| Pathological Atheist 2004-12-31, 4:06 am |
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From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4136463.stm
US probes 'laser-tracked' flights
US investigators are examining a spate of cases in which laser beams have been
shone into the cockpits of aircraft.
The most recent case was in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday night, where a pilot says a
green laser light was shone through the window of his cockpit.
The light tracked with the plane for several seconds as it came in to land.
The FBI, worried that terrorists may use lasers to stun and disorientate pilots, is
investigating a series of similar incidents involving lasers.
The FBI has recently warned law enforcement agencies that terrorist have explored
using lasers as weapons. However, authorities say they have no specific intelligence to
link the incidents with al-Qaeda activities in the US.
"It didn't just splash and vanish, which made the pilot believe he was being tracked,"
FBI agent Robert Hawk told AFP news agency.
The pilot landed the plane and the FBI traced the beam to a residential area of
Cleveland.
Six similar incidents are being examined by the FBI.
On Monday, two pilots in Colorado reported green pulsating laser beams in their
cockpits in Colorado Springs. Both planes landed without incident.
???
But:
From: http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/5a47/
Green Laser Pointer II
$99.99
No, it's not red - it's green
Okay, just about everyone has a red laser pointer. Heck, we even sell a fine one here
at ThinkGeek. But, we're pretty sure you want to be a superior geek - and doing it with
a green laser is the way to go.
This pointer is significantly brighter (about 50 times) than a red laser pointer and
because of its unusual color it is much more noticeable. I mean come on, a 532 nm
green laser wavelength is obviously superior to a laughable 650 nm red laser
wavelength. And unlike a red laser, the green beam itself can be seen in mid-air in dark
conditions, not just the laser beam dot. This allows the green laser pointer to be used
for pointing to star constellations (skypointing) and also just generally look cool as hell.
The green laser beam dot can be seen at much greater distances than with a red laser
pointer.
Since green direct injection laser diodes aren't readily available, this pointer is based on
the use of Diode Pumped Solid State Frequency Doubled (DPSSFD) laser technology.
A high power IR laser diode at 808 nm pumps a tiny block of Nd:YVO4 generating light
at 1,064 nm which feeds a KTP intracavity frequency doubler crystal to produce the
green beam at 532 nm.
Features of this unit include:
Extremely bright green laser at 532 nm wavelength
Output power of <5mW (Class IIIa Laser Product)
RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 9,000 FOOT IN DARKNESS !!!!!
1.1 mm beam diameter at source
Momentary push button switch
Solid, heavy duty construction
Constant wave output (as opposed to pulse output)
Takes 2 "AAA" batteries (included)
Class IIIa Laser
Can be used for skypointing, projection on low clouds, signalling, detecting explosives
90-day warranty
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