heloplt....
Don't get me wrong, armed skymarshals ARE going to be a fact of life for commercial aviation. I just think that ALOT more needs to be done on the ground. I work at a major International airport and I see on a daily basis the level of security .....AND IT SUCKS!
In the last three days, I've had to submitt to having my vehicle searched, my body frisked, my lunch box searched and periodic spot checks in the terminal by RCMP. I don't mind this. It's about time. And the flying public will also have to subject to this type of treatment, even more rigidly.
I just don't think that having weapons on A/C is a good Idea. Cost to airlines as mentioned on a previous post is a factor. How many skymarshal crews must be assembled?
Do they get involved in cases of air rage and drunk passengers? Where is the line drawn for when they are to get involved?
They then become more of a "SKY COP". Should they carry a ticket book and hand out fines?
Obviously they will be on-board A/C from now on, but alot of questions need to be answered, and procedures need to be thought out? I do know they have been used before so maybe the rules and regulations have already been drawn up.
By the way...I don't think mail carriers carried handguns for fear of hijacking. They would have been used more for shooting animals for food if the Bi-plane went down in unpopulated back-country in the early 20's and 30's.
And yea pal....I do get real. Every day at work, keeping aircraft in the air. I see lot's of faces in those windows, and this act of terrorism really hits home. It hits all of us in this industry.
This world changed on Tuesday morning, and it will take a long, long time for a level of normality to return to our lives.