Crosshair,
I'm a pilot - are you? If not, why don't you take my word on what we can and can't do.
Pilot's operate 98% on visual cues, whether that's out of the front windscreen, side window, artificial horizon. There is no "seat of the pants" feel that will tell you if the plane is gently rolling upside down as you blindly pull up. If you are less than 50 feet over the ground when you lose your sight there is no manuever that would insure that the aircraft would not crash. You may be able to keep flying, or may not. At night the chances are far worse.
As for the laser, it was cheap by 1984 laser standards, and had an output and dispersal that was probably on par with a laser pen today. It was not at all powerful and intended for "science" demos to pre-teens. Yet that 1mm beam still caused temporary blindness when it had spread to 2 feet and traveled through 150 yards of air. That is compelling.
From what I can tell reading this thread, I have more experience with laser blinding AND aviation than anyone else with an opinion. But by all means, ignore what I have to say on the subject.
I'm a pilot - are you? If not, why don't you take my word on what we can and can't do.
Pilot's operate 98% on visual cues, whether that's out of the front windscreen, side window, artificial horizon. There is no "seat of the pants" feel that will tell you if the plane is gently rolling upside down as you blindly pull up. If you are less than 50 feet over the ground when you lose your sight there is no manuever that would insure that the aircraft would not crash. You may be able to keep flying, or may not. At night the chances are far worse.
As for the laser, it was cheap by 1984 laser standards, and had an output and dispersal that was probably on par with a laser pen today. It was not at all powerful and intended for "science" demos to pre-teens. Yet that 1mm beam still caused temporary blindness when it had spread to 2 feet and traveled through 150 yards of air. That is compelling.
From what I can tell reading this thread, I have more experience with laser blinding AND aviation than anyone else with an opinion. But by all means, ignore what I have to say on the subject.
b)in my original post I was talking about my incredulity at the idea of banning all LASER sales to civvies including dinky little pointers. The topic seems to have drifted a bit into the "could you EVER with ANYTHING" rather than "does this make sense" region.