Did anyone realise that pilots in the NT are entitled to carry and own a pistol for survival purposes when flying in remote areas......
You need to complete a safety course, apply for a carriage permit from casa, buy a safe and apply to the NT Police, oh.... ur employer must also agree to give you a letter.
Handy for the surv kit in the boot though,
Just had mine issued today, along with the others for hunting and target.
It has been known for many years. I knew a few pilots who actually pulled it out in flight to restore "confidence" in passengers and show who is in charge of the ship.
Make sure you carry a decent calibre like .44 magnum, .45ACP because crocodile skin is pretty tough. My personal choice would be a .50 Desert Eagle, chrome plated so the reflection would attract the search team
Thats awesome, I thought only military pilots would be premitted to carry weapons... But do you need to have the safe in your house, I gather any pilot hour building in NT wouldn't own there own house. The owners probably wouldn't appreciate a safe being bolted to the floor
Just make sure you don't jump the border with it on board. they will hang you for it in the west.
I have mine on an open license, but from a looong time ago. it is virtually impossible to get in the west now days.
for that sort of work I would suggest a nice H&K, CZ or Glock 17/19 in 40 cal with jacketed ammo.
I would also suggest you read you company's ops manual to see what their policy is with regards to firearms in the cabin. could be you have a letter from ya boss that's not worth the paper its written on.
Last edited by the wizard of auz : 6th December 2008 at 01:53.
MANILA, Philippines – A pilot was arrested by the police after he allegedly fired his gun and threatened to kill a restaurant owner in Pasay City on Sunday night.
Senior Supt. Raul Petrasanta, Pasay City police chief, said that at around 9:15 p.m. Sunday, Ruben Gallardo, a pilot of Zest Air, was driving his car when he was caught in a traffic jam near Lydia’s Lechon restaurant at 54 Apollo St., Barangay San Gregorio.
“The suspect honked the horn of his vehicle several times but the drivers of the restaurant’s delivery trucks allegedly did not give way to him,” PO2 Giovanni Arcinue, case investigator, said.
Gallardo, who lives near the restaurant, then got out of his car and fired his cal. .45 pistol twice into the air. He also threatened to kill restaurant owner Rommel de Roca after the latter confronted him, Petrasanta said. This prompted De Roca to call the police, resulting in Gallardo’s arrest.
Do you know why batons were removed from aircraft? To prevent them being used against pilots/flight attendants by persons better trained/stronger than the hero holding it! Not to mention the can of worms you are going to open if you actually point the thing at someone!!!!!
As far as survivial goes. Save your money, your sanity and your time and buy an EPRIRB/GPS/Handheld VHF/Satphone for the same price.
You blokes have to be kidding! A gun would have been the last thing we needed in our drunken, flea ridden NT party house!
My old boss had a croc grab hold of the skids of a Jet Ranger while he was on the ground, near a swamp. Had to shoot it with his nickel plated long barrel Ruger revolver.
There is a book written by a Spitfire pilot who bailed out off the coast, near Darwin in WWII. I cannot remember the name. He spent two weeks swimming through croc infested swamps, starving to death. His flying boot fell apart. Tried to commit suicide but had nothing to cut his wrists.
This was before RAAF pilots carried knives and shooting sticks. He was found lying on the ground, waiting to die. He spent a year recovering, most in hospital. On return to his squadron the pilots had been issued with knives, guns and proper boots.
Hi Buzzy, I know of two people gored to death, by buffalo, in the streets of Gove, walking home at night. Stupid planets.
The NT is not Bondi, and epirbs drown.
Last edited by tio540 : 6th December 2008 at 03:24.
I can just picture you blokes walking into your local pilot shop: " Can i please have a current WAC, an ERSA and two boxes of 9mm hollow points and a box of 30-06 full metal jacket. I got a charter to BTI in the morning "
Actually, I would have to agree with Buzzy. your better off with some other type of survival equipment in the cabin. I live in the bush and spent an inordinate amount of time in the wilder parts, and apart from using it to gather a bit of meat, I really can't see a use for it.
the chances of being taken by a gator or gored by a bull or whatever can be minimized to an almost non existent risk value, with a little bit of common sense.
you have more chance of being clouted from behind with an empty bottle while walking home from the pub, than being in any real danger that requires a firearm in the ozzy bush.
B747-800. Mate while I was flying over there, most everyone fired their weapons at the slightest provocation. I would duck for cover if a car backfired in Pasay, as the security guards, parking inspectors, shopping mall security and most others walking around would start shooting willy nilly in reply.
I can't imagine why it suddenly became newsworthy
Hahahaha, yeah great one, u have to have a safe to hold a shooters license FULL STOP, regardless of whether you own firearms or not, kinda stupid really, but a $30 laptop safe from bunnings suffices the regs.
I'll take a box of .45 JHP and a box of 9mm SMJ
Not to mention a brick of 12 SGS
Oh and by the way.... the point really is, should we be told what we can and cannot own, if we own a firearm, and are respectful and lawful citizens, there is no reason why we shouldnt be allowed to carry one for whatever reason we deem necessary.
Its wan%ers like little johnny h who have ruined it for the law abiding citizens, gun laws only affect the goodies. Does anyone really think the rebels and the drug dealers handed there pump shottys in back in 96.... ahahaha
Thanks for the history lesson tio540. Things sure were different back then in WW2. Glad we live in the age of waterproof EPIRBS, satellites and even plastic bags!
I'm all for trained and balanced people that require a firearm for their jobs to hold one but I have come across pilots that I wouldnt trust to hold a BBQ let alone a firearm! As far as being "gored" in the streets of Gove by buffalo I'd have to say 2 things. 1/ I recall a friend spending many days just trying to even find a buffalo to hunt let alone having one chase him down in town. 2/ The 2 chaps you mention being "gored" by buffalo in town hadn't been drinking at the local had they? If so, do you really think a firearm safely locked up at home would have helped them?
If a firearm is needed as a survival tool then why not a rifle? Why does it need to be a pistol? The less of those dirty little lifechangers in this country the better!
When based on Groote, the head copper (RM) informed us one night that we were entitled to possess a handgun given the nature of our workplace. Even at the ripe old age of 22-26 we all agreed that it would be more trouble than it was worth.
If our game is about balancing risk then I'd say firearm at work only increases that risk.
I like the one about the boss, the Jet Ranger and the croc..............what a croc of sh!t. Any of you blokes actually used a handgun? It not as easy as the movies. I agree with Mr Buzzzy. In the early eighties I used to know a helicopter ringer who carried a 44 mag, it was more a danger to him than anything else would have been.
Hey ya Cec.
Yeah I used em.and still own a few in fact. Definitely a risk increase if used in/from the aircraft. ( I have a photo of a hole in a C206 strut, and a couple of holes in other parts of helicopters, and they were being used by passengers focused on the shooting bit of the job).
I would think extra water and a roll of snare wire would be a better survival kit than a firearm. certainly would reduce the risk of any accidents....... by pilot or pax. Although a useful tool in the right circumstances, those circumstances would be very rare indeed, and certainly not warrant the increased risk of having them in the aircraft while awaiting those circumstances.
(I get a picture of "here bobby-joe... hold my beer and watch this" when I imagine a lot of the pilots I have meet with a firearm in the bush)
...should we be told what we can and cannot own, if we own a firearm, and are respectful and lawful citizens, there is no reason why we shouldnt be allowed to carry one for whatever reason we deem necessary.
That would be one of the dumbest posts ever on PPRuNe. To my last breath I will resist the insane gun culture of the USA or the Philippines ever coming to Australia. Public opinion polls at the time guns were banned indicated over 95% of Australians share my view.
Good on ya then, if u dont want to own one then u dont have to, if the kommies said you cant have a bull bar on your car because they kill pedestrians you'd probably agree...... i bet you even love the whole asic card regime too
What exactly are you needing it for? And why a pistol?
If for defence against animals, you may as well shoot blanks. You might put off a croc with the average handgun, but shooting a buffalo or a pig with most pistol calibres will only make it angrier!
I don't know how much shooting you've done, but unless you're shooting around 200 rounds every day, forget about hitting anything more than 5m away, especially if it's "coming right for you!"
IMHO, if you want it for a survival kit, you're better off with a high powered rifle (30-06) or a pump-action shotgun (with shot and solids).
If for "unruly pax", as quoted before:
Quote:
I knew a few pilots who actually pulled it out in flight to restore "confidence" in passengers and show who is in charge of the ship.
All very brave, but what if someone called their bluff?
DIVOSH free tip: "Never wear a gun unless you're prepared to kill someone!"
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