It would be a personal observation and complete guess, but I believe the ratio of ex-service airline pilots may well be higher in the US than in most other countries. These individuals are weapon trained, and probably not averse to using them in a reasonably competant manner. The culture and gun laws in the country also ensures that many more who are civilians probably own and are completely familiar with handguns and why they will probably be most receptive to the idea. I acknowledge the fact that many however do not.
All airline pilots however should by now be aware that they may well be obliged to take casualties aft of the armoured door in the event of another hijacking by terrorists in order to prevent the taking of their plane for the use in an even larger atrocity. The liklehood of suicide terrorists using acts of extreme violence to coerce the crew into co-operating is 100%. They have no compunction in killing that is their aim and the sooner everybody realises it the safer we will all be. The various governments have already taken the step of instituting shoot down policies, in acknowledgement of this new reality.
Your hostesses and cabin crew will be the first target, they are fellow crew members, known to the pilots and the threat of their death will be most effective in attempted coercion. Hijackers of this type have been trained to maximise shock and terror, it is among their arsenel of weapons and they want to incapacitate the pax numb them into inaction. Violent and bloody death will have that effect.
Low velocity rounds tailored for maximum tissue damage and minimum chance of puncturing the pressure vessel will probably be rounds of choice for cockpit weapons. The weapon may well be of a breakdown type with the Captain carring an essential portion such as a smart trigger componant mached to him, ie not his hand on the weapon it doesn't fire. It will probably be in a secure safe in the cockpit. The Captain already posseses the means to kill everybody on board he doesn't need a weapon to do it for the psyco/gung ho/cowboy thought crowd
Whether we like it or not the phenomenon of terrorist action in the air has escalated. These killers actively train how to best achieve their aim, they are looking for the weak spots in society's armour. They will exploit any chinks and are totaly ruthless. We have had warning after warning. Example after example. There should be little doubt in anybodies mind that these people can, and will, strike again. They are in well used words 'armed and dangerous'. It is here, it is now, and we would be well advised to take a good hard realistic look at our options. Not every hijacking will be of this type, however there should be a realistic acknowlegement of it's possibility
The passengers on the flight that attempted to overcome the 9/11 terrorist hijackers were armed with nothing but their will to try to do something with their bare hands, it wasn't enough. But they in the last few minutes had realised that they were going to die anyway. The hijacking and crash of the Ethiopean 757 was well prior to 9/11 and the pilot crash landed while being phsicaly attacked. There is a strong likelehood of repeat attempts including the potentialy more difficult to control scenarion of SA shoulder mounted missiles and which no pistol aboard will help, but even thateventuality is already being assessed by the US government. The cost is horrendous the alternative is cessation of air travel. There is already a multiple airline ban on airtravel to Kenya for this very reason. It is here it is happeneing now
There are so many things about a flight upon which our lives already depend, I for one, do not think that the introduction of a properly supervised, suitable new technology self defensive weapon, to the cockpit crew, with some training and proper procedures, can do anything but be a small layer of additional protection to this new menace we face on a worldwide basis.