Try to keep up, will ya?...
May 02, 2003 - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has completed training the first class of commercial airline pilots who volunteered to carry handguns in the cockpit.
The first group of federal flight deck officer candidates received 48 hours of training that included firearms instruction, defensive tactics, instruction in the use of force, legal liability and information on how to safely transport their weapons. Those who graduated on April 19 were to be issued a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Pilots for the inaugural class were nominated by the Air Line Pilots Association and the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations and selected by TSA based on the plan to have a diversified test group.
The TSA projected that it would spend about $2,100 to train each pilot volunteer, and an additional $4,100 to select and equip each trainee. Pilots who successfully complete the training will be sworn in as federal law enforcement officers, with jurisdiction limited to the flight deck, or cockpit. To maintain proficiency, pilots will complete re-certification training each year.