Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Those of us who get to experience the day-to-day operations of civilian airline piloting, and managing the myriad of decisions that can take place at the gate, long before an engine is started, I say, welcome to the discussion.
Those of you with an armchair view and intelligent observations, welcome.
As for those with strong opinions and no background, “opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one”.
Many times I have seen multiples of ground support staff, clamouring into the flight deck with sketchy information in relation to whatever their ground duty is, asking for your OK on some issue so they can escape to another flight or be able to write “on time” for their particular function.
This example is from one stop:
Voice 1 “We require the aircraft off the gate in 15 minutes for an inbound flight”
Voice 2 “We’ve discovered a maintenance problem and will require an extra 20 minutes to do the paperwork and apply the M.E.L.”
Flight Crew: The M.E.L. states a performance penalty, call for new flight plans, get the fuel truck back here, call the Duty Manager and tell them we can’t get off the gate in 15 minutes.
Voice 3: “New flight plans are here with a revised routing as well.”
Flight Crew: Re-enter the route, check the charts, en-route alternates….
Voice 4: “Here’s your weight and balance, oh its wrong, we didn’t include the new fuel figures, I’ll be back in 10 with a new one. You’ll fix it? Thanks guys/gals.
Voice5: There’s an armed LEO coming on board, here’s his paperwork”.
Flight Crew: Get the ops manual out, double check requirements for carrying armed LEO. Lets see…. Paperwork doesn’t jive do you concur?
Voice 2: Here’s your MEL paper work.
Voice 1: We need this aircraft off the gate ASAP!
Flight Crew: Double check all MEL paper work…
Voice 5: What’s wrong with the LEO’s paperwork? Can’t you fix it?
Flight Deck: Let me talk to the LEO.
LEO: Hi!
Flight Deck: Welcome aboard, here’s our problem, why the discrepancy?
LEO: My apologies, what do I need to rectify the problem.
Flight Deck: We can’t afford to further delay this flight. If you will check your weapon we can be out of here in minutes.
LEO: OK, thanks for your time.
In conclusion to my long winded story:
The only armed person(s) on board an aircraft, especially in the wake of 9/11 are on duty sky marshals and special occasions where armed protection is required in the course of duty during the flight, and these personnel are trained and certified to operate within the confines of a pressurized vessel and issued the appropriate ammunition.
If you can’t trust a pilot with a gun, but Bubba from Agriculture Inspection etc is OK, it doesn’t say much for our profession…
But hey, that’s my opinion…and it counts. Because at the end of the day I am legally accountable and responsible for the ultimate safe conduct of the flight, and that folks, I take seriously. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">