Lasers and Fireworks

Jay Honeck

Jay Honeck

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
11,571
Location
Ingleside, TX
Display Name
Jay Honeck
Home Airfield
KTFP - Ingleside, TX
Had an interesting experience this evening, while supping a brew at the hangar after a long day of wrenching. (I'm doing the condition inspection on Amelia, our RV-8A.)

We were sitting out front of the hangar, enjoying the peaceful night air and gulf breeze, when not one but TWO police vehicles were seen stealthily driving toward us down the taxiway, with lights OFF.

Not just no red lights -- no lights, period. Since it was as dark as the inside of a cow, our immediate response was "WTF?". We'd never seen this at the airport before.

The first guy saw us, and turned on his headlights, blinding us. The second guy knew us, and struck up a conversation, asking how long we had been out at the airport.

I laughed and told him "All day", which was true. He told us that Corpus Christi Approach had called them because someone "North of our airport" had been shooting off fireworks and shining lasers at airplanes. They asked if we had seen anything?

We had seen nothing but a Navy trainer inexplicably circling the town at low altitude, over and over -- at least eight circuits. We postulated that perhaps he was searching for the laser-abuser, too?

The cop reported this to someone who relayed the message to Corpus Approach, and off they went.

Weird.
 
Not sure how coming up stealth mode on the airport by the police is going to capture someone NORTH of the airport lasing planes...
 
Doggtyred said:
Not sure how coming up stealth mode on the airport by the police is going to capture someone NORTH of the airport lasing planes...
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Considering that directly north of that airport is a sizable bay...they'd be better off in a boat.
 
Yeah that is really weird. At least you weren't treated like criminals. Well actually you kind of were since they came in all stealth like.
 
I find it kind of amazing they ever catch anyone doing this. Someone in the dark in all the vast area on the ground shines a laser up... unless he stays right there and keeps doing it for a good half hour or more I'm amazed locating them is possible.
 
I'm happy they took it seriously enough to go out hunting for the boob. I'd do anything I could to help them learn how better to locate the guilty party.
 
steingar said:
How are you doing the condition inspection on your RV? You didn't build it.
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I do the annual condition inspection in the same way that every homebuilt owner who isn't the original builder (and many certificated owners) does it.

I do all the work, my A&P inspects it, and then he puts his magic signature in my logbooks in exchange for cold, hard, cash.

I take it you just throw them the keys and say "See ya next week."?
 
Ron Levy said:
I'm happy they took it seriously enough to go out hunting for the boob. I'd do anything I could to help them learn how better to locate the guilty party.
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As someone else said, I have no idea how you ever catch someone in the act of lasing an aircraft. Especially if, as seems likely in this case, these folks were on a boat.

It's funny. Our little island police force is often overwhelmed by the sheer number of tourists we get. Then, on a slow night like this, they've got the manpower to send not one but TWO squads out to investigate a guy with a laser pointer.

I'm just glad they didn't hit a plane, driving in stealth mode. As anyone who has ever driven the ramp at night knows, airplanes -- even big white ones -- are really hard to see in the dark.
 
The opinion is put forth that 'stealth mode' in this case does compromise safety. I agree with that opinion. Why would LEO engage in behavior which would compromise safety? In a word, intimidation. It is likely that LEO chose to roll in dark mode to trigger fight or flight in the suspect. Either could lead to articulable RS. Too, by remaining dark, they could later turn on their bright lights at the timing of their choice, when they had already gotten your attention, you looking straight at them, they near to your position; which they did, to suddenly blind you, to momentarily confuse you with sensory overload.

When LEO rolls on you, you are a suspect, a person of suspicion. They need to articulate that, they are looking for something to prove their case. But the clock is running too, they have only a certain amount of time to build their case before it becomes harassment. If Jay had gotten up from his chair, if he had walked over to close the hanger door, hide his beer bottle, whatever...if he had done more than remain seated, LEO would attempt to use that towards building their case. Absolutely was Jay and Mary suspects when LEO rolled up on them. This applies even if the LEO is familiar with the person(s).
 
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Actually Michael has been involved from before start to finish on his last two annuals.
 
cowman said:
I find it kind of amazing they ever catch anyone doing this. Someone in the dark in all the vast area on the ground shines a laser up... unless he stays right there and keeps doing it for a good half hour or more I'm amazed locating them is possible.
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The last time I had someone laser me, it came from the middle of a large residential neighborhood in Lincoln. I saw the source and took a mental snapshot of where it came from and drew it on a piece of paper. Then I pulled out Google Maps on my phone and started to try and work on the address.

They weren't too bright and did it a few more times, at which point I had their precise address known. I relayed that to the Approach controller who relayed it to the Lincoln police department. They didnt' actually bother to send an officer to take a look for roughly four hours..and he just drove by. Didn't bother to knock on the door.

I kept making some noise and was able to eventually get someone to investigate it (and the FSDO as well) but it was weeks later by then and of course the people at the address had nooooo idea who it was.

Shine a laser at a police helicopter, and, it goes down a little differently.
 
How recently was this? It seems/feels like attention and familiarity regarding the seriousness of lasering ac is growing. You might get a different response if repeated today?
 
cowman said:
I find it kind of amazing they ever catch anyone doing this. Someone in the dark in all the vast area on the ground shines a laser up... unless he stays right there and keeps doing it for a good half hour or more I'm amazed locating them is possible.
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Infrared cameras can track the body heat of the perp. A 19 year old knucklehead is looking at 5 years in prison for lazing a police helo. ;)
 
jhausch said:
How recently was this? It seems/feels like attention and familiarity regarding the seriousness of lasering ac is growing. You might get a different response if repeated today?
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2012ish perhaps.
 
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