Armed Pilot's Gun Goes Missing

AvWeb ^ | March 8, 2004 | AvWeb

[William Tell]

From the article: "In the last 60 days, we believe 300 weapons have been misplaced,"

Three hundred?! Misplaced?

If the TSA were a firearms dealer who only handled 1500 firearms and lost 300 of them there would be liberals demanding an investigation and insisting that the dealer be shut down and imprisoned.

Also, when I "misplace" something I usually find it later the same day. What in the world do they mean here?

[El Gato]

1) Are all pilots simply issued arms and required to carry?

Hell no. They must volunteer for the program. They have to be screened by the TSA, and attend a week long training course out in the middle of New Mexico, a couple of hundred miles from the nearest large airport, at their own expense. One pilot who is a retired AF colonel, who was qualified and trusted to handle nuclear weapons, was turned down by TSA as phycologically unfit.

Why not secure the arms in a locker on-board the aircraft? An alarm and keyed access should handle the security concerns.

They must keep the arms in a locked box until they have locked the cockpit doors, and only the actual pilots can be armed, any pilots not on the flight crew (i.e. deadheading or repositioning for another flight) are treated just like thee or me, they must check their firearms with their checked baggage.

[El Gato]

far as I'm concered the TSA employees and baggage folks are nothing but theives (especially in the NorthEast).

Funny, I helped a nephew get his rifle case checked in Omaha right before Christmas. The TSA employees let me watch while they checked the case for hidden items, and while he checked in and declared the two rifles. They, TSA, paid no attention to the rifles themselves, and didn't give the case the normal "sniffer" treatment, since it likely was full of nitrate residue anyway, just an extra tough check for hidden compartments and such. After they were done, they let him re-lock the case, both with the built in luggage type locks and with a small combination padlock.I guess that's the difference between Omaha and "the Northeast".

[WorkingClassFilth]

The bungling of this program is unbelievable. They ought to be cleared to carry at all times when on duty, checking-in and checking-out. Heck, I'd be OK with any passenger being able to carry too. Abdul might think twice if the guy in front of him, the old lady behind him and the punk-rocker next to him all were packing heat.