I think the next wave of aircraft attacks will come from pilots that already have control of the plane to start with.
Remember the egyptian pilot that took his plane down? I believe it was just called a suicide.
Though some changes have been made in airport security from the passenger side, the maintenece side is still a joke. Speaking from the point of view of an airplane refurbisher, there is little to no oversight on the corperate side of things. Not in regards to pilots nor with mechanincs or owners.
A gulf stream 5 would do as much damage and is a privately owned jet. To think this is stoppable from the aircraft side is futile. Stopping their attempts is the only way to be sure...the airport security is a feel good measure for the sheep that think the only part of security that matters is bagage handling and passenger screening.
It is only a matter of time before we are hit again.
Rumsfeld said it best " it is imposible to defend all targets from all forms of attack all the time".....this quote is only seconded by another of his quotes when he said " no matter what you do or do not do, someone will always be unhappy with it".
Popint is this folks...the bush administration is doing the best job that can be done, even if it does not appear to be doing so at first glance.
Be assured that this war IS being faught on many fronts, and I think it is a testament to their efforts that we have yet to be hit with a major attack since that of 9 11.
I think the next wave of aircraft attacks will come from pilots that already have control of the plane to start with. I agree. Such a plan would certainly have occurred to AQ and its sympathizers, and likely has been on the drawing board for some time. Our biggest risk is with foreign airlines.
A wave of attacks wouldn't even be necessary. Just one pilot-perpetrated event would cripple the industry--and by extension, an enormous chunk of the economy reliant upon air travel.
Such an MO has no doubt also occurred to our intelligence agencies. But the front line is pilots and crew. I'd wager that most US pilots have, for some time, individually and silently, engaged in their own form of profiling. Ideally, concerns are shared with law enforcement and acted upon.
However, the flip side of that coin is the environment of PC bureaucracy. Do they risk a career on gut feeling, or do they just call in sick when scheduled to be locked in that reinforced cockpit with the guy they're not so sure about?