New DOT/FAA Laser ruling with DOD pending ?

I dont like rumors but: I have been told the Dept of Transportation and
the FAA
are going to adopt a zero-tolerance attitude and have issued a special
advisory effective immeditely for all of commercial aviation, directing
all pilots to report
"any sightings of lasers to flight controlers immeditely, whether
directed at an aircraft or not". Special attention is going to be given
to areas proximate to
airports. The DOD has evidently issued a similar advisory to all
branches of
the military where flight operations are involved.

It seems inevitable at this point, that representatives of amateur
astronomy
(like the Astronomical League?) are going to have to meet with
government
officials to try and work something out. The sooner the better.

I have been told that an exemption is being considered which facilities
might
apply for - something called a "No Look - No Report Zone". In one case I
know
in a western State, an application has already been submitted. It
appears this
facility is going to be granted an exemption based on the fact it is
State and
Federally funded, used by JPL and NASA, has a large outreach amateur
program,
and is situated on land run and controled by the US Forest Service where
the public enjoys programs at the observatory every summer .

I have no idea how all of this might affect smaller amateur clubs and
operations -

Maybe somebody knows more and can comment, constructively please...

John

Green Phaser:

I dont like rumors but:

But you spread them anyway. Makes one wonder if you are a closet
rumormonger.

Davoud

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com

I dont like rumors but: I have been told the Dept of Transportation and
the FAA
are going to adopt a zero-tolerance attitude and have issued a special
advisory effective immeditely for all of commercial aviation, directing
all pilots to report
"any sightings of lasers to flight


Hi:

I wouldn't worry too much, since the chance of a pilot seeing a green laser
unless it's pointed directly at them at close range and at the right angle is
virtually nil. The average green laser is hard to see even on the ground once
you get very far off axis.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html

"Green Phaser" wrote in message
...
I dont like rumors but: I have been told the Dept of Transportation and
the FAA
are going to adopt a zero-tolerance attitude...

And that isn't a rumor?

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/

Are you interested in understanding optics?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ATM_Optics_Software/

************************************

Mine was a constructuive post - where is yours, troll ?

Davoud wrote:

Green Phaser:

I dont like rumors but:

But you spread them anyway. Makes one wonder if you are a closet
rumormonger.

Davoud

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com

I hope you are right, I think you are mostly correct, but still if 'anything'
were to happen at a club site especially under the current climate, it would
not be good.

Our club has suspended all laser use at our site until further notice, and club
members are very unhappy about this. Most think its ridiculous. In the meantime
one of our officers is trying to contact the FAA to get clarification, convey our

concern and willingness to cooperate, and seek a waiver or something where we
could get back to business as usual. But this is tearing our club apart on one
level, frankly. People are taking sides. It is not good.

abc






Rod Mollise wrote:


I dont like rumors but: I have been told the Dept of Transportation and
the FAA
are going to adopt a zero-tolerance attitude and have issued a special
advisory effective immeditely for all of commercial aviation, directing
all pilots to report
"any sightings of lasers to flight

Hi:

I wouldn't worry too much, since the chance of a pilot seeing a green laser
unless it's pointed directly at them at close range and at the right angle is
virtually nil. The average green laser is hard to see even on the ground once
you get very far off axis.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html

abc wrote:

concern and willingness to cooperate, and seek a waiver or something
where we
could get back to business as usual. But this is tearing our club
apart on one
level, frankly. People are taking sides. It is not good.

abc




Hi:

Which club is that? The Knoxville AS? ;-)

More seriously, I don't see why this should "tear a club apart." Advise
your members to use common sense with their lasers, which are really
most effective as an educational too, anyway, rather than as a
telescope pointing device. Believe me, you won't attract black
helicopters unless you set out to annoy pilots. Heck, it's hard to see
the beam of the typical 5mw green laser pointer if you're standing 20
feet from it. If the lasers are annoying some observers at your club
dark site, that might be a reason to ban them--if the majority of the
club agreess. Fearing a visit from a DOJ Anti-Green-Laser Strike
Commando is _not_ a valid reason. ;-)

Peace,
Rod

How are they planning to prove who was responsible for a sighted laser
beam? Even if they catch a person with a laser pointer, it would be
almost impossible to find out if he was the one using it.

They have to make owning a laser pointer illegal or otherwise it will be
hard to prove anything.

Just thought you might be intersted in this little nugget.

Davoud...this was on WBAL.com this morning:

*********
Linthicum Man Faces Charges In Laser Incident
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
WBAL Radio and The Associated Press

LINTHICUM, Md. (AP) - Police are announcing the arrest of a Linthicum
man in a laser pointing incident involving an Anne Arundel County
Police helicopter.

Thirty-eight-year-old Edward Pannell of Eva Avenue was arrested
yesterday after a three-week investigation.

Police say Pannell admitted pointing a high intensity green laser at
the helicopter December 31st while the aircraft was involved in a
search for a criminal suspect in Pasadena.

The pilot had to break off the search because the laser interfered with
his visibility.

Pannell is charged with reckless endangerment and a violation of a
prohibition on laser pointers -- both are misdemeanors.

The investigation was conducted by county and state police detectives
in the Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Force.

***********

My question or point would be the quote "...and a voloation of a
prohibition on laser pointers."???

I don't have details, yet, on what was pointed since I don't know what
the AP considers "high intensity". So it may be that this GLP was
over 5mw. But the comment was a prohibition on laser pointers...not
GLP's or high intensity laser pointers...but laser pointers.

What I can tell you is that Linthicum is home to BWI airport and I am
sure they are watching the area like a hawk. I am also sure that Mr.
Pannell is very foolish to point the thing at a police helicopter.

Oh well...be careful about rumors. You never know when they will
become misdemeanors!

Dave

Nearly 300 million people inhabit the U.S. these days, and roughly half
of them are old enough to wave a laser pointer around. If only 1/10 of
1% are imbeciles with a sociopathic streak, that means 150,000 of our
fellow citizens could be lighting up police cars, busses, aircraft, and
NFL quarterbacks for sheer amusement.

Laser pointers have been compared to guns in this discussion, but there
are big differences -- a pointer can be used covertly, and the beam
travels at the speed of light. In a fit of deranged anger, I might go
out in the back yard and try to hit a police helicopter with a
high-powered rifle, but I'd probably miss the target, and the noise
would certainly draw attention. With a GLP, the situation is very
different -- it's more like a shooter with a silencer on the weapon, and
the weapon never misses.



Czar7 wrote:

Just thought you might be intersted in this little nugget.

Davoud...this was on WBAL.com this morning:

*********
Linthicum Man Faces Charges In Laser Incident
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
WBAL Radio and The Associated Press

LINTHICUM, Md. (AP) - Police are announcing the arrest of a Linthicum
man in a laser pointing incident involving an Anne Arundel County
Police helicopter.

Thirty-eight-year-old Edward Pannell of Eva Avenue was arrested
yesterday after a three-week investigation.

Police say Pannell admitted pointing a high intensity green laser at
the helicopter December 31st while the aircraft was involved in a
search for a criminal suspect in Pasadena.

The pilot had to break off the search because the laser interfered with
his visibility.

Pannell is charged with reckless endangerment and a violation of a
prohibition on laser pointers -- both are misdemeanors.

The investigation was conducted by county and state police detectives
in the Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Force.

***********

My question or point would be the quote "...and a voloation of a
prohibition on laser pointers."???

I don't have details, yet, on what was pointed since I don't know what
the AP considers "high intensity". So it may be that this GLP was
over 5mw. But the comment was a prohibition on laser pointers...not
GLP's or high intensity laser pointers...but laser pointers.

What I can tell you is that Linthicum is home to BWI airport and I am
sure they are watching the area like a hawk. I am also sure that Mr.
Pannell is very foolish to point the thing at a police helicopter.

Oh well...be careful about rumors. You never know when they will
become misdemeanors!

Dave