Jay Leno a few moments ago.

Marshals have been found to have been drinking etc. etc while on duty. And (more than one implied) have lost their weapons. Drugs were mentioned, but due to the nature of the program, I don't know how seriously. They got suspended on pay. As Mr Leno commented, isn't that called a vacation

Let´s bring back the dreaded toenail-clippers. I´ll tackle them bit by bit with that!
:p

Why are cargo pilots being allowed to carry guns as part of the Federal Flight Deck Officer programme. As my employer has the reinforced cockpit doors and still refuses to allow its employees to jumpseat, why do they need guns?? To protect them from each other or in case an express package shows "attitude"? Sorry to sound a little sarcastic but i have already read two reports of the gun being in places it shouldn't be at block-in. (Both during a block-turn back for mx). Dont get me wrong, pax jets maybe but freighters with no jumpseaters...the mind boggles.

Very sadly it appears that the point is being made very bloodily in Russia. Two aircraft, an incident in Moscow and now the school massacre . There were guns on the scene pretty soon after the last horror show started but when you have zealots who are determined to make a final exit and take as many others with them as they can there is not a lot that can be done. With fanatics such as are roaming around now it is going to be difficult whatever measure are taken. It appears that we may have to give up some personal freedoms that were taken for granted, the security is going to become tighter and it is going to inconvenience and upset many, but it appears the other side is taking no prisoners.

Sick Squid

I was simply curious as to what the status was; as a non-airline pilot, I wanted to know if firearms in the cockpit was widespread now, or not being done. I felt this thread was the place to ask, as opposed to starting a new thread and having them end up merged anyway.

The pprune homepage says "The forums are moderated by a team of over 60 volunteers who are involved in the business and have some speciality knowledge of the subject area their forum covers. Our aim is to keep the content relevant and to stop the few troublemakers who are unable to learn 'netiquette' from turning some threads into flame wars."

I did not offer any hostile words or opinions (i.e. "flame war"), but merely had an interest in a very "relevant" aviation topic. Just because you are tired of a topic should not prevent others from having discussions. That is the whole purpose of pprune.

If being a moderator is too laborious, then stop moderating, but don't bite my head off for asking a question - that is NOT what a moderator is for.

Weapons - but not of Mass Destruction
 

I think we are all getting a little paranoid about guns!!

Since the Dumblane affair, Mister Blair and his sorry excuse for a government "knee jerked" and passed laws banning most law abiding citizens from owning or posseing handguns.

Has this reduced the number of "firearms offences" in the UK?

Answer - NO.

Has it reduced the number of legally and responibly held firearms and taken away the "right" of a citizen to protect himself?

Answer - YES

Can the police protect "Mr Average" ?

Answer - unlikely as they spend most of their time in cars or doing paperwork whilst the Liberal and completely out of touch judiciary release most of the offenders back onto the streets.

FACT - There are more firearms crimes committed now than ever before in UK, criminals/terrorists have no problem obtaining weapons and they routinely carry and are willing to use them.

At least if, as a pilot, I was given proper training and a weapon perhaps, just perhaps I would have a chance to save my crew, my passengers and my aircraft. Otherwise why don't we just "Roll Over" and let evil have it's way.

As a final point, whilst in the military I flew on operations with a loaded automatic in a shoulder holster both in Europe and in the Middle East and no! suprise surprise I never shot myself, my co-pilot my loadmaster nor any passengers either intentionally or by mistake!!

Drastic times require drastic action!

armed pilots on board.
 

sky news article 15/12/2004:




http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...264601,00.html



:)

darrylj -you may wish to look at a number of other threads on this topic and I am expecting this post to be merged with one of them. Here's one that ran a bit!

To answer your question...........

It is fairly widespread, and the program has been going for over 18 months now. Lots of FFDOs carrying guns, with more being trained every day, with NO problems whatsoever, just as I've predicted. ;)