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UK: Video of helicopter incident

A news report shows a helicopter-eye view of a laser incident. Here is a frame grab from the video, showing the laser when it is on the cockpit:



Click to play the full YouTube video:



Commentary from LaserPointerSafety.com

Some might say that the laser in this incident looked “manageable”. But there are a number of issues:
  • The person might have bad aim. With care or a tripod, this could have been much worse.
  • The laser might be relatively low-powered, such as 5 mW or less. If a higher-power laser was used, obviously the light would be much brighter.
  • We are seeing what a camera sees. The human eye could be more bothered by the laser hits.
  • The pilots are obviously distracted, in two major ways. The light itself is distracting, plus they are concentrating on this incident (trying to find the perpetrator). They are taking time away from “normal” police work to have to deal with this situation.
  • If the police had been able to find the perpetrator, he or she would have been arrested. This would quickly turn a “prank” into a serious, expensive matter for the person. (Search this page for the categories Arrests and Fines and jail to see that this is a real possibility.)

As stated elsewhere in this website, levels of laser light which may seem reasonable to laser enthusiasts cause problems for pilots. The simplest solution is to NEVER aim a laser at an aircraft.

Thanks to “Nordhavn” from laserpointerforums.com for bringing this video to our attention