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Why should I, having the same military and other training, a clean criminal background, etc as any pilot, be relegated to second class citizen status?

It is unwise for a armed person to allow a hostile person within grab distance. The pilot and copilot can insist that anyone else maintain a certain distance from them when they're in the cabin, and can back up such demand with lethal force if needed. As coach passenger 23E, you wouldn't have such an option.

The cockpit is the key fortress. If it falls, all is lost. Arms kept within the fortress cannot be used by terrorists outside unless those terrorists have already breached the defenses. By contrast, arms outside could easily be taken since planes have insufficient room to allow armed people to protect themself from surprise attacks.

Your assumption is based on the premise that there would only be one (or a very small number) of passengers armed on any given flight.

If law abiding passengers are allowed to carry, I would bet that about a fourth of the passengers would be armed. It would take a small army of terrorists to defeat that many armed opponents, whom the terrorists can't readily identify or locate specifically.

Even if I'm the only one, I like my chances better armed than a helpless victim. In fact, given today's circumstances, I would fight with whatever is at hand rather than just meekly submit to being flown into a building...no matter the odds.

"The cockpit is the key fortress. If it falls, all is lost. Arms kept within the fortress cannot be used by terrorists outside unless those terrorists have already breached the defenses. By contrast, arms outside could easily be taken since planes have insufficient room to allow armed people to protect themself from surprise attacks."

While I surely agree that the cockpit should be well defended, and that Pilots should be free to carry sidearms, I'd like to ask:

What group of Hijackers would attempt to gain control of a Jetliner, if it became common knowledge that an armed citizenry was free to carry their own sidearms while on Airplanes?

It seems to me, that guns should'nt be banned from air travel... only certain types of ammo, should be banned. All citizens who are armed, should check their weaponry through security, and only authorized ammo should be allowed on the plane. In this way, any would be terrorist plot, would certainly fail. The terrorist's wouldn't have a clue which passenger might start blasting first, or which ones might join in the fray!

The threat of Hijacking Airplanes would be history! at little or no cost to the taxpayers or the Airline industry. They could even make some money... charging a few bucks more for flight insurance to passengers who are packing heat!

The cockpit is the key fortress. If it falls, all is lost. Arms kept within the fortress cannot be used by terrorists outside unless those terrorists have already breached the defenses. By contrast, arms outside could easily be taken since planes have insufficient room to allow armed people to protect themself from surprise attacks.

Now tell me the one about the Air Marshall again ....

Once upon a time......