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> ...lasers can burn your eyes if you look into them. It's the same danger as pilots being blinded by irresponsible people aiming laser pointers into the sky.
by jcoffland 8y ago
> ...lasers can burn your eyes if you look into them. It's the same danger as pilots being blinded by irresponsible people aiming laser pointers into the sky.
It's worth noting that there are no records of ground based lasers causing damage to a pilot's eyes or causing an aviation accident. Not that it's a good idea to point lasers at airplanes.
- Dylan16807 8y agoI don't know why you're getting downvoted. A laser pointer (limited to 5mW) isn't capable of causing eye damage anywhere past 50 feet. Even a big 500mW laser is causing no damage past 500 feet. They can distract for miles, but that's not the same thing at all.
- SmellyGeekBoy 8y agoI presume by "blinded" they mean temporary blindness due to losing their night vision, not permanent damage. The reason they don't cause accidents is because they generally happen on approach or departure which are (or can be) fully automated and therefore easy to abort. It's still very unpleasant for the pilot.
- Dylan16807 8y ago> I presume by "blinded" they mean temporary blindness due to losing their night vision, not permanent damage. It says "burn your eyes" so I don't interpret it that way. > The reason they don't cause accidents is because they generally happen on approach or departure which are (or can be) fully automated and therefore easy to abort. If you're not on approach or departure, what kind of accident would even happen? Especially when even a total loss of external vision still leaves you with all your instruments.