[KSREP]

Fantastic idea. I wonder if this has been forwarded on to the FAA? Thanks for the post!

[WRhine]

I had the same exact idea 3 days ago. The technology for this has been here for quite some time and has only gotten better. Planes today can already fly themselves. All we need is a well designed, integrated system that can take over the controls of a plane when the pilots are under some kind of terrorist threat. Also, with GPS, a computer driven system could insure that a plane stays away from any building or object out of its flight path no matter what the circumstances.

[RightOnline]

Sounds like a decent idea, but as a former airplane driver, I already know exactly how to disable it. If I know, you can rest assured the bad guys would know how to do same double-quick. I applaud the thinking, though.

[Post Toasties]

This is quite a bit like an idea I mentioned at FR immediately after the WTC/Pentagon terrorist attack. Pilots switch over all control of plane to ground control with fly-by-wire.

Guess great minds run in the same gutter.

[wcbtinman]

Much simpler system. Without cost to the govt or the airlines. Can't be "hacked".

Arm the passengers.

[breakem]

Listening to Dr. Bill Watenberg 810 AM from San Fran. Caller suggested black box info should be continuously transmitted to a data base during the flight. Take away the need to have a black box hunt and hope for good recording.

[merkava]

good try, but very bad idea. who lands the plane "safely" who keeps the hijackers from killing all the people on board? at 30,000 feet. the hijackers want to strike terror into plane travel in america, that hurts the economy and makes people fearful. 2 armed plain clothes marshalls, one in the front and back will stop them dead if they stand up in the isle. i would like to see a muslim hijacker with a knife try to overpower a marshall with a .45 america wouldn't have a problem again with hijackers. bombs are a different subject.