In yet another laser beam incident, crew on a flight carrying Pope Francis reported a laser beam sighting to air traffic control in Mexico City:
Alitalia flight AZ4000 was travelling from Havana with the Pope on board, and was preparing to land when the laser was spotted.
No crew or passengers were injured by the beam, the airline added.[...] "This is yet another incident that shows how serious and widespread the issue of laser attacks on aircraft is," said Jim McAuslan, General Secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), in response to the case involving the Pope's plane. "Modern lasers have the power to blind and the potential to dazzle and distract pilots during critical phases of flight," he told the BBC. "Shining a laser at an aircraft is illegal and dangerous and puts all those on board and on the ground nearby at completely unnecessary risk."
Aboard the plane headed from Rome to Mexico, the Pope said that contraception may be the "lesser evil" for women at risk of catching the Zika virus. In comments made on the ground, he chastised Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump for his plan to build a wall on the Mexican border.
In another story from the UK laser crime beat, Englishman Philip Houghton has been sentenced to 20 weeks in prison for admitting to shining a laser pen at a Humberside Police helicopter that was investigating a shooting.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 19 2016, @01:36PM
It isn't like you can see your laser spot reflecting back on the plane, so why the hell do people even do this? What is the jolly factor here besides just being a dick?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 19 2016, @04:52PM
It is seen as a method of celebration in some cultures, so could have something to do with that. Or they just want to see how far it reaches and don't realize there is a problem.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/appel/egypts-green-laser-pointer-revolution-7u1x [buzzfeed.com]
The fact they may be used as cheap weapons during a revolt explains why we are getting hyperbolic news coverage on this issue, to try to ban them. Not that I think shining lasers at aircraft is acceptable, but has a public education campaign on what it looks like to the pilots even been tried?