Wondering what to do over the holiday season? How about aiming a laser at commercial aircraft and then spending years of your life in prison?
(2020/11/12)
- Reference: 1605149412
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/11/12/aircraft_lasing_indictment/
- Source link:
One day after an idiot was put behind bars for four years for shining a laser at a police helicopter, the Feds announced they've indicted a man accused of risking the safety of three passenger planes.
“Pointing a laser at an aircraft is not a prank; it’s incredibly dangerous and stupid,” [1]said southern Georgia's US Attorney Bobby Christine on Tuesday. “The FBI did an outstanding job of locating and stopping this threat to hundreds of Savannah air travelers.”
Roger Floyd Hendricks, 48, of Rincon, Georgia, was charged
Soon after the third incident, the FAA asked the FBI to track down whoever was putting crews and passengers’ lives at risk, and agents collared Hendricks – the agency hasn’t said how and when they nabbed him.
Police chopper chasing a crim near an airport? Ideal time to use my laser pointer, says Texas idiot now behind bars [3]READ MORE
In recent years, the authorities have taken the issue of “lasing” extremely seriously, and Hendricks is likely to have the book thrown at him. Case in point: a Texan man who was [4]sentenced this week to 51 months in jail, and three years of supervised release, for pointing a laser at a police helicopter was found guilty of a single count; Hendricks is charged with three.
“Each count carries a possible penalty of up to five years in prison and substantial fines, followed by a period of supervised release,” the authorities noted, meaning Hendricks could face up to 15 years in the Big House. Criminal indictments contain only charges, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Green lasers are readily available and cost very little, typically less than $100. They are usually much stronger than the red laser pointers people are familiar with, and even a small laser can flood an entire cockpit from afar. Green lasers are visible in daylight.
The authorities can’t realistically prevent the sale of small lasers, especially when they have other uses, so they are relying on societal pressure and long prison sentences to discourage scumbags from aiming them at aircraft.
All crew members who experience an "unauthorized laser illumination" are expected to immediately report the incident on landing, and fill out an [5]FAA questionnaire [PDF] which is then provided to law enforcement.
Despite these efforts, the FAA [6]reported 6,136 laser incidents in 2019, nearly 17 a day, compared to 5,663 in 2018, 6,754 in 2017, and 7,398 in 2016. The FAA says the lasers "remain a serious threat to aviation safety." ®
Get our [7]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/rincon-man-faces-federal-charges-aiming-laser-commercial-aircraft
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/11/12/pacer_roger_floyd_hendricks_indictment.pdf
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/10/laser_pointing_prison/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/10/laser_pointing_prison/
[5] https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/media/FAA_Laser_Beam_Exposure_Questionnaire.pdf
[6] https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers/laws/
[7] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
“Pointing a laser at an aircraft is not a prank; it’s incredibly dangerous and stupid,” [1]said southern Georgia's US Attorney Bobby Christine on Tuesday. “The FBI did an outstanding job of locating and stopping this threat to hundreds of Savannah air travelers.”
Roger Floyd Hendricks, 48, of Rincon, Georgia, was charged
[2]PDF
last Thursday with aiming a powerful green laser at no less than three flights. According to prosecutors, Hendricks first shone the laser at a 50-passenger plane attempting to land at the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport on November 27 last year. He then did it again at a much larger 200-person Airbus A321 on December 8, and again at a small Cessna plane on January 14 this year, it is said.Soon after the third incident, the FAA asked the FBI to track down whoever was putting crews and passengers’ lives at risk, and agents collared Hendricks – the agency hasn’t said how and when they nabbed him.
Police chopper chasing a crim near an airport? Ideal time to use my laser pointer, says Texas idiot now behind bars [3]READ MORE
In recent years, the authorities have taken the issue of “lasing” extremely seriously, and Hendricks is likely to have the book thrown at him. Case in point: a Texan man who was [4]sentenced this week to 51 months in jail, and three years of supervised release, for pointing a laser at a police helicopter was found guilty of a single count; Hendricks is charged with three.
“Each count carries a possible penalty of up to five years in prison and substantial fines, followed by a period of supervised release,” the authorities noted, meaning Hendricks could face up to 15 years in the Big House. Criminal indictments contain only charges, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Green lasers are readily available and cost very little, typically less than $100. They are usually much stronger than the red laser pointers people are familiar with, and even a small laser can flood an entire cockpit from afar. Green lasers are visible in daylight.
The authorities can’t realistically prevent the sale of small lasers, especially when they have other uses, so they are relying on societal pressure and long prison sentences to discourage scumbags from aiming them at aircraft.
All crew members who experience an "unauthorized laser illumination" are expected to immediately report the incident on landing, and fill out an [5]FAA questionnaire [PDF] which is then provided to law enforcement.
Despite these efforts, the FAA [6]reported 6,136 laser incidents in 2019, nearly 17 a day, compared to 5,663 in 2018, 6,754 in 2017, and 7,398 in 2016. The FAA says the lasers "remain a serious threat to aviation safety." ®
Get our [7]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/rincon-man-faces-federal-charges-aiming-laser-commercial-aircraft
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/11/12/pacer_roger_floyd_hendricks_indictment.pdf
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/10/laser_pointing_prison/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/10/laser_pointing_prison/
[5] https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/media/FAA_Laser_Beam_Exposure_Questionnaire.pdf
[6] https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers/laws/
[7] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Polarizing filter
Anonymous Coward
Have they tried polarizing the window glass? Lasers will be coherent, but sun light and man made light isn't. Surely a polarizing filter would negate the laser without blocking much real-world light?
Or you could do something more complex, track the pilots gaze, put a liquid crystal filter layer over the glass and an outside camera, then track and block bright lights by darking the correct part of the window relative to the pilots gaze. A bit faffy and complex, but that would also block the sun, letting the pilot still see when looking directly into the sun.
Or take away the glass and replace them with sight enhancing 'camera' views that brighten up the night sky and pick out objects using AI. Giving the pilot "super vision". You don't have to fully take away the glass, just darken it, so they have a backup in case of camera problems.
I'd say blind him too
But the lazy jerk would then be on the taxpayer's dole for life.