Captain sable,
The post was so lacking in common knowledge of how things are done in the cockpit (IE one flies the plane, and one carries out the EP) that I think it was a fair question. I wasn't attempting to play the player, just point out that the post was unfair and slanted. I felt that assuming Captain Claret is a pilot (and I assume that he is) the he simply typed something designed to get a response and that it was knowingly false or overly simplistic. I should have just said so, Mea Culpa.
Captain Claret,
Very few people would remain unfazed if an engine blew up on the wing. The difference is that PROFESSIONAL PILOTS train for it so that they aren't unfazed when it happens. The same thing would be done with the arming of pilots. You don't introduce ANYTHING into an airline envirnment without procedures and training and proving runs... We are nitpicking procedures that would be implemented, but my guess would be that as one person unstraps and heads towards the door to be ready to fire in response to the assault on the door, the other pilot would make sure the aircraft was on autopilot to minimize the effect of flinching...
Manuevering the aircraft to put the pax off balance is an extremely dangerous idea, far more dangerous than firing a properly trained and loaded firearm at a short distance. You should take a look at the injury patterns through out the aircraft during upsets. You will hardly spill the drinks in the front while you are turning all the people in the back of the aircraft to strawberry Jam. Furthermore, the aircraft is not tough, just ask my two friends Ed States and Sten Molin who died at the controlls of AA flight 587. The FDR readout did not have much violence at all BEFORE the tail departed the aircraft. Not to mention the effects of 400 pound drink carts landing on babies etc...
If you were properly trained with a firearm, you would have a far greater chance of resolving the situation without injuring your passengers (Who would most definately sue)... Is it fair to kill 20 or 30 people in the back of your jet because you are squeamish? Or take sidewinder and lose the whole aircraft?
Yes the USA has gun deaths. So do Germany, the UK and everywhere else. IF you can't honestly trust the people you are flying with to use a firearm in a resposible manner with proper training and supervision, you better not climb into an airplane with them at all. And this is most certainly a fair statement in view of EGYPT Air 990 and Silk Air.
Cheers
Wino
Last edited by Wino; 24th May 2002 at 04:23.