Armed cockpit . . . that's just the beginning

Arm the airline pilots, arm them now. And tell all these Clinton holdovers and Sen. Patty Murray to shut up.

The last few days, I've been getting faxes from a former naval aviator who is now a commercial airline pilot. For obvious reasons, he doesn't wish to be identified, but this guy - call him Pilot X - seems to speak for most of his fellow pilots, considering the president of their largest union was before a congressional committee yesterday demanding the right to arm themselves.

``The public is NOT going to fly again until somebody fixes this,'' he wrote Monday night. ``When the public doesn't fly, I don't have a job. Nor soon might everybody else employed in the airline industry. When we don't have an airline industry, we don't have much of an economy. Get my drift?''

Pilot X started writing last Thursday, after The Wall Street Journal printed a story about ``makeshift'' defense tactics pilots were employing. Like, for instance, arming themselves with crash axes and blocking the cockpit doors with drink carts.

``Please,'' he wrote, ``rather than treating us as part of the PROBLEM, treat us as part of the SOLUTION! Just ask any El Al pilot how they perceive their function in Israel's chain of airline security.''

Of course, the PC crowd is still anti-gun, even in the cockpits. Common sense in these Clinton-lovers is rarer than an American flag in Harvard Yard.

Yesterday, Pilot X got into a debate with one of his fellow pilots, who is in the minority opposed to arming themselves.

``How do you totally prevent the terrorist from obtaining it?'' wrote Pilot Y. ``He might be wearing Kevlar.''

``It is not inconceivable that the bad guy ends up with the gun,'' Pilot Y continues. ``What about the cowboys who may be a little hot and trigger-happy? At this point in time we are all hot.''

To which Pilot X replies, ``Even if a suicidal terrorist-hijacker does end up with your firearm the situation remains no worse. . . . The terrorist is going to kill you either way and drive your jet into his intended target. Thousands may die. On the contrary, if you are armed with a sidearm and able to put a bullet between his eyes, you've terminated the threat with extreme prejudice, immediately.''

Yes, the feds are going to hire more air marshals, which will help. ``But that's darned sure not going to happen overnight,'' Pilot X said. ``In the meantime, the traveling public's only assured defense is sitting in the cockpit. We are the last line of defense until we get these other problems solved.''

Like everyone else, Pilot X is appalled by FAA boss Jane Garvey. This woman is a Dukakoid, a Clinton holdover whose only previous claim to fame was her sleazy husband, the sheriff of Hampshire County, who was once cited by the State Ethics Commission for using county employees to build him a tennis court at his home.

If for no other reason, she should be fired because the bum who appointed her, Bill Clinton, pardoned the last bunch of terrorists who bombed New York.

``She is,'' writes Pilot X, ``out of altitude and ideas, as we say in my business. Amazing how this (hearing last week) was the first time since the disaster we've even seen Ms. Garvey in public. I'd be hiding too with her record.''

Then there's Logan International Airport. Like everyone else, Pilot X has noticed the severe shortage of Americans at the security gates.

``Let's cut the crap and fix this now!'' he wrote. ``And for God's sake, in the meantime provide employees at the Boston-Logan security checkpoints who speak some damned English! Perception is reality.''

Howie Carr's radio show can be heard every weekday afternoon on WRKO-AM 680, WHYN-AM 560, WGAN-AM 560, WXTK 95.1 FM or online at howiecarr.org.

And for God's sake, in the meantime provide employees at the Boston-Logan security checkpoints who speak some damned English! Perception is reality.

The last time I was at Logan airport the security guard spit some Lay's potato chips on me as he said "go ahead". Quality work.

Thse people don't give the impression that they could handle a threat. I say they should have military style uniforms, sidearms and no talking allowed between coworkers. Just give the impression that you are a professional.

I'd like to see Logan's nepotism-stocked staff replaced with someone competent. Then again, it is Massachusetts.

I saw a representative of the flight attendants union on CBS this morning supporting the 'eliminate all dangerous or potentially dangerous objects in the airplane' argument. This guy wants to eliminate carry-on luggage. His argument was that the pilots weren't trained to use a firearm and it might be taken away from them. GEE, i'd be more afraid if they took the AIRPLANE away from him you moron!. Besides, most guys in the big planes are ex-military. You pretty much have to be to get the required flight hours just to qualify to fly the big planes. I'd feel safer with an ex-military pilot with a gun than a terrorist with a plane!. Then he predictably brought up the 'how do we know the pilot won't go crazy and start shooting civilians in some suicidal rage' argument. Hey, you already trust him with your life when you FLY with him. If he wanted to kill a lot of people, he'd just aim at the ground! The anti-gunners are really stretching this argument...

AIRLINE EMPLOYEE

As for the background checks, - they are a joke. My wife went through the legal immigration process and had to get a letter from the police in her city stating she was not "wanted for crime" or under charges/with record etc. It cost us a $300.00 "fee" to a member of the police. The organization does not officially provide these documents. I suspect any CRIMINAL from her country could get the same document, and that airport security companies defer to the State Department as the end of their search - since this is what the State Department uses as their litmus test. STAMP! YOU'RE "IN". Begin your new life, change your name - whatever.

At IAH and DFW, janitors working for the outsource contractors are from far afield as Korea, Mexico and Central America. I revalidated my badge last night at IAH in accordance with the new security proceedures. AS SOON AS I WAS DONE, I MENTIONED TO THE IAH LADY - ..."HOW CAN THIS SECURITY BE EFFECTIVE WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WORKING AT RAMP LEVEL WHO ARE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE COUNTRY"? She said, "I know, we talked about that last night". Duh.

HELLO INS! HELLO FAA! HELLO FBI! HELLO Mr. PRESIDENT! OVER HERE>>> YES, WE MUST FEDERALIZE SECURITY AT THE AIRPORTS, TO CONTERVENT LOCAL INEPTITUDE AND INBRED LOCALS WITH THEIR CONTRACT AWARDS...

..."HOW CAN THIS SECURITY BE EFFECTIVE WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WORKING AT RAMP LEVEL WHO ARE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE COUNTRY"?

I find this incredible - I read that 80% of the scanners at Dulles were not citizens. WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING?

Another point you may mention is that to fly the "big guys" you have to hold a ATP license. Besides the effort, technical proficency and hours you must put in the FAA requires an extensive background check.....

This includes references with letters of recommendation attesting to your "character"...

Immoral acts (not necessarily illegal acts) can disqualify you. Even a DWI or DUI will prohibit or lift your license....

After this, the airlines place them through an extensive screening process including Physcological reveiw....

I'd trust an professional Airline Pilot with a gun in almost any circumstance....

NeverGore

Most of the pilots are ex-military, and already have training in the use of sidearms. They could be given some additional refresher training focusing on cockpit defense. If you want to get the public back in air, arm the pilots. It will be necessary, however, to assure pilot impostors are excluded from aircraft.

What most people have missed is the main reason that government officials do not want the pilots armed.

The reason the government officials do not want pilots armed is that pilots are not government employees. According to government officials, it is the government's responsibility to protect its citizens. By allowing pilots to be armed, they are saying that government cannot do its responsibility, and acquiese its power and duty to do so.

In accepting this state of affairs, why should citizens continue supporting their government to the extent they have been in the past?

The US Congress never had the Constitutional authority to prohibit private airlines from allowing their employees to carry weapons in the first place. The airlines should just allow the pilots to start carrying and say "screw Congress" and then let the courts decide that the laws which prohibit airlines and pilots from exercising their 2nd Amendment protected rights to carry arms on their own private property, are unConstitutional.

I'm all for arming the pilots, however, I haven't seen anyone address the problem of what happens to the pilot once he disembarks the aircraft in states like Massachussetts or the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia. The pilot would be subject to criminal prosecution in these states for carrying a concealed weapon.

I believe it is high time we restore our constitutional principles and reaffirm the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in all states thoughout the union. The second amendment must be honored and the peoples right to self preservation must be fully restored. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms Must Never Again Be Infringed.

Why not have a small locker on the plane to keep the guns, that way when the pilot leaves or there is a pilot change, all they have to do is "hand-off" the locker key.

"...As for the background checks, - they are a joke. My wife went through the legal immigration process and had to get a letter from the police in her city stating she was not "wanted for crime"..."

I've had a number of career moves in the last 20 or so years, and have lived in a number of states. My favorite question when applying for a new driver's license is:

"Are you addicted to drugs or alcohol?"

Thankfully, I am not, but if I were, what would I tell them?

For that matter, what would W.C. Fields have told them?

PA_hayseed said: "Why not have a small locker on the plane to keep the guns, that way when the pilot leaves or there is a pilot change, all they have to do is "hand-off" the locker key. "

A fire-arm that you intend to use for self-defense ( or defense of the cockpit of an airliner ) should be one that is personally acceptable to the user and for which the user is responsible for its proper functioning.

Fire-extinguishers must be periodically checked for proper function and records are kept. If you try to set up a similar system for upkeep of the guns then you suddenly have an entire bureaucracy to accomplish that which any concealed-weapon carrier does for himself.

I recently talked with a woman friend about proposed laws in Kalifornia mandating minimum sizes for handguns so that weapons cannot be readily concealed ( this is not a joke ). She is only 4 foot 9 and has very tiny hands. She needs the freedom to select her own weapons.

Equality 7-2521 said: "The US Congress never had the Constitutional authority to prohibit private airlines from allowing their employees to carry weapons in the first place. The airlines should just allow the pilots to start carrying and say "screw Congress" and then let the courts decide that the laws which prohibit airlines and pilots from exercising their 2nd Amendment protected rights to carry arms on their own private property, are unConstitutional. "

Yes. It really is that simple.

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