Is it true that you can

Is it true that you can take down a passenger plane with a green laser?

I just find it hard to believe.

Because if it were to be true, I think terrorists would be doing this every night.

a reply to: galaga

No, you don't "take it down", you blind the pilots. A green laser can permanently blind someone if it's held on their eyes long enough. No plane has had an accident because of a laser being shined in the cockpit, but several pilots have suffered injuries from being hit by one.

a reply to: galaga
Not any idea if it's true, but if yes... then I'll need to ebay myself one, for the bug-out bag! I'll put it just next to the fire piston and purification tablets.

Um... Expect a visit from the FBI.

a reply to: galaga

Yes...not mechanically...but by blinding pilot if alone...and/or pilot and co-pilot.....unless they can get to AUTO-PILOT instantly without looking....with a $.99 cent laser pen from the gas stations...frightening.

originally posted by: Jefferton
Um... Expect a visit from the FBI.

Why?

I'm just asking a question and I'm still not believing it.

I believe it can burn the crap out of your eyes, but I don't think anyone on the planet has a steady enough hand from a long distance. It seems that there would be a weapon in use today to do such
a task.

a reply to: galaga

4,000 laser attacks in 2013
BA pilot suffers burned retina.
UPS pilots temporarily blinded.
489 laser attacks in New Zealand from 2011.
Heathrow laser attacks up 25%.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: galaga

4,000 laser attacks in 2013
BA pilot suffers burned retina.
UPS pilots temporarily blinded.
489 laser attacks in New Zealand from 2011.
Heathrow laser attacks up 25%.

Whoa!

a reply to: galaga

That's a tiny fraction of the number of stories about this in the last few years. This has been a major thing, and getting worse every year.

originally posted by: galaga
but I don't think anyone on the planet has a steady enough hand from a long distance.

Its not that, its the law of probability. enough people do it all the time eventually someone is gonna get accidentally lucky and hit dead center, perhaps hitting a contact or other convex lens and turn it into a proper laser long enough to do damage (a quick millisecond under a focused laser will cut holes through the eyeball)

Seems a simple fix with polarized windshields.

a reply to: Plotus

They're looking at reactive windscreens. They recently came out with glasses that block red green and blue lasers, but they're currently only available in bulk.

a reply to: galaga

Go to YouTube and look at some of the custom home made laser cannons