Pilots not surprised by airport security breaches

Baltimore Sun ^ | September 12, 2001 | Marcia Myers and Scott Shane with Walter F. Roche Jr.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Commercial pilots who crisscross the country daily in jetliners like those used in yesterday's attacks say the terrorists probably included trained pilots, took advantage of lax airport security and carefully chose the flights they hijacked.

The pilots and aviation safety experts expressed little surprise that the security systems of at least three airports were penetrated. "Airport security has been good enough to deter amateurs, but it would be unlikely to stop a group of well-trained, determined terrorists," said America West pilot Donald W. Steinman.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Houston Chronicle-- Experts believe airline workers helped terrorists

We need to take precautions but the only way to remain free is to root out these terrorists and identify and deal with the countries that harbor them.

[ken5050]

Slightly off topic, but just heard a TV report that said the hijackerts on the plane that hit the pentagon forced all the passengers to the back and MADE them call their family on their cells, to say goodbye..

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Sidney Morning Herald--Terrified passengers telephoned final goodbyes-- Herded to the back of the plane by hijackers armed with knives and box-cutters, the 64 passengers and crew members of Flight 77 - including the wife of Solicitor General Theodore Olson, a Senate staffer, three schoolchildren and three teachers on an educational field trip - were ordered to call relatives to say they were about to die.

[N00dleN0gg1n]

In a way this relates to the gun control debate. You can't eliminate all weapons. You just can't. The answer is to make sure that the majority of weapons are in the right hands. Arm the pilots and the flight attendants.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

BIG BUMP to that!

[lavaroise]

After all, FAA regulations do say that the pilot in the air has final authority on necessary decision making in the air for the sake of safety: i.e., once in flight, the pilot is king. Even Bush would have a hard time telling his air force 1 pilot to do something dangerous for the sake of the nation. The pilot is king in the air, however, once a weapon is needed by the pilot, we simply cannot let him get one while flying.

THe other solution is to have unmanned airplanes or a combination of unmanned and manned airplanes.

[TightSqueeze]

We need to take precautions but the only way to remain free is to root out these terrorists and identify and deal with the countries that harbor them.

How about restricting air travel to non-Arab / Muslim people? Keep them off the airplanes, do not allow them on Airport property, and do not allow them to be employed by Airports. These folks want to travel, let them take the bus.

[TightSqueeze]

We need to take precautions but the only way to remain free is to root out these terrorists and identify and deal with the countries that harbor them.

How about restricting air travel to non-Arab / Muslim people? Keep them off the airplanes, do not allow them on Airport property, and do not allow them to be employed by Airports. These folks want to travel, let them take the bus.

[GWfan]

Exactly. The pliots and crew need to be trained and armed. What are we gonna do? X-ray everyone for ceramic knives?

[B Knotts]

And these new "security measures" will not help one bit. As seen on Fox News, people involved in this allegedly WORKED AT THE AIRPORTS.

The only way to prevent this is by making it clear to those who would commit such acts that the retribution will be unfathomable.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The only way to prevent this is by making it clear to those who would commit such acts that the retribution will be unfathomable.

Bump!