[Laser] FBI announces new $10K Reward for info leading to arrest of LASER pointer misusers

Sat Feb 15 19:57:00 EST 2014

Hi John, I don't know of anyone on this list or elsewhere who's
implying there's any good reason why a person would point a laser at
an aircraft unless he/she had malicious intent.

The point I was making here is that the FBI seems to be willfully
misinforming the public about the nature of the risks of doing this,
by presenting misleading and inaccurate technical info in a FBI press
release and in a staged video "B-Roll" demonstration for news media
consumption.

Members of this list are likely knowledgeable enough to see this, and
have an opportunity to present more accurate information to the
public.  Failure to do so could put our hobby at risk, similar to how
high-power model rocketeers had their hobby decimated by another
federal law-enforcement agency (BATF) in the 1990's by producing and
promoting misleading and inaccurate technical information.

-bernieS

On 2/15/14, John Kaufmann <jkaufmann at alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>
>
> Regardless of whether the FBI's arguments have technical merit, I cannot
> think of any good reason why a person would point a laser at an aircraft
> unless he/she had malicious intent.   There is no good reason to accept or
> condone such behavior.  Laser pointers, the green ones in particular, are
> not toys.  At my workplace (a prestigious technical laboratory), use of
> green laser pointers is not allowed.
>
> John W1FV

Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 18:05:56 -0500
From: bernieS <bernies at netaxs.com>
To: Free Space LASER Communications <laser at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Laser] FBI announces new $10K Reward for info leading to
arrest of LASER pointer misusers

Thanks, Tom--that's an amazing video of the Egyptian military
helicopter being illuminated by dozens of green laser pointers with no
apparent effect.

I think we can call BS on the FBI's specious claims about the actual
risks of laser pointers directed at aircraft.  While it's obviously
stupid and crazy to point lasers at aircraft, the FBI should not be
lying to the public about relevant technical facts (even though
they're well-practiced at that art.)

Unless knowledgeable members of the general public call BS on the FBI
whenever it's warranted, it will continue lying to the public more and
more..

-bernieS

On 2/15/14, Tom Becker <GTBecker at rightime.com> wrote:
>  > ... Are these gross factual misrepresentations...
>
> Hmm, ya think?  More realistic is the Cairo military helicopter - which,
> notably, did not seem to be impaired when spectacularly bombarded by
> hundreds of greenies.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iAwAnCj5PQw#t=18
>
> Tom

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: bernieS <bernies at netaxs.com>
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 15:13:46 -0500
Subject: FBI announces new $10,000 Reward for info leading to arrest
of LASER pointer misusers
To: Laser Communications <laser at mailman.qth.net>

Notice how in this FBI "simulation" (produced as "B-Roll" for TV news
broadcasts) a handheld laser pointer is so accurately pointed to make
a dot on the aircraft pilot's face.  Is this an accurate
representation of an unstabilized handheld laser pointer directed at a
fast-moving moving aircraft at a considerable distance?

Likewise, is such an incident "the equivalent of a camera flash going
off in a pitch black car at night."?  Wouldn't far fewer photons
impact a retina from a laser pointer held a long distance away?  Are
these gross factual misrepresentations by the FBI?

-bernieS

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/february/protecting-aircraft-from-lasers/protecting-aircraft-from-lasers?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=email&utm_source=fbi-top-stories&utm_content=297155

(An FBI simulation shows the dangers of pointing a laser at aircraft.
Transcript | Download)

Protecting Aircraft from Lasers
New Program Offers Rewards for Information

02/11/14

Today the FBI announced a program aimed at deterring people from
pointing lasers at aircraft--a felony punishable by five years in
jail--and rewarding those who come forward with information about
individuals who engage in this dangerous activity.

"Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a serious matter and a
violation of federal law," said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the
FBI's Criminal Investigative Division. "It is important that people
understand that this is a criminal act with potentially deadly
repercussions."

The new initiative--which includes a campaign to educate the public
about the dangers of "lasing"--will run for 60 days in 12 FBI field
offices where laser strikes against aircraft are prevalent. A key part
of the program is reward money: The Bureau will offer up to $10,000
for information leading to the arrest of any individual who
intentionally aims a laser at an aircraft.

"Laser pointers are legal and certainly have legitimate uses," said
George Johnson, a federal air marshal who serves as a liaison officer
with the Bureau on laser issues. "Used in the wrong environment,
however, they can be very dangerous."

Listen: 'Don't Let a Prank Lead to Prison'
Download | Transcript

When aimed at an aircraft from the ground, the powerful beam of light
from a handheld laser can travel more than a mile and illuminate a
cockpit, disorienting and temporarily blinding pilots. Those who have
been subject to such attacks have described them as the equivalent of
a camera flash going off in a pitch black car at night.

Since the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began
tracking laser strikes in 2005, there has been a more than 1,000
percent increase in the number of incidents with these devices, which
can be purchased in stores or online for as little as a few dollars.
Last year, 3,960 laser strikes against aircraft were reported--an
average of almost 11 incidents per day. And it's estimated that
thousands of attacks go unreported every year.

"We hope that more public awareness about this issue will lower the
instances of laser strikes," Johnson said. "We also want to encourage
people to come forward when they see someone committing this
felony--one that could have terrible consequences for pilots and their
passengers." As of December 2013, the FAA has documented at least 35
incidents where pilots required medical attention after a laser
strike.
Pilot in cockpit being lased
Last year, 3,960 laser strikes against aircraft were reported. The FBI
will offer up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of any
individual who intentionally aims a laser at an aircraft.

Interfering with the operation of an aircraft has long been a federal
crime, but the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 specifically
made it a federal felony to knowingly point the beam of a laser at an
aircraft. The new law lowered the threshold for prosecution, Johnson
said, "and the trend is on the rise for jail time in these cases."
Last month, for example, a 23-year-old California man was sentenced to
21 months in prison for aiming a laser pointer at a Fresno County
Sheriff's Office helicopter. Court records showed that the man
deliberately tracked and struck the aircraft.

The 12 FBI offices participating in the new program are Albuquerque,
Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia,
Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Juan, and the Washington Field
Office.

If you have information about a lasing incident or see someone
pointing a laser at an aircraft, call your local FBI office or dial
911.

Resource:
- FBI Press release
______________________________________________________________
Laser mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/laser
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Laser at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html