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Author Topic: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'  (Read 1652 times)

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Offline EC

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Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« on: October 22, 2013, 01:45:11 am »
Via the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24618830

Quote
A man in the US state of Oregon has been arrested on charges of aiming a laser pointer at two commercial airliners, authorities have said.

Stephen Francis Bukucs was arrested in Portland on Friday and is accused of aiming the laser at United Airlines and JetBlue aeroplanes on 13 October.

Authorities say Mr Bukucs is the first adult to face prosecution for such charges in the state Oregon.

He pleaded not guilty in a court appearance on Monday.

The private security guard, 39, "knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer" at the aircraft, according to court documents.

Mr Bukucs's arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Portland police, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.
'Endangered hundreds'

Knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a felony offense under federal law and carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 (£154,964) fine, the office said in a statement.

"His conduct in this case was extremely dangerous,'' Assistant US Attorney Stephen Peifer said in court on Monday.

"It literally endangered hundreds of people."

Mr Bukucs's lawyer said his client was addicted to pain killers after a workplace injury and suffers from depression, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Magistrate Judge Dennis Hubel ordered a mental health evaluation for Mr Bukucs, who has no criminal record.

More at link.

Look, I get it that there is not a whole lot to do in Oregon ....
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Offline Atomic Cow

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2013, 01:49:06 am »
Lock him away in a dark hole.  Jerk.

Thankfully so far no one has used those 2W and higher lasers which can actually set things on fire and burn out a person's eyes.
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Offline EC

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2013, 01:52:56 am »
I am honestly surprised no one has tried yet.

The depths of human stupidity are unfathomable.
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Offline Atomic Cow

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2013, 02:00:55 am »
Quote from: EC on October 22, 2013, 01:52:56 am
I am honestly surprised no one has tried yet.

The depths of human stupidity are unfathomable.

It is going to happen.  Some jerk will do it.  It is actually not that hard to block the light.  The F-117 had its cockpit windows coasted with a thin layer of gold to block out lasers.  IIRC, the F-22 and F-35 have anti-laser protection as well.  Also, pilot's visors are designed to protect their eyes from lasers.  It will probably get to the point where the FAA requires that cockpit windows be designed to reduce or block lasers.
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"...And these atomic bombs which science burst upon the world that night were strange, even to the men who used them."  H. G. Wells, The World Set Free, 1914

"The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections." -Lord Acton

Offline Rapunzel

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2013, 02:01:11 am »
If you read Bill Gertz book Betrayal he has a chapter in there about lasers being used against us and lays out a story about a Navy officer who was flying with the Canadian military along the coast between Alaska and Washington State when he was lasered by a Russian trawler "pretending" to be fishermen.  Later the trawler docked in Seattle and initially our government went onboard to search for the laser, the Clinton Justice Department found out this search was going on and ordered them to leave the trawler immediately - you see this was a known spy operation (Russians on the US) and Clinton did not want an "issue."   

This man's eyes were so badly damaged from this he was forced to give up flying - he was also subjected to a great deal of harassment from the administration trying to cover this up and ended up being forced to retire without any disability compensation.
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Offline EC

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2013, 02:13:49 am »
Rap - how the devil do you fit all this reading into your life and remember it all?  :beer: You ALWAYS know what to recommend and suitable suggestions on threads!

Way back when, we had a spate of people being temporarily or permanently blinded on duty. Night flights, no running lights, pilots wearing low light goggles. You can imagine what happens when a laser hits you in the eyes while you are wearing those! The mechanics solved the problem by over stressing the canopy. It pulled the two layers very slightly apart, destroying the direct path a normal canopy would provide. A bit like refraction in water, where the fish you see is not where you think it is.

Hey - we were working on a shoe string budget.

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Offline Atomic Cow

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2013, 02:14:59 am »
During the 50's, bomber crews often flew with an eye patch over one eye, just in case there was a nuclear flash.
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"...And these atomic bombs which science burst upon the world that night were strange, even to the men who used them."  H. G. Wells, The World Set Free, 1914

"The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections." -Lord Acton

Offline Rapunzel

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2013, 02:17:36 am »
Quote from: EC on October 22, 2013, 02:13:49 am
Rap - how the devil do you fit all this reading into your life and remember it all?  :beer: You ALWAYS know what to recommend and suitable suggestions on threads!

Way back when, we had a spate of people being temporarily or permanently blinded on duty. Night flights, no running lights, pilots wearing low light goggles. You can imagine what happens when a laser hits you in the eyes while you are wearing those! The mechanics solved the problem by over stressing the canopy. It pulled the two layers very slightly apart, destroying the direct path a normal canopy would provide. A bit like refraction in water, where the fish you see is not where you think it is.

Hey - we were working on a shoe string budget.

I have been a voracious reader since I was a child. I also have this very weird ability to remember these things (numbers, too).  Just don't ask me to remember names.  Names go right in one ear and out the other.
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Offline ABX

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2013, 02:19:29 am »
It looks like he used to be a police officer.
https://www.facebook.com/stephen.bukucs?fref=ts
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Offline EC

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2013, 02:21:18 am »
Yep. Dad worked on Vulcans and Vampires (before that I am not sure, he doesn't talk about it much) and a lot of the pilots would either wear an eye patch or black one of their lenses out. Fine for them and it worked well. Then again, they were not 10 feet off the deck in the dark at 200 Mph! You really need both eyes in that situation - depth perception becomes vital!  :laugh:

Been looking up the gold film you mentioned. Interesting rad - thank you!
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Offline EC

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2013, 02:23:53 am »
Quote from: Rapunzel on October 22, 2013, 02:17:36 am
I have been a voracious reader since I was a child. I also have this very weird ability to remember these things (numbers, too).  Just don't ask me to remember names.  Names go right in one ear and out the other.

Totally the same with names and the ability for things to stick. My kids say I got a flypaper mind  :laugh:

Keep doing it! You have so far recommended at least 15 books I would otherwise have never considered/heard of! My deepest thanks to you - though my bedside table might hold a mild dislike for the load it is now carrying!
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Offline Rapunzel

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Re: Stephen Francis Bukucs 'aimed lasers at planes'
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2013, 08:29:24 am »
Quote from: EC on October 22, 2013, 02:23:53 am
Totally the same with names and the ability for things to stick. My kids say I got a flypaper mind  :laugh:

Keep doing it! You have so far recommended at least 15 books I would otherwise have never considered/heard of! My deepest thanks to you - though my bedside table might hold a mild dislike for the load it is now carrying!

Buy a kindle  :whistle: :whistle:
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�The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves.� G Washington July 2, 1776
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