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[url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/30/john-arthur-jones-guilty-endangering-raf-aircraft-shining-torch ]Bloke found guilty of deliberately endangering RAF jets[/url]
If he had lived near me I reckon he would have been leader of the local 'trappers' dragging logs and rocks all over trails......
Some people are just dickheads.
So all terrorists have to do is shine a light at 'planes, and they're rendered useless? That'll save a fortune in SAMs! 😆
While his actions are stupid, imagine how annoying it would actually be having RAF jets buzzing over your house through the night.
Anyway, I'm off to sell some LED torches to the Saudis.
So all terrorists have to do is shine a light at 'planes, and they're rendered useless? That'll save a fortune in SAMs!
Yeah, but just look at the bloke - good to see at least one tosspot getting his comeuppance.
Don't buy a house near an airbase
Reminds me of the story of the bloke who painted "P*** off Biggles" on top of his barn, allegedly he became upset when a detachment of jets peeled off specially to inspect his artwork. While the latter incident is an urban legend, the barn and a van were painted.
[url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/659014.stm ]BBC[/url]
But flashing a torch into student pilots' eyes is fwittery on an epic scale. I hope the book is thrown. He could have, you know, not built a home on an island that's been in an area set aside for training aircrew for several decades.
"But flashing a torch into student pilots' eyes is fwittery on an epic scale. "
Is it really though? I imagine it would be practically impossible to accurately target the pilot in a fast moving jet, at night, with a torch. Given that torches aren't relatively very powerful compared to stuff like searchlights etc. Or is this more a case of 'you will respect ma authoritah!' by the MoD?
Sounds like a complete waste of everyone's time and money, to me.
The context and subject matter aren't especially what I am interested in here.
Just look at the picture of the bloke. If you want a guaranteed assessment of whether you are on the right side of an argument, if the other person looks like this guy you can rest assured you are in the right.
Is it really though?
If you're using Imagine Intensifying kit it's gonna be hella bright!
Is it really though? I imagine it would be practically impossible to accurately target the pilot in a fast moving jet, at night, with a torch. Given that torches aren't relatively very powerful compared to stuff like searchlights etc. Or is this more a case of 'you will respect ma authoritah!' by the MoD?
Pilots complain about being targeted by laser pens at an altitude of thousands of feet over London. We don't have any details of the torch used, but the defendant made a public threat to fly a barrage balloon over his house.
Anyone doing something like this is risking peoples lives for no reason, and deserves to be dealt with as such.
"But it's quite hard to shine a torch at a fast jet" isn't exactly mitigation.
Laser pens I can understand, as laser light doesn't decay over distance like a torch light would. But even with Image Intensifying equipment, surely the military would be considering bright lights being used in a combat situations ffs! Sorry, I don't buy the official explanation. I'd reckon there's a bit more to it; seems like he had a beef with the 'planes, and got a bit carried away, and they're using the torch thing to stop him, and discourage others.
I want to know how powerful this 'torch' is! 😯
If you buy a house on anglesey you're going to hear jets and helicopters at all hours. We used to hear them in Bangor often enough.
It sounds like he's on the landing approach, lower level, slowing speed and constant vector you could target a pilot.
If they are relying on night vision then even a fairly weak but directed amount of light could bugger that up.
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A handheld torch dazzling a fast jet pilot, even one coming into land? For up to 20 minutes.
As above, I suspect he's been causing trouble using official channels. Former Housing Director at a local authority probably has lots of contacts and knowledge.
I'm guessing his residency of his cedar wood development doesn't predate the 1915 airfield near his home or the use from 1950 of Anglesey bases for fast jet training.
Agree it's one less tosser planting sticks across trails.
scuttler - MemberI'm guessing his residency of his cedar wood development doesn't predate the 1915 airfield near his home or the use from 1950 of Anglesey bases for fast jet training.
Yep, he's of 'that' generation / group isn't he.
I've met his soul mate a few times, grumpy old ****er bought a bungalow 4 doors up from the entrance of my Son's school a few years ago, gets all upset when people park in 'his' space outside his house between 08:30 and 09:00 and 15:00 and 15:30. Leaves notes, tries to put out little plastic cones and stuff. I've had it out with him, it's not 'his' parking space, it's outside his house, and well, the school has been there for decades, if he moved there not knowing it exists, he's a slightly bigger fool than if he moved there knowing it exists and assuming people would respect 'his' parking space. Not that it matters, but he's got a driveway and it doesn't get blocked.
I think it's fair to say that you're on a pretty sticky wicket if your defence barrister is the one comparing you to Victor Meldrew.
I'd have "jettisoned" a spare fuel tank "by accident"...
He's done a valuable service, bringing this to our attention- imagine if it'd been ISIS that'd discovered you can bring down a jet with a torch.
No, the ultimate Nimby was the **** who got compensation from the RAF having bought a property near an air base.
[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/apr/17/jeevanvasagar ]Should have just bombed the idiot[/url]
I want to know how powerful this 'torch' is!
A million candles for £3.99
I'm obviously looking at the wrong story - can someone share the one where it is stated that jets can be brought down or rendered useless by bright lights?
Thanks. 🙂
"He's done a valuable service, bringing this to our attention- imagine if it'd been ISIS that'd discovered you can bring down a jet with a torch."
Exactly. They need to get on the case, before we're all forced to wear burkas.
"No, the ultimate Nimby was the **** who got compensation from the RAF having bought a property near an air base."
Ah, but they bought the property before the RAF based the Harriers there.
Been jets at Wittering since the 50s. Plus Alconbury, Luffenham, Cottesmore were all within 10 miles, and also under the flight path for Scampton and Coningsby.
(My grandad worked at Wittering, my mum and dad met in the 60s there, and we returned mid 70s for the last few years of my dad's service.)
Maybe the money grabbing prick should have waited till the Euro Fighters arrived - they are far louder than a Harrier.
"Been jets at Wittering since the 50s."
The hall has been there since 1678. Who wins?
What about the farmer who was paid £185,000 after his ewes aborted? Another 'money grabbing prick'?
I assume you'd be happy to live in an area blighted by extreme noise?
I assume if not, MCDT wouldn't buy a property in said area
But it's ok for others to have to put up with noise?
NIMBYBIOKIOP
'Not In My Back Yard But It's OK In Other Peoples'.
Low level late night/early morning touch and go landings are not amongst the things i want my neighbour to start doing. Would irk if I am honest
Still he bought the place- I guess it depends how near it is and if its the only approach
I can sympathise.
We had a flat in central Bristol.
3 years after we moved in, the Police helicopter took to hovering over our house at 3 am every * night, for like 30 minutes at a time.
They were using a thermal imaging camera to look for cannabis factories in loft spaces. I don't have a problem with cannabis, but the law is the law and that is laudable enough.
I'm normally fairly mild mannered, but rationality quickly goes out of the window.
If I'd had a laser pen, or a bunch of fireworks, or a surface to air missile, I'd have gladly taken great pleasure in reducing the * to atoms, and not cared a jot where the wreckage landed.
We moved.
We moved.
Did you take the plants with you?
We had a flat in central Bristol.
But what was there first, the flat or the cannabis factories?
Raf Mona is just a landing strip which the student pilots use to practice take off/landings. It is purposely remote. Also it's used most weekends by the flying club/ school, so the bloke must have known what he was moving to. I served at Valley for 3 years, we had loads of issues at the place. Until the dual carriageway was built the biggest problem in the area was ferry traffic hooning through the place!!
yes a rarely used air strip not the all year use for night time landing runway
You can see why he is pissed but that is not going to stop them
clodhopper - Member
Laser pens I can understand, as laser light doesn't decay over distance like a torch light would. But even with Image Intensifying equipment, surely the military would be considering bright lights being used in a combat situations ffs! Sorry, I don't buy the official explanation. I'd reckon there's a bit more to it; seems like he had a beef with the 'planes, and got a bit carried away, and they're using the torch thing to stop him, and discourage others.I want to know how powerful this 'torch' is!
Well, I've got one upstairs that cost around £20 that puts out something like 4000 lumens, it's got seven emitters, each roughly 600 lumens. That shone directly at the pointy end of a jet on final approach is going to throw enough light to dazzle the crew enough to be a risk to a safe landing. The thing is a laser needs to be fairly accurately aimed, whereas a superbright flashlight is chucking out enough light in a fairly broad spread to flood the whole aircraft.
I've been briefly dazzled by some bike lights when driving, enough to leave an after-image, so something like my light is pretty much a weapon.
Anyone got any actual figures on how many 'planes have been downed by torches? And any evidence that this is actually a real problem, rather than one made up by MoD lawyers (at taxpayers' expense), to shut up somone who's been a bit shouty?
"That shone directly at the pointy end of a jet on final approach is going to throw enough light to dazzle the crew enough to be a risk to a safe landing. "
😆 Please. Have you ever seen an airport?
"I've been briefly dazzled by some bike lights when driving"
At what, a few yards? Rather than several thousand feet or whatever? 🙄
Spent my first 25 years on or next to RAF bases, when rules were not as tight as they are now. Then moved to live next to Gatwick. Now under the flight path for East Midlands airport.
If only I had a vague interest in plane spotting!
Reminds me of the story of the bloke who painted "P*** off Biggles" on top of his barn, allegedly he became upset when a detachment of jets peeled off specially to inspect his artwork. While the latter incident is an urban legend, the barn and a van were painted.
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Apparently it backfired as they would use it as waypoint.
Focused light has been used for a number of years as a weapon against landing planes. (amongst other things)
Not "quite" the size of a hand held torch [i]but[/i] hand held the same.
Think something along the lines of a search light, with a laser designator/aiming system, with about 500k lumens, focusable to around 5ft in diameter at 2 miles.........
All that fitting inside a standard bergen........
The guy stood next to him [i]might[/i] have a similar sized bergen...
With something resembling the inside of a microwave oven...
On steroids.....
And directional...
Please. Have you ever seen an airport?"I've been briefly dazzled by some bike lights when driving"
At what, a few yards? Rather than several thousand feet or whatever?
RAF Lyneham is only a few miles away, and on final approach the Hercs were quite low enough to see the aircrew, and modern high-power flashlights have a useful range of a couple of hundred metres or so, the capability to dazzle at twice, three times that is perfectly possible.
Some bike lights are very distracting, and I'm not talking a few yards, I'm talking 75-100 metres; hell, I've got a 230 lumens flashlight that can illuminate a house well enough to be able to make out the stonework fifty metres away, there are 4000 lumen bike lights available from the likes of dx.com for peanuts.
We're not talking Maglites here, these are very powerful lights with a pretty focused bright centre spot.