[N8 v2.0]

Man Charged Under Patriot Act for Laser
Associated Press | 5 Jan |WAYNE PARRY | LINK

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Federal authorities Tuesday used the Patriot Act to charge a man with pointing a laser beam at an airplane overhead and temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot.

The FBI acknowledged the incident had no connection to terrorism but called David Banach's actions "foolhardy and negligent."

Banach, 38, of Parsippany admitted to federal agents that he pointed the light beam at a jet and a helicopter over his home near Teterboro Airport last week, authorities said. Initially, he claimed his daughter aimed the device at the helicopter, they said.

He is the first person arrested after a recent rash of reports around the nation of laser beams hitting airplanes.

Banach was charged only in connection with the jet. He was accused of interfering with the operator of a mass transportation vehicle and making false statements to the FBI, and was released on $100,000 bail. He could get up to 25 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.

Click on LINK in the credits section below the title for the rest of the story...

 

[DRB]

I got one of those laser levels and we were hanging pictures with it. I look out the window and literally the laser is on my neighbor's house at least 200 yards away. Having some experience with laser devices I was still a little surprised that it went that far. I can only imagine if I was working outside and laid it down pointing up.

 

[N8 v2.0]

I got one of those laser levels and we were hanging pictures with it. I look out the window and literally the laser is on my neighbor's house at least 200 yards away. Having some experience with laser devices I was still a little surprised that it went that far. I can only imagine if I was working outside and laid it down pointing up.

You could always blame it on your 7 year old daughter like this dude did...

Father of the Year material there for sure.

 

[Ridemonkey]

I have that same coat. Sweet.

 

[fluff]

I have that same coat. Sweet.

I hope it looks better on you.

 

[Slugman]

Although this guy is a total moron and trying to blame his child is idiotic - I'd love to know more about the "laser" device he used and how exactly it 'blinded' the pilots.

Were they actually blinded, as in could not see anything for a few seconds, or did it just cause a glare effect so they couldn’t see out the windshield and had to rely on their instruments?

This seems like a lot of hysteria... but I hope he gets a hefty fine.

 

[kidwoo]

What's worse is that they used the patriot (sic) act to arrest him. The more precedents set with that piece of garbage the closer to a police state we get. I would think aiming lasers at planes would have been illegal previous to the patriot act.

 

[llkoolkeg]

I have that same coat. Sweet.

And the same puffy 'do?

 

[douglas]

yeah, how could one little laser blind two people at that distnace??

 

[Ridemonkey]

I hope it looks better on you.

I'd say I'm dashing in it.

 

[Ridemonkey]

Let's see, FBI announces terrorists might use lasers to blind pilots. Idiot decides to give it a try. He deserves whatever they throw at him. Whether or not the threat was real, there is nothing funny about playing with peoples lives.

Although this guy is a total moron and trying to blame his child is idiotic - I'd love to know more about the "laser" device he used and how exactly it 'blinded' the pilots.

Were they actually blinded, as in could not see anything for a few seconds, or did it just cause a glare effect so they couldn’t see out the windshield and had to rely on their instruments?

This seems like a lot of hysteria... but I hope he gets a hefty fine.

 

[fluff]

Put out his eyes!

 

[MMike]

If that's a Patagonia, I have a red one and a slightly lighter blue one!

 

[Ridemonkey]

If that's a Patagonia, I have a red one and a slightly lighter blue one!

Navy own3s your slighter blue jacket.

 

[Slugman]

Let's see, FBI announces terrorists might use lasers to blind pilots. Idiot decides to give it a try. He deserves whatever they throw at him. Whether or not the threat was real, there is nothing funny about playing with peoples lives.

I absolutely agree that he should be charged and fined, hell maybe even some jail time.

But I'm sick of all the crap that keeps coming out that we need to be concerned about. Prove to me that there was actual harm and a real threat.

Just more of Chicken little yelling that the sky is falling... and the US public following like sheep.

 

[H8R]

If that's a Patagonia, I have a red one and a slightly lighter blue one!

Um, I think that's a Land's End Squall jacket.

 

[H8R]

Um, I think that's a Land's End Squall jacket.

I called it....

 

[biggins]

I hope it looks better on you.

not as good as his members only jacket does.

 

[DRB]

not as good as his members only jacket does.

And his Frankie Goes to Hollywood shirt.

 

[mack]

I have that same coat. Sweet.

the fasion doesnt fall far from the criminal. or somthing like that.

 

[fluff]

And his Frankie Goes to Hollywood shirt.

Hmm, nasty picture. Nasty tee-shirt and very dodgy 'tache...

 

[MikeD]

Hm. The military has been using laser pointers...bigass ones...for some years now. These aren't designators, mind you (chicken is in the pot...cook it), they're just pointers with IR beams which a pilot can see at night, so that the forward air controller can show him exactly what target to hit. They're simple and handheld, unlike the big designators (which are what laser-guided munitions home in on, and they require a lot of geometry and planning to use; it's not as simple as the movies would have you think). Anyhow, there's one...we call it the 'light saber,' which can shoot a visible green dot several miles in daylight. If this thing is similar, I can't believe they sell it on the market without the need for some kind of training or licensing...they're dangerous!

(then again, so is a handgun, and you don't need training to buy one of those, either...)

In any case, the guy is a tool and deserves what he gets, but I'm with Slugman in his frustration with the American populace's venting of wrath and bile on any and all available targets, so long as they're not the important and meaningful ones.

MD

 

[BigHit-Maniac]

but I'm with Slugman in his frustration with the American populace's venting of wrath and bile on any and all available targets, so long as they're not the important and meaningful ones.

So does this mean I can sue him too?

:mumble:


LOL.

 

[Ridemonkey]

I'm with Slugman in his frustration with the American populace's venting of wrath and bile on any and all available targets, so long as they're not the important and meaningful ones.

MD

What about frustration with fricken morons in this country?

 

[syadasti]

Anyhow, there's one...we call it the 'light saber,' which can shoot a visible green dot several miles in daylight. If this thing is similar, I can't believe they sell it on the market without the need for some kind of training or licensing...they're dangerous!

They've been selling the green laser pointers for at least 5 years now. They've dropped in price to under $100 and are usually 50-60 times brighter than red ones. Here is the first result I got from yahoo:

Okay, just about everyone has a red laser pointer. Heck, we even sell a fine one here at ThinkGeek. But, we're pretty sure you want to be a superior geek - and doing it with a green laser is the way to go.

This pointer is significantly brighter (about 50 times) than a red laser pointer and because of its unusual color it is much more noticeable. I mean come on, a 532 nm green laser wavelength is obviously superior to a laughable 650 nm red laser wavelength. And unlike a red laser, the green beam itself can be seen in mid-air in dark conditions, not just the laser beam dot. This allows the green laser pointer to be used for pointing to star constellations (skypointing) and also just generally look cool as hell. The green laser beam dot can be seen at much greater distances than with a red laser pointer.

Since green direct injection laser diodes aren't readily available, this pointer is based on the use of Diode Pumped Solid State Frequency Doubled (DPSSFD) laser technology. A high power IR laser diode at 808 nm pumps a tiny block of Nd:YVO4 generating light at 1,064 nm which feeds a KTP intracavity frequency doubler crystal to produce the green beam at 532 nm.

Features of this unit include:

Extremely bright green laser at 532 nm wavelength
Output power of <5mW (Class IIIa Laser Product)
Range of approximately 9,000 ft (2600 m) in darkness
1.1 mm beam diameter at source
Momentary push button switch
Solid, heavy duty construction
Constant wave output (as opposed to pulse output)
Takes 2 "AAA" batteries (included)
Class IIIa Laser
Can be used for skypointing, projection on low clouds, signalling, detecting explosives
90-day warranty

 

[HarryCallahan]

I think I read somewhere that a laser hitting a windshield has a tendency to scatter, causing a dazzling, blinding effect. Not something any of us would like to have happen on approach with an airplane.

Second, even if the above is incorrect or overstated, how is the pilot who gets a laser flashed in his or her windshield to know it is a harmless pointer and not a gunsight?

 

[syadasti]

Second, even if the above is incorrect or overstated, how is the pilot who gets a laser flashed in his or her windshield to know it is a harmless pointer and not a gunsight?

I don't think there are too many sharpshooters that can hit a target traveling at 600+mph a few thousand yards away :

 

[mack]

uh, with a lazer speed doenst matter, there is no leading involved, so it is very liekly he hit it, and it was a private plane ready to land... then he shined it at a polive helicopter.

 

[syadasti]

uh, with a lazer speed doenst matter, there is no leading involved, so it is very liekly he hit it, and it was a private plane ready to land... then he shined it at a polive helicopter.

It does if its a gunsight - it doesn't matter if you can paint the target for a fraction of a second and most of the incidents in the news have been carrier jets, not private planes...

 

[Slugman]

I think I read somewhere that a laser hitting a windshield has a tendency to scatter, causing a dazzling, blinding effect. Not something any of us would like to have happen on approach with an airplane.

Like glare on a windshield, or did it do damage to their eyes? What is the real threat?

They are pilots flying a jet, I hope they know how to read their instruments... otherwise we all need to fly only on clear, sunny and dry days!

Second, even if the above is incorrect or overstated, how is the pilot who gets a laser flashed in his or her windshield to know it is a harmless pointer and not a gunsight?

Common sense – as you said yourself; he’s 3000 feet up in the air doing a couple hundred miles an hour… good luck hitting that target.

What about frustration with fricken morons in this country?

Different thread... actually you could probably start another website with that as your basis.

 

[Ridemonkey]

Lol the comments in this thread......

So its ok to be shooting at the planes as long as they are going fast enough that you won't hit them? Sheesh....

 

[Slugman]

So its ok to be shooting at the planes as long as they are going fast enough that you won't hit them?

I was just saying that the whole situation is overhyped.... I wasn't condoning any of the behavior

 

[syadasti]

Lol the comments in this thread......

So its ok to be shooting at the planes as long as they are going fast enough that you won't hit them? Sheesh....

The point is the media is blowing it out of proportion which it is.

Don't forget your tin hat! Also covering your house in plastic will protect you from the chemical/biological attacks cause those are such a threat like the media says

 

[Slugman]

The point is the media is blowing it out of proportion which it is.

Don't forget your tin hat! Also covering your house in plastic will protect you from the chemical/biological attacks cause those are such a threat like the media says

And in case of a nuclear attack, get under your desk...

Media and government - controlling populations through fear! :mumble:

 

[syadasti]

And in case of a nuclear attack, get under your desk...

Media and government - controlling populations through fear! :mumble:

Duck and cover!

The government and media should go to jail for yelling fire too often in the "theater"

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

Duck and cover!

The government and media should go to jail for yelling fire too often in the "theater"

bwhahahahaahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MikeD]

They've been selling the green laser pointers for at least 5 years now. They've dropped in price to under $100 and are usually 50-60 times brighter than red ones. Here is the first result I got from yahoo:

The one I'm talking about makes a dot about basketball-size...it's friggin' BIG. If all this guy was using was a laser pointer, geez, there's not much to say now that he's been caught. I understand how scary it was when the source was unknown, but now that we know it's not terrorists with laser-guided SAMs or anything, there's not much to get spun up about.

Anyhow, to the "duck and cover" thing...problem is, if the government doesn't constantly warn us of danger, how are they going to cover their asses if there's another attack? People will whine and cry that it's 9/11 all over again, and the government isn't doing its job and keeping us safe...and therein lies the problem.

People just don't get it. It's really a war we're in right now, as we readily admit in words, but refuse to truly acknowledge. And in war, you can do everything right and still suffer, still get hit. Americans like to think that there's a checklist, a system we can employ, which, if dutifully carried out, will keep us as safe on our shores and even abroad as we've been since the White House burned in the War of 1812.

But there's not. By a long shot. And the government knows it, but they're not willing to force the truth on Americans (and they'd be voted out of office if they did, so it's not unreasonable...)

Nothing will keep us safe except victory, which is an ever-more-nebulous, even meaningless, term. Some seem to think that a mass world-conversion to US sattelite states will do it. Hasn't worked before, won't work in the future.

It's a game of constant change, in which the only constant is what we can control directly...the rest is smoke and mirrors and speculation, and it's gonna hurt sometimes.

And old ways of thinking, especially the hegemonic train of thought, with which we're indeed stuck with at the moment, aren't helping anymore. Teddy Roosevelt was a great man, but a man of his time (quite forward-thinking compared to his contemporaries)...his policies and attitudes worked at the turn of the last century, but we need a new Roosevelt with new ideas for this one.

There's one man in the US in particular who seems to think he's the next Roosevelt, but all I see are watered-down versions of old thinking, executed without the personal genius that made them work last century.

MD

 

[genpowell71]

Sounds to me like your advocating going after all the nations that sponsor terrorism. Ok, I'm down with it. But I think we'll need a few more men than what we have