Are home computer flight sims too real?
Hi JoshuaCT,
Having followed this thread I'm prompted to say that my personal perception of the terrorist threat around commercial airliners is that such aircraft are at greater risk of being brought down by shoulder-launched SAM than being hi-jacked and used as on 9/11 - at least in nations where commercial airport security is good.
The US Department of Homeland Security is reported to have been tasked with preparing a plan detailing whether and how missile countermeasures and protection systems can be developed for fitment to airliners and warnings on sites including DUATS now emphasize GA aircraft over airliners. As the DUATS warning states: "Terrorists who are no longer able to hijack commercial airliners because of increased security at commercial airports may turn to GA airports and aircraft to conduct operations." I hope anti-GA people note the word 'may', incidentally.
Perhaps a more valid question is whether PC-based simulation software could help a terrorist gain knowledge needed to acquire and use a light GA aircraft for malicious purposes rather than whether such software could contribute to terrorist use of a hi-jacked commercial airliner.
My suspicion and hope is that even if simulation software could help terrorists, its contribution would be minor and that, in any event, GA aircraft are probably considered too small by terrorists to have real shock value.
I'm sure that any terrorist focused on evil would be willing to use any and all sources and methods available and be backed by considerable funds allowing the purhcase of far more than PC-based software to support objectives -- assuming that those objectives even involved aircraft instead of, for example, a 'dirty' radiological bomb using stolen cesium or cobalt that would cause long-term contamination in a city and perhaps even force abandonment of the area hit.