Guys, we are all entitled to our opinions, but there are an awful lot of "chicken little" type predictions being made here, that, imho, are just that.
It is a fact that people have been legally carrying guns on US airplanes for many years without a single incident. The presence of a firearm in the proper hands is far less dangerous than an airplane in the improper hands. It's simply a non issue.
Non lethal weapons are not the answer. If you get to the point where you need to use it, it simply cannot be relied on to incapacitate the bad guy, no matter which one we are discussing. Police carry them as a bridge between verbal control and lethal control, in a very different environment than will be present in the case of an air piracy attempt. And they have a firearm as a backup.
Prior to 9/11 there were less than 100 Air Marshalls. While the number is classified, I would estimate the number to be well into the thousands by now, and many more are being trained. Their deterrent factor then was much less than it is now.
Having had lots of interaction with these folks, I am glad to have them aboard. They are, without exception, a professional bunch. We are briefed by them when they board.
I am a fairly proficient shooter (I have qualed on several LEO courses), and I would have a hard time passing the FAM qual. course. They are VERY good and their training is specifically tailored to their very unique situation.
The issue of penetrating the hull is a concern, but in the big scheme of things, I'd much rather deal with possible partial loss of pressurization, or a system loss than have the aircraft used as a missile or equally bad (for those on the plane) is getting shot down by a future first officer in an F-Teen.
While I am the first to criticize the screening efforts on the ground, I am not sure at what point we could ever 100% prevent bad guys from getting on the aircraft, and still carry passengers.
Layered security, starting with foriegn policy and ending with armed pilots is, IMHO, the answer to limiting the onboard threats posed by these fanatics.
As for the stingers, bombs in cargo etc. It should be obvious that Air Marshalls will have less effect on these things than a liferaft will have on an engine fire.
