Posted on 02/14/2007 5:32:11 AM PST by rellimpank
Bureaucrats create disincentives to protect airline cockpits
Someday, the foot-dragging of Transportation Security Administration officials in response to the post-Sept. 11 congressional mandate that American airline pilots must be allowed to fly with sidearms may rank right up there with the country's greatest red-tape follies.
About 70 percent of American commercial pilots have military backgrounds. All must pass rigorous physical and psychological screenings before being entrusted with multimillion-dollar aircraft and the lives of hundreds of passengers.
Yet the obstacle course the TSA has erected to limit the arming of our pilots -- in an era when the agency admits a wide range of lethal weapons (think plastic or ceramic knives) remain undetectable to their screening system -- remains a wonderment.
It hasn't always been this way.
(Excerpt) Read more at reviewjournal.com ...
"I'm from the TSA, and I'm here for my paycheck and coffee-break!"
Look, with ceramic ammo., and soft loaded cartridges, the firearms pose little hazard to the AC. There is no reason in the world why the Captain of his ship should not be able to have a set of matched flintlock dueling pistols in his sash!!!!!!!
Thew co-pilot should have one too, along with a sword of his own choice. Good match for box cutters.
I have no problem with arming the entire air crew, including the stewards and stewardesses.
Look, with ceramic ammo., and soft loaded cartridges, the firearms pose little hazard to the AC. There is no reason in the world why the Captain of his ship should not be able to have a set of matched flintlock dueling pistols in his sash!!!!!!!
Thew co-pilot should have one too, along with a sword of his own choice. Good match for box cutters.
I have no problem with arming the entire air crew, including the stewards and stewardesses.
Leave the TSA alone. They're doing the important job of restricting how much toothpaste Grandma takes to Orlando.
Most of the stewards would swoon straight away at the sight of a "weapon."
Airline pilots used to be required to carry a pistol when flying U.S. Mail. The little Colt 380 auto was a favorite.
That requirement seemed to have been dropped in the late 70's or early 80's.
"You can't professionalize unless you Federalize" Tom "the Pit Yorkie" Dashle
But only after they strip search her while letting the ragheads pass through.
Two weeks ago I flew a Piper Pawnee (former crop duster that we used for towing gliders) to meet the new owners in Moriarty, NM. My plan was to fly back commercial from Albuquerque. I knew I was in for a real treat, i.e., one way ticket bought at the last minute, 2 GPS's, a personal locator beacon (PELT), timer, flight computer, ANR headset, etc., all in my laptop bag I intended to carry on. I was not, however, ready for what they put me through. Total strip search. Every single item pulled out and turned on. Everything swabbed for explosive residue. Well, they found some of what they said was explosive residue on my laptop bag handle, or at least that is what they said. After 45 minutes of intense, pressing and sometimes borderline threatening interrogation about why I had a PELT, two GPS's, a timer, and a pilot headset in my bag, they finally admitted that hand lotion gives false positives for explosive residue. I told them over and over, "hey, this is an airport. I am a pilot. There are other pilots here. Why don't you find one and have them verify what these items are? I told them repeatedly that I had just spent 14 hours in below freezing temps flying a small plane here and yes, my hands were dry and I'd put on some lotion earlier that morning. After a while, for no other apparent reason, they let me go without even so much as "have a nice day".
My cousin is a Flight Attendant for a US carrier on international routes. She would be greatly offended by this term. In addition to serving drinks, she's trained in CPR and first aid, and can use an automatic defibrillator. She has to recertify annually in these skills plus all manner of aircraft evacuation procedures including water landings.
Her cabinmate is a weightlifter with a black belt.
If the lotion contains glycerin, it shows up as explosives. Happened to a friend of mine in Paris.
Atleast you got to see beautiful Moriarty. El Comedor restuarant, Rip Griffin's truck stop, the gazebo at the corner of 333 and 41.
The TSA at ABQ is truly submoron mouth breathers.
That's fine, but they didn't ask if I'd put on lotion until about 40 minutes into this ordeal. They also made a big deal about my PELT, GPS's and timer, along with my headset, even though virtually any other pilot passing through would have similar items in their flight bag. I really think it was my flaming red hair that made them suspicious......you know there have been so many red heads that have been proven to be terrorists and all......
I saw on MythBusters that a bullet hole will do virtually nothing to the air plane.
There would be no expansion of the exit hole and no one would be sucked out.
I think it is a good idea to arm the pilots.
Everyone's familiar with the routine by now....except the routine changes at every airport! This despite a TSA rule book that could double as a coffee table.
My last trip through we had the person hollering "ID & Boarding Pass!" at everyone. So I have my ID and boarding pass in hand and walk through the metal detector. I hand the stuff to the TSA guy and he says rudely, "I asked for a boarding pass, not an ID."
My response: "You know, I liked you guys better when you delivered the mail." Cue icy stare from gummint flunky.
Clinton shadow government leftovers.
Agreed.
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