Search and Rescue - Lasers and Signaling Devices

[fsardone]

Again, you are describing a rather different situation. Not SAR, and using words like "blinded" and "incapacitated." This is apparently NOT what happens with a 1 mW laser, according to the research.

You probably never flew in those conditions.
Do your research and then go flying. Experience might differ from theory.

 

[tursiops]

You probably never flew in those conditions.
Do your research and then go flying. Experience might differ from theory.

It is not my research, it is the published work on this issue. From measurements. Not theory. There were NO verified instances (up through 2016) of any actual problems. See https://www.scubaboard.com/community/posts/8599750/

You apparently have no relevant experience with low-powered lasers?

 

[fsardone]

Just for fun ...
Go with a friend driving on a highway (do it in a large multilane one no traffic) at night and then (after asking you frind who is driving to shut his eyes) use a strobe light or a flash directly staring at it.
Now tell me you would be happy to be in control of the car. Also keep in mind that the experiment should be done with head lights off and moving at 90-100 knots (whis is roughly 120 MPH).
No permanent damage but temporary loss of vision. How long do you think it takes to go from controlled to unrecoverable uncontrolled flight in a chopper at night over the sea?

Disclaimer don’t do it. The experiment is dangerous. Really! Even if it is less dangerous than loss of vision at night in a chopper. Even for a few secs.

 

[fsardone]

It is not my research, it is the published work on this issue. From measurements. Not theory. There were NO verified instances (up through 2016) of any actual problems. See https://www.scubaboard.com/community/posts/8599750/

You apparently have no relevant experience with low-powered lasers?

I do not care about permanent retinal damage.
It is the crash following the inability of looking at my attitude indicator and radar altimeter set for NVG use while the NVG or my eyes are unserviceable due to the flash of a low power laser that did not permanently damage my retina that will kill me.

 

[GJC]

If lasers are such a bad idea, how do these guys stay in business?

www.greatlandlaser.com

Reviews seem to show there is no danger of eye damage to rescuers from this type of laser and lasers have a longer effective range at night than lights or strobes. The only thing more effective are flares (mostly because they are higher altitude and can be seen over the horizon).

EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE (tm) - Rescue Laser Flare Review

 

[Hoag]

Sorry, double tap some how.

 

[fsardone]

If lasers are such a bad idea, how do these guys stay in business?

www.greatlandlaser.com

Reviews seem to show there is no danger of eye damage to rescuers from this type of laser and lasers have a longer effective range at night than lights or strobes. The only thing more effective are flares (mostly because they are higher altitude and can be seen over the horizon).

EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE (tm) - Rescue Laser Flare Review

I do not know how they stay in business.
If it was such a good idea I would find one in my survival pack in the ejection seat but I don’t. I have a IR strobe, I have flares, I have a mirror, I have a die, and I have smoke.
No laser.

Wait, I get it. There are uninformed people buying lasers because they want a military grade rescue laser .... That must be it!

 

[JXT71]

Enlighten us with the point?

The point is you can quote whatever FAA regulation you want, any medical documentation you want, any technical specifications you want, any threat of public rebuttal you want. None of it matters.

What matters is the rescuer and their perception of safety.

If you cannot understand this, then I strongly suggest you take some kind of emergency service course with an open mind. FEMA has plenty you can do online for free. You can even get a certificate printed out and everything. Here's IS-317: Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams. If you don't feel like reading everything, you can skip to the light SAR section and see what the first few pages say.

 

[GJC]

I do not know how they stay in business.
If it was such a good idea I would find one in my survival pack in the ejection seat but I don’t. I have a IR strobe, I have flares, I have a mirror, I have a die, and I have smoke.
No laser.

Wait, I get it. There are uninformed people buying lasers because they want a military grade rescue laser .... That must be it!

Apparently, some may disagree:

The US Navy reported in a 2003 Aviation Survival Gear Field Test that "this signal laser is perhaps one of the best night signals invented." The Rescue Laser Light was a popular addition to survival kits used by U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[fsardone]

Apparently, some may disagree:

The US Navy reported in a 2003 Aviation Survival Gear Field Test that "this signal laser is perhaps one of the best night signals invented." The Rescue Laser Light was a popular addition to survival kits used by U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If true I stand corrected.
Reference? And SOPs?
Nevermind. It is a quote of a laser selling website.

Also there is no laser which is SOLAS approved. Happy to be corrected on this one too.