U.S. Won't Allow Guns in Cockpits

AP ^ | 2-21-2002 | JONATHAN D. SALANT

[Cagey]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal government said Tuesday that pilots will not be allowed to have guns in the cockpits of commercial airplanes.

The announcement was made at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing by John Magaw, undersecretary for transportation security. It followed months of debate over whether arming pilots would be a deterrent to hijackers.

Both Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge previously indicated their opposition to arming pilots.

Magaw gave no reason for his decision, which was announced in response to a question from Arizona Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the committee.

Magaw said a formal announcement will be made later in the week.

Airline pilots have been pushing for guns, saying it would allow them to confront a hijacker who breaks into the cockpit. Hijackers took over four commercial airlines on Sept. 11, crashing two of them into the World Trade Center and a third into the Pentagon. The fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Flight attendants, meanwhile, have advocated nonlethal weapons, such as stun guns, that they could use in emergencies.

Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., who chairs the Commerce Committee, said guns would not be needed as long as pilots kept cockpit doors locked while in flight.

"You can put the rule in right now and cut out all the argument about pistols and stun guns," Hollings said.

Opponents of arming pilots have said reinforced cockpit doors now required on all planes mean that pistols are unnecessary. They have also expressed concern that an errant shot might hit a passenger or damage a key electrical system on the plane.

Two House Republicans have introduced legislation to arm pilots and the House Transportation Committee is scheduled to take up the bill this week.

[SteamshipTime]

When George Bush was on the campaign trail, trumpeting his multi-zillion dollar federal education plan and expressing contempt for people who want government just to leave them alone, I decided I had him figured out.

Everything he has done since getting elected has only confirmed my initial impression.

[Redbob]

"Both Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge previously indicated their opposition to arming pilots."

Both Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge previously indicated their opposition to allowing anyone to be armed.

[freeeee]

I don't know what the President has to do with this

John Magaw is the undersecretary for transportation security, which is an executive branch department.

The Office of Homeland Security was created by Bush, and its director, Tom Ridge was appointed by Bush.

Nominating and retaining people with such policies was either done purposely or is an act of sheer negligence and extremely poor judgement.

In both cases, Bush could and should tell both these individuals to change their policy or submit their resignation. This is a matter of the highest national importance, and the President should assert his authority in the matter.

Let's be candid: This decision came from the administration. Since it's an unpopular and unreasonable decision, Bush has his lowers give the announcement and they are supposed to catch all the heat, insulating the President from political backlash and preserving his ratings in the polls. We're not little kids here, and I'm not fooled for a moment by these shenanigans. I know full well who is responsible for this outrageous decision.

[KirklandJunction]

Coherent. Passengers might not get a formal warning (lawyers, FAA, urgency) so be prepared.

More than one com'l crew has thought all this out.

[CWRWinger]

Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., who chairs the Commerce Committee, said guns would not be needed as long as pilots kept cockpit doors locked while in flight. "You can put the rule in right now and cut out all the argument about pistols and stun guns," Hollings said.

The last good thing this guy Hollings did was to put the Confederate Flag on the SC State House. From there, it's been downhill. No Votes for Turncoats.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Simple solution, the Congress passes a law that removes authority from any government agency to "regulate" guns in cockpits. Leave the decision strictly up to the pilot who would also be responsible to receive periodical training and THAT portion could be left up to the FAA to oversee only, no power to remove the gun even if the pilot doesn't get his/her training.

[WIMom]

Why don't you brush up on how our government works before making the accusation it's the President's fault?

[Shooter 2.5]

"Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., who chairs the Commerce Committee, said guns would not be needed as long as pilots kept cockpit doors locked while in flight."

" Two House Republicans have introduced legislation to arm pilots and the House Transportation Committee is scheduled to take up the bill this week."

The dems are against guns and the Republicans are for them and I'm not surprised in the least. The Southern voters are finally starting to wake up that even the so-called conservative dems are after their guns.

[Louburger]

I guess it has something to do with what the meaning of the word is is.

[freeeee]

Please see post #43. If that's not how it works, could you explain how it does?

[Squantos]

Until this nation's alledged leadership pull's it head outta it's @ss it does nothing less than kill it's own sheeple. Boycott the Airlines.........drive !

Stay Safe !

[Reagan Man]

Armed and trained airline pilots, would be something good to have in the cockpits of all flights. What is the government afraid of? Do it Mr.President!

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[Squantos]

Agree ..........Stay Safe !

[Cagey]

Both Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge previously indicated their opposition to arming pilots.

Who do you think Ridge and Mineta got their marching orders from? The President hit a foul ball on this issue, WIMom. This stinks.

[taildragger]

Cagey, they all ready have. The business flyer is using tele-conference instead. You want the business flyer back in the air so that the airlines can make $? Arm the Pilots, its that simple. Hmmm...then maybe we can cut back on the airline bailout plan.

[mattdono]

I agree and I said, "he should have made it clear to Norm Mineta, who should have pushed for arming of the pilots."

That he isn't pushing for the pilots to be armed is disconcerting to me, personally. I really think that he missed an easy opportunity to paint the demoPUKEs as not wanting Americans protected.

He should have supported the idea/bill. Naturally, the demoPUNKs would have violently opposed it and he could have simply said, "I just want to protect the American people. Don't you?"

So, I am not supporting the fact that the President didn't support this. Rather, I was commenting on the political calculus that has been done. This, in and of itself, is diconcerting because he have been told that the President doesn't make policy based on polls. He may rely on the polls less than his predecessor, who could take a cr*p without taking a poll, but he (or Rove) is using them. WAY TOO much, in my opinion.

One last point, we trust pilots to be able to land a 500,000 pound aircraft on a stip of land about 4500 feet long, but we don't trust them to be able to snap off a few caps into some terrorist's a$$? Huh? With the hand-to-eye coordination it takes to do this, I would think they would be a crack shot and could find center mass fairly easily.

[stylin19a]

Opponents of arming pilots have said reinforced cockpit doors now required on all planes mean that pistols are unnecessary. They have also expressed concern that an errant shot might hit a passenger or damage a key electrical system on the plane.

So..if an air marshal is on the plane....is he/she armed ?

[Blood of Tyrants]

Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., who chairs the Commerce Committee, said guns would not be needed as long as pilots kept cockpit doors locked while in flight.

And I suppose the pilots are supposed to pi$$ his/her pants on a 9 hour trans Atlantic flight?