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After all the media coverage about people pointing lasers at commercial aircraft, I started to wonder what was so special about lasers.

It seems to me that the amount of distraction that could be done with a 5mW laser is significantly less than what could be done with something else.

For example, if I bought/borrowed the light beam from the Luxor hotel, put it in my backyard, turned it on, and pointed it at the planes flying out of a major airport, I would expect that pilots might have some more issues with a 4.3 Billion candela beam than with a 5mW laser (right?)

However, I can't find any laws against it, so would this be legal?

Alternatively, what if I just wanted to swing that beam around in the sky, and it accidentally crossed the path of a plane? Are there different laws regarding unintentionally hitting a plane with something like this?

Someone
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Stack Tracer
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If I were a federal prosecutor (which I'm emphatically not), I might try to charge you under 18 USC § 32 (a) (5):

a) Whoever willfully— [...] (5) interferes with or disables, with intent to endanger the safety of any person or with a reckless disregard for the safety of human life, anyone engaged in the authorized operation of such aircraft or any air navigation facility aiding in the navigation of any such aircraft; [...] shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years or both.

Since you clearly know, or believe, that this has the potential to interfere with piloting, which would obviously be a serious danger to people on board the aircraft, I'd argue you would be acting with "reckless disregard for the safety of human life."

If your conduct results in anybody's death, then life imprisonment and/or the death penalty are also on the table, under 18 USC § 34.

feetwet
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Nate Eldredge
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