I'm trying hard to understand the objection to arming pilots, but I guess I'm too dense. The way I understand the ALPA proposal, a gun in the cockpit would be employed only after every other method to prevent terrorists from taking control of the aircraft had failed. In other words, the hijackers are aboard the aircraft, they have overpowered or killed the cabin crew, they have not been subdued by the passengers, and they're busily breaking down the reinforced cockpit door. The flight crew is either going to subdue them, hold them at bay, or go for a one-way ride into a building. I suspect even a European cockpit crew might want to unholster a weapon along about then.