An RAF Tornado fighter jet was illuminated by a beam “focused on the jet cockpit for up to ten seconds”, on 16 August 2010, at RAF Leuchars airbase (near St. Andrews, Scotland). One month later, 28-year-old Romanian migrant worker Radu Moldovan pleaded guilty to culpably and recklessly endangering a military aircraft. He received a four-month sentence.

Four month sentence for Radu Moldovan

His lawyer said that Moldovan “wanted to see how powerful” the £4 green laser pen was. The laser beam was aimed at or near the aircraft multiple times. The local sheriff said “The consequences of a Tornado crashing at RAF Leuchars raises the most horrific possibilities of death and injury to the pilot, navigator and anyone passing underneath.”

From BBC News

Tags: UK, Scotland, RAF, Military, Airplane, Romania, Age: 20-29, Photo: Suspect, Color: Green

A YouTube video taken from a helicopter in Bucharest includes a brief laser illumination. The frame grab below shows the view as the laser reaches maximum brightness.



Below is the YouTube video (click the play triangle to start the video). The laser perpetrator is located in the street intersection. The incident happens from about 5:00 to 5:04 in the video.

The illuminations are don’t appear to be as bright or disruptive as those in the UK helicopter footage here. However, no matter how low-powered the laser or how brief the illumination, lasers should NEVER be aimed at helicopters, aircraft or other vehicles.




Thanks to Andy Faulkner of Laser Shows S.R.L. in Bucharest for bringing this to our attention, and to Peter Broerse of DMXLASER in the Netherlands for the frame grab.

Tags: Romania, Bucharest, Helicopter, Video, Photo: Laser, Unknown perpetrator, Color: Green