Lasers

[Tupac]

http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/

[Tac]

I don't know much about lasers but surely there must be some kind of glass/plastic that can be put on the cockpits that would block a laser beam?

[Golfer]

Or don't point the sweet green industrial lasers at aircraft in the first place if your bellybutton doesn't want to go to jail as a felon.

We aren't talking about little laser pointers or crimson trace grips either.

[Tordon22]

There's always a notam for laser light shows near Tampa, and of course the lockheed laser testing facility near Orlando.

[MachFly]

Many high-powered lasers can completely incapacitate pilots

Really? How powerful does it need to be?
I'd think such a powerful laser would be too expensive for a normal person. 

[Golfer]

Really? How powerful does it need to be?
I'd think such a powerful laser would be too expensive for a normal person. 

Get hit by one.

The green industrial size lasers are easy enough to come by it seems given the number if incidents. They can, will and have blinded folks while down low which is something you of course don't want during a critical phase of flight.

Here are some examples of small hand held lasers being used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k4C8grAGP4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9pO9AgrzAc

[MachFly]

Get hit by one.

The green industrial size lasers are easy enough to come by it seems given the number if incidents. They can, will and have blinded folks while down low which is something you of course don't want during a critical phase of flight.

Here are some examples of small hand held lasers being used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k4C8grAGP4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9pO9AgrzAc

Holy $h1t, I had no idea it's that noticeable.

What's an industrial size laser? ~1000mW?

[morfiend]

 Golfer,

 Is it only the "green" lasers?  I wonder if the red laser levels on the market these days would cause an issue.  I've seen a few that you didnt need the safety glasses to see at all,they were used to shoot line for walls in large highrises!





   

[MachFly]

Red light does not interfere with your night vision so it should not be that bad, but given that it's a focused bright beam it can still cause problems.

[Golfer]

Golfer,

 Is it only the "green" lasers?  I wonder if the red laser levels on the market these days would cause an issue.  I've seen a few that you didnt need the safety glasses to see at all,they were used to shoot line for walls in large highrises!

I don't really know much about the technology or specific. Just that the bigger badder ones seem to have all been green. Can't say.

The red laser light wouldn't be a good thing, the specific reason your eyes wouldn't be as affected nor would it be an acceptable thing to do. I think the technology is less powerful is all but don't know why or how.

[Mar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyuNidSrVik&feature=related

[Slash27]

Really? How powerful does it need to be?
I'd think such a powerful laser would be too expensive for a normal person. 

Never underestimate a nerd.

[Masherbrum]

"For the Division Bell tour in 1994, Marc Brickman wanted to retain what had worked in the past, thus propagating the Floyd concert legacy of musical and visual extravagance, while enhancing the show by making use of the very latest and greatest technologies at his disposal. But for Brickman, that doesn't always mean technologies "currently" available to the entertainment industry, and sometimes he has to look outside the box to fulfill his visions. When interviewed for Lighting Dimensions' September 1994 issue, Brickman comments on his laser upgrade for the new tour after a trip to Hughes Aircraft:

"Being an American, I listen to all the propaganda that our news media puts out, so as they said something about how they were reducing the defense budget and trying to turn the defense into commercial applications.  I figured maybe I could go out and buy some "Star Wars" lasers," Brickman says. "And at the time that I was doing that I got a call from Mark Loman at Rocklite describing this laser. So, I went out to Toronto and saw it, and thought it was great. And I have 2 complete, 50W, copper-vapor laser systems."

(In fact what the Floyd bought for the 1994 tour were two Oxford Laser ACL 45 Copper vapor lasers. The ACL 45 is a big laser. The laser heads are 2.526 meters (99.4") long by 28.2 cm (11.1") by 37.0 cm (14.6") and weigh 145 Kg (651 lbs.); the power supply units are 67.5 cm (26.6") by 65.2 cm (25.7") by 75.9 cm (29.8") high (including the wheels) and weighs 230 Kg (506 lbs.) These units give 45 watts of laser output each from only about 7Kw of electrical power.)"

The ACL 45's were awesome to see in person and even then it was known that where ever they were playing in the US.....the FAA required a 50 mile radius around the venue when these lasers werre used.    IIRC it was all in the timing.    The lasers were from the defunct Star Wars program of the 80's.    Both shows were incredible.

http://sparebricks.fika.org/sbzine15/features2.html

[MachFly]

"For the Division Bell tour in 1994, Marc Brickman wanted to retain what had worked in the past, thus propagating the Floyd concert legacy of musical and visual extravagance, while enhancing the show by making use of the very latest and greatest technologies at his disposal. But for Brickman, that doesn't always mean technologies "currently" available to the entertainment industry, and sometimes he has to look outside the box to fulfill his visions. When interviewed for Lighting Dimensions' September 1994 issue, Brickman comments on his laser upgrade for the new tour after a trip to Hughes Aircraft:

"Being an American, I listen to all the propaganda that our news media puts out, so as they said something about how they were reducing the defense budget and trying to turn the defense into commercial applications.  I figured maybe I could go out and buy some "Star Wars" lasers," Brickman says. "And at the time that I was doing that I got a call from Mark Loman at Rocklite describing this laser. So, I went out to Toronto and saw it, and thought it was great. And I have 2 complete, 50W, copper-vapor laser systems."

(In fact what the Floyd bought for the 1994 tour were two Oxford Laser ACL 45 Copper vapor lasers. The ACL 45 is a big laser. The laser heads are 2.526 meters (99.4") long by 28.2 cm (11.1") by 37.0 cm (14.6") and weigh 145 Kg (651 lbs.); the power supply units are 67.5 cm (26.6") by 65.2 cm (25.7") by 75.9 cm (29.8") high (including the wheels) and weighs 230 Kg (506 lbs.) These units give 45 watts of laser output each from only about 7Kw of electrical power.)"

The ACL 45's were awesome to see in person and even then it was known that where ever they were playing in the US.....the FAA required a 50 mile radius around the venue when these lasers werre used.    IIRC it was all in the timing.    The lasers were from the defunct Star Wars program of the 80's.    Both shows were incredible.

http://sparebricks.fika.org/sbzine15/features2.html

 
If I was in FAA's shoes I just would not allow them to use those lasers.

[Masherbrum]

If I was in FAA's shoes I just would not allow them to use those lasers.

Why?   They used them to perfection.    Apple created three Mac Systems that were unavailable to the Public, specifically to use for the Tour (fastest CPU's from the R&D dept.).    Those two shows are still the loudest concerts I have ever been too and I have seen plenty.   Gilmour's intro to "Sorrow" went through your chest like a scalpel through butter.   

Marc Brickman is the premier Stage Builder in the World.    He makes the impossible happen and caters to the artists.