[Fred Mertz]

What's to study? Some of them packed heat in the '60s and '70s, at least a retired airline Captain told me they did.

[Dog]

YES!!!!

[stand watie]

it's ABOUT TIME! and they ought to allow every LEO in the nation to go armed EVERYWHERE!

[B Knotts]

Ah HA!

I suspected something along these lines when Magaw left suddenly...

[Lazamataz]

Well how about that. The antigun weenie John Magaw 'resigns', and all of a sudden guns in the cockpit are an option again.

[Lady Jag]

As our friend Nike says, just do it! If Congress didn't drag its feet so much maybe it would cost less.

[habaes corpussel]

I can't wait to see this one....

[Enduring Freedom]

It is much cheaper to arm pilots than bailout bankrupt airlines.

Creating safer skies without further inconveniencing passengers will instantly raise confidence and ticket sales.

SAVE THE AIRLINES, ARM PILOTS NOW!

[KarlInOhio]

Armed pilots? But the pilot needs to keep 100% of his attention on flying the plane, especially in a high stress situation as when an Arab is slitting his throat or an F-16 is blowing off one of his engines with a Sidewinder. < /sarcasm>

[aShepard]

could cost $850 million to establish and more than $250 million per year to carry out

Why would it cost a penny??

Seems to me that the insurance industry would jump at the chance to save their $50 million insured plane, and the hundreds of millions in death benefits.

[gitmogrunt]

shhh!!

Quiet Please.

Government beaureaucrats studying the following problem:

If a commercial airliner carry X passengers and crew where hijacked in mid flight,would it be wiser to shoot the plane down, or have the pilot shoot and kill the hijacker(s), then safely land the plane?

Add the unknown variable Y.

Y represents your daughter is on the flight.

Now solve for X.

Use of calculators is prohibited.

[MainFrame65]

Regarding Mcgaw: What do you call the dismissal of one incompetent, venal, arrogant, Clinton holdover? - One small step forward along a very long road.

Non-lethal weapons are defeatable. A hijacker might wear a bulletproof vest, but he still can be brought down with a bullet in an unprotected area - and he could never board the plane with full body armor. But he could wear insulation that would protect him from electrical discharge long enough to kill the crew.

Also, think about the warnings before takeoff. No radios, cellphones, or electrical appliances. Why? They can interfere with the cockpit electronics. The high-voltage discharges of weapons like the Taser could do serious damage - as bad, or worse, than a bullet.

Norman (fee-e-e-lings) Mineta needs to hear from the public that it is time to think, instead of whatever he has been doing!

[GSWarrior]

But...but...what if an armed pilot is successful in thwarting a hijack attempt? What kind of message is this going to send to the American people?
Let us (the government) be your sole protector.

[BlessingInDisguise]

"Mineta said that arming pilots under the program proposed in a bill passed by the House earlier this month could cost $850 million to establish and more than $250 million per year to carry out."

850 million??? 250 million a year?!?! Where the heck are they buying their diamond studded solid platinum guns!?!? Much cheaper deals can be found on Gunbroker!!!

[SBeck]

Congress is moving forward with legislation to arm more than 70,000 commercial pilots

I'm currently a commercial pilot applicant, does this mean that when I finish my course, and pass my DE checkride, I can pack heat on any airplane that I'm a PIC or SIC?

[riverrunner]

I would like to have the contract to do the training. I could make a lot of money on that one. Even if I had to supply the guns and ammo.

[CWRWinger]

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta...

Backward thinking piece of manure. What part of "...shall not be infringed." does this illiterate dolmen not understand. We need to export this work of art to one of our thousand newly made foreign enemies.

[TailspinJim]

ATTENTION D.C. CHAPTER.....Airline pilots will be marching at 9 AM THIS THURSDAY MORNING in D.C. at the New Senate Swamp Area to encourage the Senate Commerce Committee members to vote FOR airline pilot carry. D.C. FReepers might consider lending their support.

Jim