To think of the flight deck crew as purely "pilots" and not ultimately responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft is naive. I recall being taught to do everything humanely possible and work together thereby maximizing the safe operation of an aircraft. Used to be called Cockpit, now Crew Resource Management. The person in the left seat is the "aircraft commander" not just a pilot. Suffice it to say, if the hijacker(s) have gotten as far as the cockpit, then the ultimate weapon(s) of last resort is/are in the hands of the flight deck crew. I agree that passengers will try to stop a hijacking. But, I believe the terrorists have learned from the September 11 hijackings, will adapt their tactics accordingly, and pax may not be able to stop them from taking command of the airplane. They will be more meticulous in their planning and will not allow a repeat of United 93 to occur. Pilots don't always like every aspect of their duty. That's why it's called "duty." But it is their duty to safeguard the lives of passengers and crew members entrusted to them. They don't have to carry a weapon on the flight deck; but, they also don't have to fly the mission, either. Personal feelings about guns and gun control issues have no place on the flight deck. What needs to be on the flight deck is the proper attitude of why the flight crew is there in the first place. Procedures for weapon issuance and turn-in are not new. They can be adapted to specific country laws (i.e. regulations for armed couriers). I am willing to bet that a fairly high percentage of American and United Air Lines pilots are willing to carry weapons on their aircraft to preclude the aircraft being used as a weapon of mass destruction. Best Wishes to all, JCK ---- >From: Bahadir Acuner <bahadiracuner@yahoo.com> >Reply-To: The Airline List <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>, >Bahadir Acuner <bahadiracuner@yahoo.com> >To: AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU >Subject: Re: No guns for our airline pilots ...... >Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 13:35:48 -0800 > >Easy Joe, >US is not the only country that has been hit by terrorism and you know >that. >Let's keep the subject confined to the guns in the cockpit. >Unfortunately, who ever came up with this, is thinking retroactively. >Look at the incidence with El AL flying to Istanbul and how the terrorist >was subdued by the pax and the security guard. > >Look at the ShoeBomber case, and see how pax and the F/As pulled together >and subdued him. I 'm all in favor of the fortified cockpit doors as that >will isolate the flight crew at the cockpit, help them to concentrate on >what they are supposed to do : fly the airplane. > >The pax will take care if any other kind of perpetrator in the cabin, >believe me. > >And the saddest part is terrorists are out smarting us once again. They >knew they couldn't get in the Arkia flight out of Kenya, and they used the >shoulder fired missiles. Do you think that the guns in the cockpit used >by pilots would help? > >I just don't see the reason why we should arm ourselves to the teeth when >we're the ONLY Western nation in the World that is already armed like >the cowboys in western movies.. > >BAHA ACUNER - CFI,CFII,MEI >Fan of spaghetti westerns >www.bahadiracuner.com > >-----Original Message----- >From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU]On Behalf Of >www.joepries.com >Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 1:07 PM >To: AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU >Subject: Re: No guns for our airline pilots ...... > > >David, >Lets try this- we'll have some terrorists hijack 2 BA 767s and 2 757s, >crash >2 of the 767s into downtown London, have a 757 crash in a field on the >countryside and another one crash into buckingham palace. Then we'll see >about being unpopular pal. BRING ON THE FIREPOWER. The only way to deal >with terrorists on commercial airliners is one- kill them where they stand. >G-d Bless America and our rights to protect ourselves >Joe > > > "David J. Wallace" <katana.flyer@telinco.co.uk> wrote: > >Can't think why the US is so unpopular around the world when people spout >phrases like 'bring on the firepower' as freely as some do. > >----- > > >Joe Pries Commercial Aviation Photography >Serving the airline industry with quality photography >AOL IM AIRLINE72 >http://www.joepries.com > > >--------------------------------- >Do you Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now _________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail