JD>I know about that multi-million candlepower light: I used to fly with a
JD>deputy who operated a Bell 47 with the nightsun
The Royal New Zealand Airforce has some times used P-3 Orions for
long range policing of fishing zones.  Asian squid, longline, net and
tuna fishing boats were often fishing where they should not have been.
The P-3's would sneak up on them at night at very low altitude, get
almost along side them and suddenly turn on the lights and photograph
the boats with all their fishing gear working.  The fishing boats
usually did not hear the P-3's comming because their machinary was
making a lot of noise.  I don't know just how close they got them planes
to the boats or how much the photos have been enlarged but some of the
photos I have seen showed some some very surprised asian faces at what
seemed to be close range.  There was a bit of an argument about the
danger of being blinded by the multi million candle power lights.  I
understand that the Embassies of the countries concerned were told that
any boat within our waters was liable to be lit up at any time!
      . -=RH=-
.
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