Got this email from my bestest pal Byron today:

Hello everybody, if you get a chance please read the news link below. The laser warning device described on MSNBC is now in use in the Washington DC air space. This technology was designed, developed and tested here at our office in San Antonio, coordinating with the FAA and NORAD (the guys from the movie “WarGames “).

MSNBC Link:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7519002/

I received a certificate of award this morning from our Human Effectiveness Director (The HE in HEDO) for my small addition to this project here in our office. I cut and mixed video clips of an airplane flight over San Antonio and added audio and sound bites (pilot chatter, take off/landing sounds, wind shear) to help realistically simulate a plane flying into restricted air space, and how the laser light would look in the cockpit.

What was really interesting about this project is that we built a replica of a Cessna aircraft cockpit and using a slick projector system, they played the video I created and shined lasers into the cockpit, and when you sit in the pilot’s seat, you actually feel like you are flying over San Antonio and getting lased. The testing included subjects sitting in the pilot seat, trying to accomplish visual tasks with a computer joystick, all with the audio chatter and lasers shining at different intervals. It was pretty cool!

So that’s the latest, thank you for your time and have a great weekend, all.

Respectfully,

Lt Byron A. Gronseth

Research Liaison Officer, Optical Radiation Branch

AFRL/HEDO
2624 Louis Bauer Dr
Brooks City-Base TX