Prior to all planes being retrofitted with re-enforced cockpit doors, I may have felt differently, but now, it doesn’t make sense to take the pilot away from his primary job of flying the plane.

As far as the pilots not being trusted…As everyone has said, they are flying the dang plane. What more of a weapon do they need? Secondly, if you are going to apply the “pilots can’t be trusted not to have a bad mental health day” rule, then you would have to apply the same to the Air Marshals. They walk through the terminal, past security, and right onto the plane with a loaded & unlocked gun. While FFDOs have to keep theirs locked up until they are in the cockpit and the door is closed. What is going to keep the Air Marshal from deciding, during an especially bad day, to take the lives of a few hundred others? By this “bad day” rule, no one could have a weapon…except of course for those that slip by the TSA. And if you think this isn’t possible, then you are more ignorant than I had previously thought.

Security is always applied in layers because each layer is like Swiss cheese. Every layer DOES have holes, but the goal is to not allow any holes to line up and let the terrorists through. The FFDO program is the last line of defense that blocks all other holes.

Finally, since 9/11 there have been hundreds of thousands of flights with armed pilots. You can not point to this one incident and say “See, it’s proven. Pilots shouldn’t have guns”. Again…ignorant.

Those who “fail to understand and use firearms competently” are making the case for supporters of gun control.

Your comment’s lack of logic doesn’t help your cause.

so sad, too bad.

I want to inject some facts into this discussion.

I saw a report on CNN the other day in which current Federal Air Marshals estimated that less than 1% of US flights each day actually have an Air Marshall on them. Unfortunatley the Air Marshalls do not have the manpower or resources to protect passengers.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/03/25/siu.air.marshals/index.html

Regarding a deranged passenger charging into the cockpit, anytime I’ve seen the cockpit door open mid-flight, there was an FA and usually a beverage cart purposely blocking the walkway to avoid this scenario.

Also, a pilot walking through the airport does not carry the firearm on his hip. There are strict protocols followed which include the firearm being securely locked when the pilot is not in the cockpit.

The “pea shooter” in the hands of a weapons trained pilot could have prevented this & saved a couple of hundred lives. Armed pilots are dangerous, dangerous to terrorists!!!

There is minimal danger of an errant pistol shot bringing down a commericial airliner. It would take a hole in the plane body with a diameter measured in feet (not an inch) to cause the rapid decompression necessary to bring a plane down.

Can minor accidents happen with these fire arms? Yes of course, but that doesn’t mean the alternative of unarmed pilots is safer.

As this story proves, pilots are dangerous with guns.