the emperor of the american empire and the royal members of the american empire know people are out to get them! Original Article Posted 2/16/2005 11:24 PM NORAD plans to use lasers to tell pilots: Don't go there By Thomas Frank, USA TODAY The nation's top air defense command plans to use lasers to warn pilots that they're flying into restricted airspace around Washington, D.C., but the idea is worrying some pilots who think the beams could be disorienting and dangerous. A proposed warning system would use red and green lasers to signal pilots, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which protects continental airspace, said in a statement. The system would be used if the plane can't be reached by radio and is flying unauthorized into a restricted zone protecting the nation's capital, NORAD said. The low-intensity lasers would appear as a very rapid series of lights on the ground a distinctive signal that wouldn't be confused with the light emitted by store-bought laser pointers, NORAD spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Sean Kelly. Commercial lasers have been a concern to the FBI because pranksters have shined them at planes during recent takeoffs and landings. Security bulletins have also identified lasers as a possible method that terrorists might use to try to distract pilots and crash a plane. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) said Wednesday that a laser warning system used by the military may lead to confusion. "A pilot might report having been hit by a laser pointer, not realizing they had been warned off," said Chris Dancy, a spokesman for AOPA, which represents private pilots. "It is absolutely imperative that it be proven that these lasers will neither harm the pilot, nor distract the pilot to the point that it puts the flight in jeopardy." Kelly said pilots will be given detailed instructions and shouldn't worry. "The system has been proven to be eye safe at every level," he said. "It's not going to be blinding." The Federal Aviation Administration is in the process of certifying that the lasers would not distract pilots or damage their eyesight, spokeswoman Laura Brown said. An FAA determination is likely within a couple of weeks, she said. NORAD expects no objections, Kelly said. Kelly said laser warnings would be quicker and less expensive than the current process of sending Air Force fighter jets to intercept planes that enter the restricted airspace usually by accident and don't respond to radio calls. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, hundreds of small planes have flown within the restricted airspace around the capital. In some cases, fighter jets have been scrambled to check on a plane and escort it to a nearby airport. In June, during President Reagan's funeral, Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher's plane flew into the restricted airspace. A communications breakdown led police to believe a hijacked plane might be heading toward the Capitol, forcing a frantic evacuation of people gathered to view Reagan's casket.