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  • Bright light

    So a couple of nights ago, stopping off at Trenton 2 shoot some night ILS approaches on the way back from exploring Gettysburg b4 headin north for home. Just handed off from Trenton to Mcguire maybe 3 or 4 miles past channel 52 at 3k feet. SOme momo on the ground shines a light that illuminates the cockpit not quite like daylight,but damn near it and bright enough 2 see everthing and kill my night vision. The lights reflecting off the high wings of the Cessna and its just unavoidable. From maybe a bit over a mile away and even a mile past this #(#@ held that thing so it was glinting off the wings. Had 2 putt around blind as a bat for a couple of minutes. I've never seen a freakin light that bright in my life. How the heck are little hand held lasers legal and these things A-ok. My onl recourse was notifying Maguire to avoid sending planes over.

  • #2
    Flying drunk again?

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    • #3
      What makes you think it was a laser?
      What you describe doesn’t sound like a laser.
      From this description you left it sounds like you were hit by a searchlight like a nightsun.
      If it was a real powerful searchlight it could’ve been an old-fashioned carbon arc searchlight.

      Ormer Locklear, was killed when he was blinded by a carbon arc searchlight while he was piloting an aircraft at night ( I think without instruments) filming for a movie.

      He was a very famous wing walker. He was one of the first to do automobile to aircraft transfers. There are some famous photos and movies of him transferring from automobiles to aircraft, aircraft or aircraft, crashing through barns, and when he clipped/crashed a church steeple.



      Just a few decades ago it was common for stores to rent searchlights to attract attention for sales. I think this has become less common because it is easier to advertise now and because all of the complaints from the aviation community. You kids are spoiled nowadays,

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      • #4
        Originally posted by bob12312357
        .....How the heck are little hand held lasers legal and these things A-ok. My onl recourse was notifying Maguire to avoid sending planes over.
        I guess they're legal in the same way as knives and guns are also legal. They do have legitimate uses. Lasers being directed at pilots maliciously have been a recurrent problem in some parts of Europe. My understanding is that if the incident is reported as soon as possible (ie. over the radio to ATC), it may be possible for the offender to be tracked down, but obviously speed is of the essence.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by ATFS_Crash
          What makes you think it was a laser?
          What you describe doesn’t sound like a laser.
          From this description you left it sounds like you were hit by a searchlight like a nightsun.
          If it was a real powerful searchlight it could’ve been an old-fashioned carbon arc searchlight.

          Ormer Locklear, was killed when he was blinded by a carbon arc searchlight while he was piloting an aircraft at night ( I think without instruments) filming for a movie.

          He was a very famous wing walker. He was one of the first to do automobile to aircraft transfers. There are some famous photos and movies of him transferring from automobiles to aircraft, aircraft or aircraft, crashing through barns, and when he clipped/crashed a church steeple.
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ormer_Locklear


          Just a few decades ago it was common for stores to rent searchlights to attract attention for sales. I think this has become less common because it is easier to advertise now and because all of the complaints from the aviation community. You kids are spoiled nowadays,
          read my post, it was a bright light, I was asking how lasers are illegal and this isn't. It wasn't a problem of a bright light, it was a problem the bright light was being shone and held on me for a couple of minutes straight and I was dazed and disorientated the entire time. I've had searchlight for movie theathers pass over the plane a few times, but it was so quick it didn't affect me, and they weren't half as bright. This thing was rediculous.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by HalcyonDays
            I guess they're legal in the same way as knives and guns are also legal. They do have legitimate uses. Lasers being directed at pilots maliciously have been a recurrent problem in some parts of Europe. My understanding is that if the incident is reported as soon as possible (ie. over the radio to ATC), it may be possible for the offender to be tracked down, but obviously speed is of the essence.
            I told Maguire Rapcon as the were the controlers I was dealing with for my flight following and it was their airspace. The area was pretty rural and there were no houses near it, if I had the GPS on I, woulda taken the coordinates drove their after I landed and beaten someones ass as it was an hour drive from my airport. What clown does that?

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            • #7
              Originally posted by bob12312357
              read my post, it was a bright light, I was asking how lasers are illegal and this isn't. It wasn't a problem of a bright light, it was a problem the bright light was being shone and held on me for a couple of minutes straight and I was dazed and disorientated the entire time. I've had searchlight for movie theathers pass over the plane a few times, but it was so quick it didn't affect me, and they weren't half as bright. This thing was rediculous.
              A searchlight can instantaneously destroy your night vision for several minutes, and can make you temporarily blind in a few seconds if you don't shield your eyes. In some cases it can make you go blind permanently if you don’t close your eyes in a few seconds. Depending on the power, distance and how defused were focused it is. Searchlights can blind you; as God reasserted to Locklear in the last few seconds of his life. In World War I and II searchlights were not only used to try to spot and track enemy aircraft, they were used to try to blind and confuse enemy pilots.

              I am under the impression that in most if not all of the world it is illegal to hold a high-powered spotlight on a flying aircraft for any significant time. I would consider it an act of terrorism to hold a spotlight on an a peaceful aircraft. . I think the only time it is legal to hold a high-powered searchlight on an aircraft, is as defense in war or terrorism.

              I think searchlights are sometimes used to ward off aircraft that are entering restricted airspace. Where you by any chance anywhere near restricted airspace?

              ( My apologies I misinterpreted your post into meaning laser)

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