Search and Rescue - Lasers and Signaling Devices

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Out of curiosity, can you possibly site some 'helicopter crashed after getting hit with a laser' events?
All I can find is a review article from 2016, in a reputable British journal. It says:
"Only one case of alleged retinal damage to a pilot resulting from laser targeting of aircraft has been reported(4), although not in a peer review ophthalmic journal. This case is suspect because first and foremost, the metrology and exposure geometry would suggest insufficient energy could have entered the eye to produce irreversible damage and secondly the fundus anomaly is in the wrong location, the wrong shape and resulted in an extremely transient reported loss of VA with full recovery. Fortunately, with the exception of this suspect report, there have been no other recorded incidents of permanent damage resulting from directing “laser pointers” at the aircraft. The practice is however totally unacceptable given the potential consequences of distracting a pilot at a critical time and has now resulted in prosecutions and in some cases prison sentences. Unfortunately even with the possibility of custodial sentences such incidents are on the increase with more than 1500 such incidents being reported in the last 12 months within the UK"

That suspect report was:Gosling DB, O’Hagan JB & Quhill FM. Blue laser-induced retinal injury in a commercial pilot at 1300 ft. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016;87(1):69-70.

The submersible green laser from Big Blue is less than 1 mW, so is a Class 2 laser. The eye safety of Class 2 lasers is summarized here:
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Yes, you can distract a pilot searching for you with your class 2 laser; no, you can't harm his eyes, according to the review articles above. Even so, that distraction can be dangerous to the pilot and his aircraft handling.....hence in many/most/all (?) countries the malicious use of a class 2 laser, or any laser, against an aircraft is illegal. But, as quoted some posts above, in the US (and maybe elsewhere) an exception is a laser used as a distress alerting device. That is our context here. I'm going to keep my Big Blue green laser clipped to me, thank you.

 
So how was the pressure hitting the button at depth is it’s covered by a cover?

I haven’t dove with it without a case. It’s waterproof down to 50 feet (15m) depth.

I did try to take it down to 102 feet (31m) depth with soft case for iPhone 6+. The crushing pressure push the flip cover onto the red emergency button on (as shown by the clear alert indicator light turning red, below). When I ascent to 85-90 feet, the light turned off automatically.

866C3725-5119-4B60-9B4E-57CF6166573F.jpeg


After that I used my $10 old Sony camera hard case. It stay dry to as deep as 144 feet (44m) :D

C0506CEA-9C8C-4BC4-B445-4D2CA119DF5D.jpeg
47BF808A-7FCE-4322-A637-F6F09AC95619.jpeg
 
I haven’t dove with it without a case. It’s waterproof down to 50 feet (15m) depth.

I did try to take it down to 102 feet (31m) depth with soft case for iPhone 6+. The crushing pressure push the flip cover onto the red emergency button on (as shown by the clear alert indicator light turning red, below).

View attachment 513273

After that I used my $10 old Sony camera case. It stay dry to as deep as 144 feet (44m) :D

View attachment 513274View attachment 513275
Ah ok so even with the little cover the button can still be pressed. I figured the cover would have a little raids portion that would keep it from touching the button regardless of the situation.
 
Ah ok so even with the little cover the button can still be pressed. I figured the cover would have a little raids portion that would keep it from touching the button regardless of the situation.

It has pretty thin plastic housing that would flex under such crushing pressure and press the button down. You will need a hard case.
 
It has not caused a crash and as I said before, the concern is not just retinal damage, it is the loss of vision that can occur that then make the helicopter more vulnerable to other hazards. If your pilot has flash blindness and then doesn't see a bird......

There are a lot of things we do for safety in the helicopter that has not actually caused a crash, but we would really appreciate not ever happening. Especially flying air rescue, we don't take chances with our own lives or patient's lives. (if we get hurt, that just multiples the number of people needing rescued).
 
It has not caused a crash and as I said before, the concern is not just retinal damage, it is the loss of vision that can occur that then make the helicopter more vulnerable to other hazards. If your pilot has flash blindness and then doesn't see a bird......

There are a lot of things we do for safety in the helicopter that has not actually caused a crash, but we would really appreciate not ever happening. Especially flying air rescue, we don't take chances with our own lives or patient's lives. (if we get hurt, that just multiples the number of people needing rescued).

So let's put this in context, if there were a chance Cameron were on the water, floating, and a flash of light would of made him noticeable, you'd still prefer him, or anyone else not be found 'just to be safe', we don't down the helicopter, that has never happened before....did I get that right?
 
It has not caused a crash and as I said before, the concern is not just retinal damage, it is the loss of vision that can occur that then make the helicopter more vulnerable to other hazards. If your pilot has flash blindness and then doesn't see a bird......

There are a lot of things we do for safety in the helicopter that has not actually caused a crash, but we would really appreciate not ever happening. Especially flying air rescue, we don't take chances with our own lives or patient's lives. (if we get hurt, that just multiples the number of people needing rescued).

That's why you get flight pay, if you wanted a nice safe job you should have looked for a job at a desk and with a computer. If I'm floating in the middle of the ocean, and a helicoper or SAR plane hasn't yet spotted me, I'll do anything I can to get your reported attention. If I have access to a Sorface to Air Missle, I'd use that too if the laser doesn't work.
I'ts not going to be my fault that you didn't spot me.
And paying a few thousand dollars in the fines involved, is a hell of a lot better than dieing.

Michael
 
That's why you get flight pay, if you wanted a nice safe job you should have looked for a job at a desk and with a computer. If I'm floating in the middle of the ocean, and a helicoper or SAR plane hasn't yet spotted me, I'll do anything I can to get your reported attention. If I have access to a Sorface to Air Missle, I'd use that too if the laser doesn't work.
I'ts not going to be my fault that you didn't spot me.
And paying a few thousand dollars in the fines involved, is a hell of a lot better than dieing.

Michael
If I am in the search aircraft, and you shine a laser on one of the crew, I am declaring a medical emergency and returning to base immediately, even if that means that we leave you behind. Kind of counter productive.

How dumb does a person have to be to put the people that are trying to save you at risk in any way? It might not be your fault that they don't see you, but it could be your fault that they don't rescue you if they feel that they are at risk of being lased..
 
If I am in the search aircraft, and you shine a laser on one of the crew, I am declaring a medical emergency and returning to base immediately, even if that means that we leave you behind. Kind of counter productive.

How dumb does a person have to be to put the people that are trying to save you at risk in any way? It might not be your fault that they don't see you, but it could be your fault that they don't rescue you if they feel that they are at risk of being lased..
Well considering US law allows for use of a laser in a distress or SAR situation I don’t think a real SAR party would be crying about a laser hit from the person they are looking for like most of the keyboard warriors on here with opinions
 

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