Is It Time for a New "Concealed Carry" Category.........for Air Travel?

self | Day of Infamy | RightOnline

[RightOnline]

In light of today's horrific events, wherein a group of highly-trained, highly-motivated terrorists apparently armed with knives and/or box cutters hijacked no fewer than four civilian airliners, I'd like to offer a proposal for your consideration.

Is it time, in light of the state of our world today, for a new category of "concealed carry" licensing? Let's call it, for lack of better phraseology for the time being, CCW-ATQ (ATQ = "Air Travel Qualified").

What I envision is a category of armed citizens who are a subset of those with "CCW" licenses. They would undergo much additional training, akin to the training given to the "Air Marshals" whom we've all read about. They would undergo background checks, etc., much like individuals seeking higher security clearances.

Once certified, a citizen possessing a CCW-ATQ license would be approved to carry a weapon aboard a civilian airliner. The aircraft crew would be notified whether or not they had any CCW-ATQ certified passengers, but would NOT be given names or seating assignments (terrorists would know if such was provided to aircrews, thereby making such passengers easy targets..........nullifying much of their effectiveness).

I don't offer this suggestion lightly or flippantly, but as a proposal for protection of air travellers in American airspace. I cannot help but think that if such was allowed today, the hijackings just might not have been so successful.

[RightOnline]

For those so inclined to say it, let me head it off. Can a bullet do damage to a pressurized aircraft at altitude? Yes. Is it like in the movies? No. Hence the clear mention above of "training". You wouldn't want just any yahoo wielding a .45 at FL350, I'll tell you. However, this is one (former) pilot who'd feel a lot better knowing that there were a half-dozen or so good Americans in the passenger area watching my back.