertheless. 

In so far as use for non-emergency signaling by CAP ground teams it certainly isn't necessary.  Just how often are CAP ground teams really in need of signaling a CAP aircraft at night anyway?  The currently available strobe lights, both vehicle mounted and handheld, seem adequate for those needs.

I would think that a strobe light would actually be far superior, as they shine in multiple directions.  The person deploying a strobe doesn't even need to know where the aircraft is, unlike with a LASER.

[SARDOC]

I would think that a strobe light would actually be far superior, as they shine in multiple directions.  The person deploying a strobe doesn't even need to know where the aircraft is, unlike with a LASER.

A high intensity strobe is great for identifying the present location.  However, if the ground team is trying to point to a landmark or wreck site from another location that could be done with a laser.  Not sure why they would need to do that unless the aircraft was coordinating with another ground team trying to lead them to a specific location.  The uses seem pretty limited.

[RiverAux]

However, if the ground team is trying to point to a landmark or wreck site from another location that could be done with a laser.  Not sure why they would need to do that unless the aircraft was coordinating with another ground team trying to lead them to a specific location.  The uses seem pretty limited.

I seriously doubt any handheld laser is going to be powerful enough to illuminate a spot from any great difference and have that spot visible from the air at 1000 AGL.  We're not talking about the stuff the military uses to guide in their pilots and munitions.