The pilot of a passenger jet was blinded by a laser device as the aircraft came in to land at Durham Tees Valley Airport, police said.
The KLM jet, with 40 people onboard, landed safely after the co-pilot took the controls on Sunday night.
A Cleveland Police helicopter was also targeted as it searched an area around the airport near Darlington.
A police spokesman said a 19-year-old man had been arrested and charged with two counts of endangering an aircraft.
A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "The incoming flight from Amsterdam was coming in to land at Durham Tees Valley Airport when a laser device was shone into the cockpit.
"The pilot was temporarily blinded and the co-pilot landed the plane.
"When the police helicopter was sent to investigate, it too was targeted by the laser device.
"Officers on the ground were able to arrest a 19-year-old man, who was outside the airport, and the device recovered."
She said there were no reports of injuries. The man is due to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Friday.
I've heard of this and how it's a problem, but I just don't understand how someone holding a little laser pointer on the ground can get such accuracy to get into the cockpit of a plane above them (through thick glass which probably bends the beam) and into the eyes of a pilot. And if it is a huge problem, isn't there some kind of coating that could be put on the windshields to either bend the laserbeam away or block it completely?
Lastly.. what kind of idiot does the same thing to a police helicopter approaching them?
You'd have to block all incoming light, as there's no way to predict the color of the light these dickbags will use. As for accuracy, he'd probably been out there all day trying this shit, and only managed to hit one plane. The police chopper would be easier because it's closer.
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt
Siji wrote:I've heard of this and how it's a problem, but I just don't understand how someone holding a little laser pointer on the ground can get such accuracy to get into the cockpit of a plane above them (through thick glass which probably bends the beam) and into the eyes of a pilot. And if it is a huge problem, isn't there some kind of coating that could be put on the windshields to either bend the laserbeam away or block it completely?
Lastly.. what kind of idiot does the same thing to a police helicopter approaching them?
You've been out of the loop for a while. Check out http://www.wickedlasers.com/ for some of those little laser pointers.
No way we're banning laser pointers. They are an essential part of the Freedom of Speech, and while they didn't exist and couldn't have been planned for when the Bill of Rights was written, the founding fathers totally meant for laser pointers to fall under the umbrella of the First Amendment. From my cold, dead hands...
"It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant."- Barack Obama
Aslanna wrote:They should outlaw those things at the same time as guns. Kill two birds with one stone. So to speak.
That would make my cats sad. They love to chase the little laser dot around the house until they can barely breathe.
You are a BAD man, using patented methods to exercise your cats. You should really check the patent websites before using radical methods like that
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5443036.html Abstract
A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of directing a beam of
invisible light produced by a hand-held laser apparatus onto the floor or
wall or other opaque surface in the vicinity of the cat, then moving the
laser so as to cause the bright pattern of light to move in an irregular
way fascinating to cats, and to any other animal with a chase instinct.
And yes, the US patent system are fundamentically flawed when patents like this can exist
"Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich"
Siji wrote:I've heard of this and how it's a problem, but I just don't understand how someone holding a little laser pointer on the ground can get such accuracy to get into the cockpit of a plane above them (through thick glass which probably bends the beam) and into the eyes of a pilot. And if it is a huge problem, isn't there some kind of coating that could be put on the windshields to either bend the laserbeam away or block it completely?
Lastly.. what kind of idiot does the same thing to a police helicopter approaching them?
You've been out of the loop for a while. Check out http://www.wickedlasers.com/ for some of those little laser pointers.
Hesten wrote:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5443036.html Abstract
A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of directing a beam of
invisible light produced by a hand-held laser apparatus onto the floor or
wall or other opaque surface in the vicinity of the cat, then moving the
laser so as to cause the bright pattern of light to move in an irregular
way fascinating to cats, and to any other animal with a chase instinct.
And yes, the US patent system are fundamentically flawed when patents like this can exist
Wait a minute... invisible light? That doesn't make any sense. The beam produced by hand-held laser apparati are definately visible...
