A394/2010 Valid from : 01/03/2010 15:00 Until : PERM
Text : THERE ARE OCCASIONAL REPORTS OF LASER LIGHTS DIRECTED AT ACFT MOSTLY FROM THE FOLLOWING AREAS: 1: ON ARRIVAL: SHORT FINAL OF RWY 25R AND 25L WITHIN A RADIUS OF 3NM FROM THE TRESHOLD OF BOTHJ RWY 2: ON DEPARTURE: AFTER TAKE OFF ON THE RWY 25R WITHIN A RADIUS OF 3NM FROM THE END OF RWY AIRCREW SHALL BE VIGILANT AND WILL REPORT TO ATC ANY EVENT WITH NOTIFICATION OF APROXIMATE LOCATION IF POSSIBLE
Have they been thinking about security staff as well ?
I have seen Belgian soldiers pointing their machine guns at landing airplanes. Some systems have that red dot laser system.
There has been already a conviction about this, in the USA I think. Reason behind it is that it can blind the pilot during a crucial manoeuver-landing - and endangering everybody on board.
There exists a wide arsenal of quite cheap devices that locate exactly laser emitting devices, technology from the sixties and seventies from the military. Most modern battle tanks have such sensors on board, and - as I presume - every combat aircraft.
I cannot imagine that the usual airplane spotter would use such a device to pinpoint his lenzes.
You don't need to be an aircraft to get this problem, a few days ago in the evening I was bothered when driving on the R0 East between Kraainem and Zaventem by a car emitting green lazer light blinding others. Didn't have a chance to snatch the license plate unfortunately. This wreckless behavior should be delt with accordingly.
This problem has been going on for a while already, not only in the vicinity of the airport, but also in other regions of Belgium.
Another danger with these lasers are permanent eye-damage, even when the pilot is wearing sunglasses or dark visors.
In Brussels one person has been verbalized already for shining a laser into the sky trying to blind pilots. Further sanctions against this person might still follow.
Guesses are that mostly it are kids or irresponsible adults who like to play but don't understand the risks of their actions.
It has nothing to do with soldiers with laser pointers on their guns though.
Companies are also taking this events seriously : in their last Safety Publication, TNT Airways has published an article on the dangers of beeing blinded by such laser during critical landing phase. They also provide the crews with usefull tips in case they are targeted ... there were also simulation pictures showing what the crew would see under those illuminations : as they approach the runway, they won't see it any more because of the red or green light facing them ...
If it are the simple red dot lasers pointed by kids , it should be detected very easely. 10 years ago I saw several times youths being thrown out of the Belgian movie theatres because they used laser pointers.
Within 30 seconds security picked the exact boys out of a full theatre. I guess that security could pinpoint them by using camera's.
So, put a simple camera with GPS on an airplane and the problem will be solved within 10 minutes.
