a slight aside from the main trust of this thread:
caulfield you say "........What we must fight for is total control of how we,as pilots,run the damn operation from departure gate to arrival gate.With interference from no-one.WE're the ones up there that face any future threat.........."
With all due respect Sir, but aren't you forgetting a rather pivotal group of your colleagues here?
How about your cabin crew?
The ones that got their throats cut first?
Professional FA's have a lot to add to the safety of the operation, and as they are right up there with you, facing any future threat, I very strongly feel they (we) should be involved closely in how "the damn operation is run from gate to gate"