wino -
Glad to finally engage an AA pilot, cause I have some questions for you. But first, let me say Thanks for the kind words at the end of your post. I hang out on FT and USA as well, under the same screen name.
Question - seems the Agent had to write two sets of paperwork. Seems there was a "difference" between the first and second set. If so - why could he not just tear up the "incorrect" set and re-write a third set that would be "correct"? Are the sets "serial numbered"? Are you only allowed, by FAA reg, to only write "one" set for a particular flight?
Question - why did "everyone" else even let this Agent board the a/c if his paperwork was not in order? How in the world could airport security, and AA Security let this Agent even past the screening area if he was a "bad boy", let alone let him board the a/c and take a seat? Why did the "local" police "vouch" for this "un-trustworthy semitic looking" person carrying a handgun? Seems like an awful lot of "questions" here that have not been answered.
Final "technical" question: Does AA have the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) do a full - repeat - full - background investigation of every AA flight officer? Reason I ask is cause the Agent would have had to do that to get his job. A "full" BI is required for a Top Secret clearence, as well as for compartmented clearences added to the TS. You got to be a fairly reliable individual to stand five feet from POTUS with a loaded handgun. I wonder if they would let any AA Captain do that? (rhetorical question.)
These are factual questions I am asking that should be answerable by any US airlines Capt/FO, I hope. The reason I am asking is I can not understand why the Capt. wasted 1-1/4 hrs. of his pax's time on this matter if the paperwork was clearly wrong. Seems that kind of evidence, and the decision, should have been very easy to make.
By the way - I have NOT see any report from any news source yesterday or today that reports the Agent acted in an arrogant, argumentative, etc. manner. If anyone has such a report why don't you post a link (or just give us the URL in plain typing). Methinks there is some story "creeping" going on here ( as in 'scope creep').
ps - I too think the posting "against" The Guvnor is way over the top. This is not Jet Blast last I looked. I think ANY such posting of that type needs to be somewhere else. I thought this was a "professional" forum which implies a certain level of decorum. Am I wrong?
dAAvid -