Pilots threaten to stop service if kept unarmed

Union Leader ^ | 10/05/01 | KATHRYN MARCHOCKI

[supercat]

You are in support of armed pilots then?

Definitely, with the caveat that the duty of a pilot is to protect the cockpit at all costs. If someone uses a shoelace to take a flight attendant hostage and threatens to kill her, the pilot should not leave the cockpit to intervene. Using the plane to hit the hijacker with some nasty g-forces is probably a good idea, but the pilot must not do anything that might risk cockpit security.

Note that I would not expect an armed pilot to act as a sky marshal; the two jobs are very different, and for a pilot to carry his gun into a cabin would be an invitation to disaster. Even within his limited role, however, (keeping control of his 100-ton missle), a pilot may in some cases have need of a sidearm and should thus be allowed to have one.

[rundy]

I travel a lot (25-30 weeks per year). I fully support armed pilots.
In fact, I think the FAA sould permit airlines to make the decision themselves.
Then the airlines could indicate which flights had armed pilots and air crew.

Let the public decide.

I have a prediction. The first airline to have and announce armed aircrews would be an unbelievable success.

That is the only airline I'd fly.

[dcwusmc]

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