I've seen a similar "fireball" technique used to dissuade black helicopters in Arizona - their IR goes blind for at least 30 seconds, but usually for minutes afterwards. Perhaps the military and police shouldn't rely on such a dangerous navigation tool in such close proximity to scared civilians and thereby avoid endangering themselves?

Since vision works pretty much the same way, our eyes capturing images of reflected light, it follows that Nanny Britian can now arrest you for just 'looking' at an official vehicle.

Look at what we've become.

Look if you perform exercise and wake up the country in the middle of the night, this has to be expected. There are better places to play and common sense needs to be applied. I also think if a hand light can take down a battle helicopter, maybe the helicopter is not the right piece of eqipment

This could be bad for the nancster...I like to go out and take photos of the in-flight fueling and warthogs that we're in the flight pattern of - sometimes the flash goes off...

that's just dick on part of the authorities but not historically out of line for brit authorities

Lucky bastard. I used to do this as a child. When I would hear an aircraft go overhead in the dark of night I would blink at it several times with a flashlight just hoping one would come down and investigate. Damned bastard got lucky.