Doesn't look like this idea has the great momentum that was earlier claimed.
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Few pilots sign up to carry guns
March 13, 2004
BY LESLIE MILLER
WASHINGTON -- Commercial pilots say only a few of their colleagues are signing up to carry guns in the cockpit because the Bush administration has made it harder than necessary to participate.
The Transportation Security Administration initially opposed the program, then reluctantly endorsed it when it was clear Congress was behind it.
The Airline Pilots Security Alliance, a group formed by pilots to lobby for guns in the cockpit, says the TSA's stance has led the agency to impose unnecessary standards, chief among them a 14-page psychological evaluation.
Dean Roberts, a member of the alliance, is a former special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency. He questions the need for the test, noting psychological and physical ability evaluations with Federal Aviation Administration doctors are performed every six months for captains and once a year for first officers.
''I never filled out a 14-page application to be a DEA agent,'' Roberts said. ''We have guys who've flown the space shuttle, and that's not good enough for TSA.''
TSA spokesman Mark Hatfield said the testing is necessary to ensure safety.
''It's a very demanding assignment that requires an individual to make a life-or-death decision and then turn around and fly an airplane,'' Hatfield said.
Four percent of the pilots flunked the test because they're not considered suitable, he said. Reasons for disqualification include a history of disobeying safety regulations, domestic violence and alcoholism.
When Congress was considering whether to allow guns in the cockpit, the Airline Pilots Security Alliance conducted polls and estimated about half the 115,000 commercial pilots would participate. But after 16 months, they estimate only 1,500 pilots have been certified.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/terro...s-pilot13.html