Laser-Proof Sunglasses for the Cockpit?

[Juvat]

Great posts guys. It's amazing to see the breadth of experience on this forum. Thanks for the explanations about laser wavelengths and the difficulties in protecting against a wide spectrum of laser threats.

 

[Tim47SIP]

We were issued "notch 3" laser protection glasses. They work with a variety of wave lengths known as lambdas 1, 2, and 3. The are about 1/8" thick and dark brown in color for 1,2, and 3. The "notch 2" is green and offers less protection than the brown lenses with only 2 and 3. Both are somewhat dark to look through even on a bright day. I couldnt wear them. They are HGU-56P Laser Glasses by AO American Optical. There is a warning that they do not replace "laboratory laser protection goggles". Now, just what to do at night! They wont let me fly the 70 with NVG's.

 

[UALjan15]

Opsec

If we are going towards an eyeglass-style protection program, it is crucial that we keep the details OFF of public forums such as this one. The glasses will inevitably be a compromise between vision and the spectrum of the most likely laser threats. The above post doesn't address current protection glasses, but the information is exactly the type that the enemy needs to tailor their threat to our weaknesses. And if you don't think they would bother reading this forum, you don't know much about them.

Moderators, take note, and please don't hesitate to pull a post if it releases any details of a planned protection scheme. Thanks.

 

[FliptheDuck]

I have a question about these lasers for you military guys. Don't alot of rocket and missile launchers have laser sights on them? If so we could be dealing with a much more serious problem in the near future. I think these guys might be just warming up.

Most of the surface to air missile systems out there (US & non-US) are either radar or infrared based. Most of those have sophisticated high-power television optics to guide the missiles in the absence of a radar tracking solution. A few do employ a laser range finder, but the lrf is an aircraft skin tracker (probably not strong enough to damage the eye). The systems that employ these lrf's are not exactly portable, nor inconspicuous. I doubt one of them is the source of this latest incident.

 

[Tim47SIP]

Old Info!

Moderators, take note, and please don't hesitate to pull a post if it releases any details of a planned protection scheme. Thanks.12-31-2004 10:12

Go into the local Home Depot and check out a pair of their laser protection goggles hanging on the wall. You will get more info on those than on my post.

This is really old unclassified info. I do agree with your intent though.

 

[General Lee]

See! I thought it was always cool to wear sunglasses at night in the cockpit, but Captains always shunned it. And, I would always sing that song too---"I wear my sunglasses at night, so I can...."


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[RJP]

opsec

Yes, for god's sake, don't post anything here that could compromise your imaginary laser sunglasses. It's a well known fact that whoever you're afraid of stalks this forum.

 

[smonica]

Maybe this question has been answered already, and I could not find anything on it.
But how does the laser beam gets into the cockpit?? A laser is a straight line, so from the ground there would be no way to direct it into the cockpit? They would have to fly in another plane next to the target airplane and shine it into the cockpit, or it comes from a point which is higher then the target plane (satellite?) or a plane flying higher. Or maybe the source sits on the end of the runway and waits for a plane too land and the shine it into the cockpit.

Anyone has any info on this?