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[Nickbat]

Two yobs who prevented an air ambulance from taking a dying man to hospital by dazzling the pilot with a laser pen walked free today.

The tragic pensioner, in his late 70s, had to be driven to hospital in a road ambulance but died en route.

Magistrate Felicity Dowell told them: 'This was a very stupid, thoughtless thing to do.

'I am sure that you did not do it to make the helicopter crash but it would have had that effect.

'You are very lucky it wasn’t very serious.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2115334/Yobs-shone-laser-pen-air-ambulance-pilot-s-eyes-stopping-taking-dying-man-hospital-walk-free-court.html

Two yobs and an idiot magistrate. Sheesh. 

[mantahatch]

Have heard many stories of laser pens being shone at pilots. I am not convinced they could target a laser pen that well, I speak as somone who uses PIV lasers and LDA lasers on a weekly basis. Also I thought a helicopter pilot would be looking out the both sides and the front when taking off, making it very hard to target the pilot.

Not saying it can't be done, just find it difficult to comprehend that such low power lasers could do much harm from so far away. Now a nice big 6 watt LDA laser that will blind you instantly and permanantly. Even on setup of 0.25w through the optics is bad enough.


LDA - laser doppler annemometry.
PIV - particle image velocimetry.

[Kevin Wood]

It is a serious issue for pilots. I read frequent reports of pilots being blinded by lasers.

A pilot's eyes will be constantly scanning his whole field of vision and a quick glance at a laser could render him blinded for some time, especially at night. Given the potential consequences of being blind in charge of a helicopter a couple of feet off the ground, perhaps in a built up area, I can understand why he decided it was not safe to land.

Add to that the easy availability of laser pointers of many times the permitted power level seemingly with nobody bothering to control their sale, and the streets full of retards who care only about themselves, it's not surprising that we are where we are.

I'm surprised to hear that it wasn't very serious, I must say. Sounds to me like it could be manslaughter.