Dang, I can't find the article, but there was a wonderful piece on just how incredibly difficult it is to aim a hand laser at a cockpit. Plus the angle at which it needs to hit the cockpit makes it virtually impossible for it to be done with a hand laser pointer.
In other words, there is something else going on that is causing these various laser "blinding" incidents.
On edit: here's the link...
http://www.iasa.com.au/folders/Security_Issues/laser-realities.htmlThe recent wave of reports of US aircraft illuminated by lasers highlights the need for the public and safety officials to better understand laser technology. A number of inaccurate statements have been repeated by government authorities and the media regarding the hazard level posed by lasers. "I'm worried that much of the reaction to date has been based on fear rather than fact," said David Lytle, executive director of the International Laser Display Association (ILDA). The group represents over 100 companies, including manufacturers of laser equipment and producers of laser shows.
A joint memo by the US Dept. of Homeland Security and FBI, for example, recently warned that terrorists might use inexpensive, off-the-shelf lasers to blind airline pilots in flight. Safety calculations performed using internationally accepted exposure levels show this is not the case.
The energy necessary to cause a permanent eye injury at a distance of 1,500 meters would require an unusually high-powered laser and the use highly specialized optics to focus the beam. "This type of equipment is can cost more than $100,000 and is decidedly not off-the-shelf or easy to operate," said safety expert Greg Makhov, Chair of the ILDA Safety Committee.(as I said above, there is something else going on that is causing these various laser "blinding" incidents.)
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