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Date: Mar 29, 2008 22:56
City's worst laser attacks on aircraft
SIX aircraft flying into Sydney Airport have been hit in a co-ordinated
attack by blinding green lights in what safety officials say is the
city's worst laser attack.
Air traffic controllers closed the approach flight path and diverted
incoming aircraft to a different runway on Friday night, forcing some
flights to land up to half an hour late.
Air Services Australia said it was the first recorded "cluster attack"
in which three or four people used lasers to make a co-ordinated attack
on aircraft coming into the airport over heavily populated suburbs.
Last night airport sources said the aircraft belonged to Qantas,
QantasLink and Eastern Australian Airlines. One of the pilots reported
the laser beams appeared to be coming from the vicinity of a McDonald's
restaurant near Bexley, about five kilometres south-west of the airport.
Staff at the restaurant said they had not seen anything.
NSW Police Minister David Campbell vowed yesterday to change the law to
classify powerful laser beams as illegal weapons.
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Author: Sylvia ElseSylvia Else Date: Mar 29, 2008 23:19
Rob. wrote:
> The laser attacks began about 10.15pm in the Bexley area, in Sydney's
> south-west, and continued until 10.30pm. The pilots notified air traffic
> control, which diverted incoming flights. When police reached the area
> at 10.45pm they could see no sign of the perpetrators. Yesterday, police
> canvassed the Bexley area.
So you divert the incoming flights so that the crims will get bored
waiting for a 'plane and go home. Then you arrange for the police to get
there half an hour after the attack started.
Do they actually want to catch these people?
If the auto land systems were upgraded, then crews could do heads down
approaches when lasers are known to be about. It would then be more
likely that people will get caught in the act.
Sylvia.
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Author: PraetorianPraetorian Date: Mar 30, 2008 23:29
Maybe they should start by surveilling the most virulent anti-airport noise
complainants.
There's way and means to respond quickly enough to this sort of thing.
Hopefully, the cops know what they are.
--
"Don't believe everything you think".
"Rob." mine.com.> wrote in message
news:47ef2b81_9@news.peopletelecom.com.au...> City's worst laser attacks on aircraft
>
>
> SIX aircraft flying into Sydney Airport have been hit in a co-ordinated...
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Author: SnapperSnapper Date: Apr 8, 2008 20:43
Rob. wrote...
> "The fact there were six [attacks] in one night is a serious concern and
> I'll be asking customs to provide a report this week as it's now become
> urgent," he said.
Why don't they place the terrorism card here? Certainly that would give
them more power to round up anyone who "looks" like he might get his
jollies flashing laser pointers at aircraft and people in general...
> Air Services Australia spokesman Bryan Nicholson said: "This was the
> worst attack in our experience. It was described by the pilots as a
> 'cluster attack', which implies some sort of co-ordination or
> organisation. This is extremely serious and dangerous."
Again, play the terrorism card. If the pricks turn out to be imports from
somewhere north of Africa, then deport the pricks. Or hand 'em over to
Dubya so his lads in Gitmo can deal with them as they did with Hicks.
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Author: BeasleyBeasley Date: Apr 8, 2008 20:54
"Snapper" y7mail.com> wrote in message
news:47fc3b5a$1$1478$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...> Rob. wrote...
>
>> "The fact there were six [attacks] in one night is a serious concern and
>> I'll be asking customs to provide a report this week as it's now become
>> urgent," he said.
>
> Why don't they place the terrorism card here? Certainly that would give
> them more power to round up anyone who "looks" like he might get his
> jollies flashing laser pointers at aircraft and people in general...
Because it is not terrorism, nor can it be proved to be so. If they charged
them, a decent lawyer would have the case dismissed in no time.
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Author: FredFred Date: Apr 8, 2008 22:36
Sylvia Else Wrote:
> If the auto land systems were upgraded, then crews could do heads down
> approaches when lasers are known to be about. It would then be more
> likely that people will get caught in the act.
Why would an autoland help? These aircraft are generally flying with
reference to an ILS that's coupled up to an autopilot, so it's not the
last couple of hundred feet that's the problem... it's midway through
the approach at maybe 3 or 4 miles from the field. Since the 'attacks'
occur in major cities the large majority of approaches are made into
airports with precision approach guidance. In fact, the only time a jet
RPT airliner has reported laser lights without the benifit of an ILS is
runway 14 at LT. Even then, an approach can still be flown to the minima
without looking outside into the source of the light like a stunned
mullet.
How would an autoland help helicopters and other aircraft that are not
in the process of an approach? Maybe I've misunderstood you, but please
do tell me how an autoland will help?
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Author: Sylvia ElseSylvia Else Date: Apr 8, 2008 23:21
Fred wrote:
> Sylvia Else Wrote:
>> If the auto land systems were upgraded, then crews could do heads down
>> approaches when lasers are known to be about. It would then be more
>> likely that people will get caught in the act.
>
> Why would an autoland help? These aircraft are generally flying with
> reference to an ILS that's coupled up to an autopilot, so it's not the
> last couple of hundred feet that's the problem... it's midway through
> the approach at maybe 3 or 4 miles from the field. Since the 'attacks'
> occur in major cities the large majority of approaches are made into
> airports with precision approach guidance. In fact, the only time a jet
> RPT airliner has reported laser lights without the benifit of an ILS is
> runway 14 at LT. Even then, an approach can still be flown...
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Author: RTRT Date: Apr 9, 2008 04:31
"GB" kickindanuts.threefiddy.com> wrote in message
news:Sa6dnRPipPA_PWHanZ2dnUVZ_qCunZ2d@internode...>> Since the 'attacks' occur in major cities the large
>> majority of approaches are made into airports with
>> precision approach guidance.
>
> I've been thinking a bit more on this laser 'attacks'
> business. Look at where the front/side windows are on
> RPT aircraft, how they're angled, etc? How the hell do
> you hit those from the ground with a laser in a way that
> threatens the pilots' vision, even temporarily?
>
> Think distance, think size and intensity of the
> illuminated area with retail-available and affordable
> lasers, think size/location of windows, think difficulty
> of maintaining illumination with a small hand-held device,
> tracking a moving aircraft in the dark.
> ...
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Author: AAAA Date: Apr 9, 2008 05:59
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Author: SnapperSnapper Date: Apr 9, 2008 19:43
Beasley wrote...
> Because it is not terrorism, nor can it be proved to be so. If they charged
> them, a decent lawyer would have the case dismissed in no time.
What? Crashing aircraft or trying to crash them isn't terrorism? If this
is so, when does it become terrorism?
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