Posted on 09/05/2002 4:06:17 PM PDT by SBeck
Bush to OK Guns for Airline Pilots
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 6:37 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to allow commercial pilots to carry weapons in the cockpit after the Bush administration dropped its opposition to the idea.
The administration, though, said a number of safety and logistical issues needed to be resolved.
In a letter to two senators, the White House recommended giving pilots lockboxes for the weapons so they won't be left in the cockpit. It also said only pilots who volunteer to carry weapons and receive extensive training should be armed.
Al Aitken, a pilot speaking for the 14,500-member union representing American Airlines pilots, which supports arming pilots, said the 87-6 vote meant the Senate recognized that all the security layers the administration is putting into place are still inadequate.
``The people who need the weapons as a last line of defense are the pilots,'' he said. ``They're the only ones they're trying to keep the gun from,'' he said, adding that thousands of state and federal law enforcement officers travel on planes while armed.
The heads of 21 airlines, which oppose the measure, sent a letter to each senator Thursday saying they wanted to discuss the idea of arming pilots with Congress and the administration.
``It must be noted, however, that while we are spending literally billions of dollars to keep dangerous weapons off of aircraft, the idea of intentionally introducing thousands of deadly weapons in to the system appears to be dangerously counterproductive,'' the letter said.
To address some of the airlines' concerns, the administration suggested a ``detailed, effective'' training program be designed from scratch and tested before an estimated 85,000 pilots are allowed to carry weapons.
The administration also warned the cost would be significant -- $900 million to start and $250 million annually thereafter -- and said there is no money now in the Transportation Security Administration budget to cover the expenses.
The letter from Transportation Security Administration chief James Loy was delivered to Sens. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., and John McCain, R-Ariz., as the Senate debated the measure that would allow all pilots to carry guns into the cockpit. Hollings is chairman of the Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee; McCain is the committee's ranking Republican.
``If there is to be responsible legislation establishing a program to allow guns in the cockpit, it must address the numerous safety, security, cost and operational issues,'' Loy wrote.
Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., offered the amendment to the homeland security bill that would prohibit airlines and the federal government from barring armed pilots.
``We prefer a more comprehensive approach in our amendment, but are grateful for any efforts by the administration to roll the ball down the field,'' said Smith's spokeswoman, Lisa Harrison.
The chairman of the House Transportation Committee's aviation subcommittee, Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said pilots should be armed at least until bulletproof cockpit doors are installed in all planes.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that manufacturers and airlines agree an April 9 deadline to install the new doors can be met.
Mica said the administration realized that the momentum in Congress favoring arming pilots is strong. A bill to create a program that would train and arm some pilots passed the House 310-113 in July.
Transportation Undersecretary John Magaw, who headed the TSA until July, said in May he would not allow pilots to carry guns. Reinforced cockpits and armed air marshals provide enough protection against terrorists who try to take over an airplane, Magaw said.
After Magaw's departure, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said he would re-examine the issue.
ERAU was good when Hunt was around. It's overrated now. A political pork hole.
A better choice is FSI Vero; 7 months from ground to commercial. And you get to fly; not wait around for two years before you see the inside of an aircraft!
Agree. The expensive bit is taking the pilot out of the rotation for training. The weapon is is a tiny part of the cost. There are millions of 1911 Colts and 9mm Berettas in inventory.
We can easily afford to equip every aircrew with a in-service and a personal (take it home and practice) weapon.
Don't forget that it was Bush that put Magaw in charge of airline security!
Bush has to be responsible for the policies of appointees he puts in charge of something and doesn't fire. Don't you think he's responsible for anything?
GUN REVIEWS free from ad-money bias - emphasizing pilot-CCW-suited handguns!
Naw. I'm this huge BushBot. Bush can do no wrong -- I'm too busy fawning over the latest set of pictures of him.
I don't want it flying around with some fiscally unresponsible airline pilot.
You had better stay off 95% of the airplanes, if that is your standard.
hopefully NOT EVEN a RINO would be dumb enough to vote against this
Remember...,
GWB was against this until he saw the veto-proof margins in both houses of Congress. What courage! What guts! Get out in front of the parade, now that it is half over.
Kinda like Billzebubba and welfare reform.
I had the same thought. I hope they make checking the lockbox to verify that the gun's loaded and still in there (and to make sure the combo/key actually works) into an item on the pre-flight checklist.
Boy, you got that right.
Amen!
And these pilots are trained to make those type of decisions.
Espically when they know they are the targets of the hijackers.
That arming pilots would even be debated is simply madness!
I think the Congress saw the results of the screening process thus far (weapons still getting through) and did not want to be held accountable for another hijacking.
The question would be asked 'why weren't the pilots armed'
Answer, 'that would have been dangerous'
Oh this just burns me up.
This is one of the dumbest arguments I've seen on FR, and that's saying something.
The military requires its personnel to keep up their skills, even (nay, especially) the ones they don't actually use except in emergencies.
That said, this is a great win. Americans have a RIGHT (unless I'm misreading the words 'Shall NOT be Infringed') to be armed if they so choose, whether they are pilots, passengers, or stewardesses. The fact that this was such a long, drawn-out battle just shows how irrational some people can get about a simple mechanical object. Nonetheless, it is an important step forward, and its wide support is yet another nail in the coffin of so-called "gun control". I just hope they don't water it down ("lock boxes", etc.)
He found out that they don't arm pilots in Scotland.
What the hell is wrong with these people??
Police and military organizations have been designing detailed and effective training programs for the use of firearms for centuries. The notion of designing another one from scratch serves no purposes other than waste and obstructionism.
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