Slashdot Mirror
Laser Warnings Planned for Out-of-Bounds Pilots
akadruid writes "No, it's not a new 'Star Wars' system: The US Pentagon and NORAD are using lasers to warn off pilots flying into restricted airspace, according to Wired magazine. I wonder if they got the idea from the FBI, who charged a New Jersey man under anti-terror laws for doing this?" The system is not yet in operation (but could be as soon as next month), and according to NORAD, their system has been found safe for pilots' eyes.
...RTFA.
Yes, it's ironic and ha-ha funny and all considering the instances of lasers being shined into cockpits as pranks.
But:
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said its laser warning system will start in 30 to 45 days. The low-intensity lights are less powerful than the ones that prompted warnings, and tests have shown they are safe for the eyes, according to NORAD.
NORAD spokesman Michael Kucharek said the laser-based warning system someday could replace fighter jets as a way to warn pilots to stay away from the Capitol and the White House.
Hundreds of small private planes [i.e., not commercial jetliners] have strayed into the restricted airspace in Washington, a 15.75-mile radius around the Washington Monument.
In some cases, NORAD has had to divert or scramble fighter jets to escort them away from the area at a cost of $30,000 to $50,000 each time, Kucharek said.
The challenge for NORAD will be to educate pilots that the red-red-green flashing laser beams mean they're flying in restricted airspace.
Isn't looking for a new or novel notification system for myriad planes that may not be able to immediately contacted via radio or identified by radar or other means a good thing? And one that mitigates the need to divert or scramble fighters at great costs?
And yes, I suppose someone could build a system to emulate the NORAD system as a joke/hoax/prank/whatever, as no doubt dozens of drooling slashdotters are anxious to post to echo Timothy, but then, it would be:
- First of all, very unlikely to be encountered, statistically, and when it did happen, it would be:
- Not anywhere near restricted airspace, meaning it would be recognized as a prank to be ignored
- In the case of much of DC around the capitol, in restricted airspace anyway, and therefore moot
- Likely that instances that would cause significant confusion and/or be mistaken for a legitimate NORAD warning would be about as prevalent as current laser pranks. That is to say, not prevalent at all, compared with the total number of flights.
So in sum, this is a very good idea and not at all surprising.
Further the fact that a man has been (rightfully) charged with a crime for shining a fucking laser at a plane like a dumbass has absolutely nothing to do with a safe, non-obtrusive, well-designed warning system that coincidentally also uses lasers because of their utility that is only invoked if a pilot strays into restricted airspace in the first place, which are likely to be small, private planes, as indicated in the article, and NOT commercial carriers with experienced pilots who know, and have the tools, to stay out of restricted airspace.
If a pilot is lost or confused, blinding him with a bright light is going to help him a lot.
This came up in some of the other articles.
"OMG, how could you shine a laser from the ground when the windows are on the *top of the plane*?!?!??!!11111one"
Um. I hope you can realized that pilots still have a line of sight to the ground for great distances around them, and only can't see the ground directly underneath/behind them for a comparatively small area.
The warnings would have a good chance of being initiated from an area for which the pilot has direct line of sight, or at least can diverge enough to get to the windshield or some other surface on the plane and be instantly noticed by the pilot.
Because the pilots who fly into restricted airspace are not the normal ones.
'SBEMAIL!' is better than a goat!!
I'm sure they will thank you for this insight, and implement it immediately. Of course, if the radio is inop, they'll have to come up with some other idea to warn the pilot.
Maybe just shoot it down.
Except it won't, because commercial jets aren't the problem, and taking ultimate control away from the pilot is a Very Bad Thing(tm). Technology in aircraft is not going to solve the problem of terrorism.
p
In Korea, long hair is for old people!
From my knowledge of this proposed system and my experience flying in the airspace around D.C. this is intendend for civil aviation aircraft...most of which do not fly at very high altitudes (generally below 18,000ft and most even lower than that).
The question about this proposed system that I have is this (having flown inside of the Washington D.C. ADIZ numerous times):
The airspaces are designated to keep potential trouble makers out of those areas. The point of scrambling the fighters to intercept a violator is to have eyes on and provide the option to take this aircraft out if it is determined to have hostile intentions. If there will no longer be any interceptors coming, any hostile aircraft can simply continue on its present course and the interceptors may not make it in time should they be sent later on. So what is the point of the laser system at all? If we must be so afraid to allow this airspace to be restricted shouldn't it warrant someone there actually guarding it with shoot down capabilities?
It is my understanding that this system is intended to drive down the costs of sending out the interceptor aircraft. If those costs are not worthy to protect whatever airspace is restricted, perhaps the danger is not that great and the airspace should be opened. I believe this proposed laser system will do nothing but cost money itself, irritate civil aviators, and provide a false security for protecting the restricted airspace (which is not clear if it should really be restricted in the first place if the costs of sending intercept aircraft are not worth the protection of this space). We seem to be left with a restricted airspace that is prohibited for vital national security reasons which is merely protected by a system that says 'don't go near there' 0r something to that affect.
A GPS receiver that's FAA-certified for installation in an aircraft is a multi-thousand-dollar piece of technology, and there are literally thousands of aircraft out there that have no GPS on-board whatsoever. All these would have to be retrofitted, and a large number of experimental and homebuilt craft would have to be totally redesigned in order for a GPS system to be installed. Remember, not all aircraft even have electrical systems!
A handheld is fine (and much cheaper), but the FAA says they're not legal for navigation. They're simply an "aid to situational awareness." Furthermore, handhelds don't have a good way to alert the pilot if he/she is about to violate some kind of airspace, as they don't have a connection to the aircraft's audio system, and -- once again -- not all aircraft even HAVE audio systems.
Finally, desire does not make cash. I want a GPS in any airplane I fly, but that doesn't give the owners the money to put one in.
p
In Korea, long hair is for old people!
they could just spend an extra coupla quid and put a shape cutout (like, of an arrow) over the laser, so it draws an arrow pointing which direction to go! My mate had all sorts of shapes he could project using his laser over a distance, smiley face (could mean "okay you're going the right way now"), a love heart, a cat, an erm... tin of beans...
-2A
The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia