Yet another required piece of safety gear... a LASER!

[DandyDon]

Civilian jets don't carry missile counter measures, do they?

How in the world would knowing someone has locked a Stinger into you help a 737 pilot? So he/she can dodge the missile?

The airline suggest keeping your seat belt loosely buckled in case of unexpected turbulence or the captain executing an unplanned roll-out to evade a laser.

 

[plot]

The airline suggest keeping your seat belt loosely buckled in case of unexpected turbulence or the captain executing an unplanned roll-out to evade a laser.

So you're the one person that read the safety information in the seat back pocket? ;-)

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Other than the pilot's eyes, I don't think there is a "laser detection system" that would work (at least an unclassified one). In the case of the airliners being hit by the laser pointers, the authorities actually had to troll with aircraft and deputies on the ground to locate this guy. Then they put up a few cameras to monitor him, and sure enough got him on video pulling out something from his pocket and pointing it skyward at the same time the troll aircraft reported receiving a laser "hit." That is what led to his arrest, not some si-fi "laser detection system."

If you want to look at an impressive laser system, take a look at this the Airborne Laser Testbed.

SeaRat

 

[DandyDon]

So you're the one person that read the safety information in the seat back pocket? ;-)

Well, yes - I do. I want to know my options in case of problems, where the exits are exactly, and such. I know the FAs are trained for emergencies, not just waitresses, but I expect most passengers to turn into panicked idiots if anything goes wrong. The briefings are pretty boring after several hundred, but I watch them anyway as a courtesy, then go to sleep.

 

[spoolin01]

As apparently confirmed by the rescued diver's report, a low-powered laser seemingly offers some real advantages over other common active and passive signalling devices, under some circumstances. At night, or when atmospheric conditions render the beam visible off-axis, it must surely outperfom any other visual signalling device by a wide margin at distance. Of course you don't want to shine it directly in someone's face, but that concern seems wildly overblown. Maybe carry the laser for distance, and more typical light or strobe for close-in.

 

[ams511]

Civilian jets don't carry missile counter measures, do they?

How in the world would knowing someone has locked a Stinger into you help a 737 pilot? So he/she can dodge the missile?

At the time, they were talking about chaff/flare dispensers on commercial aircraft. The pilot may not be able to dodge the missile but it gives him a heads up to expect an explosion.

---------- Post added November 8th, 2013 at 06:02 PM ----------

The airline suggest keeping your seat belt loosely buckled in case of unexpected turbulence or the captain executing an unplanned roll-out to evade a laser.

or in case the roof flys off over Hawaii so you don't get sucked out. (Yes, it happened).

---------- Post added November 8th, 2013 at 06:09 PM ----------

Other than the pilot's eyes, I don't think there is a "laser detection system" that would work (at least an unclassified one). I
SeaRat

HowStuffWorks "How the Guardian Anti-missile System Works"

 

[DandyDon]

or in case the roof flys off over Hawaii so you don't get sucked out. (Yes, it happened).

You referring to Aloha Air 243? I remember that one, losing one FA whose body was never found. Outstanding job at crashing the plane in once piece on a runway and using tour vans to transport injured to hospitals. "The Plane Was Disintegrating" - TIME