Roy,
I am an airline pilot and I agree that a firearm in the hands of an
untrained individual is more danger than help, but that is where we part
ways. Most airline pilots are ex military, some like myself are ex police
officers. We are highly trained and highly trainable. You trust me with
your lives in a 600,000 lb airplane, but not with the tools required to keep
some fanatic from turning it into a missle. In case you hadn't noticed the
rules changed last Tuesday. Until then the policy was to cooperate with the
hijacker to minimize danger to passengers and crew. Now there will be no
cooperation. A successfull hijacking means everyone on the airplane is
dead, along with a lot of people on the ground. As far as your little old
lady example: she would be dead. We (pilots) would not allow anyone into
the cockpit for any reason, land the aircraft as soon as possible, and if
armed shoot anyone that managed to open the cockpit door. Would I shoot a
hostage to get to a hijacker? Yes if it would save the aircraft, crew and
passengers. I don't believe that would arise however, because pilots would
not be in the cabin. The only reason the pilots would use a gun would be to
keep the hijacker out of the cockpit and away from the controls.
If that is unreasonable, what do you suggest we do? Talking to experts in
hand to hand combat give pilots little to no chance in thwarting one or two
armed people in the confined space of the cockpit while the pilots are
seated with seatbelts fastened and little chance of getting out of their
seat in time.
I hope poeple wake up.
Scott
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