Critics Blast Program; Fewer Than 100 Pilots Armed

Airports in the US and around the world are on high alert, watching for terrorists who might try another 9-11 style series of attacks using hijacked passenger aircraft as guided missiles. The TSA recently admitted it had been pulling Air Marshals off cross-country and international flights because it was just too darned expensive to put them up in out of town hotels. What, then, might stand between hijacking terrorists and an aircraft's safety? The pilot, you say? The one armed with a handgun? Well, yeah, but chances are, he's not armed at all.

Foot-Dragging?

The first 44 officers to be certified able and willing to bring guns into the cockpit for protection were designated "flight deck officers" (as in law enforcement officers) back in April.  Since then, fewer than 70 additional pilots have been certified to carry weapons onboard.

"Between the air marshals and the federal flight deck officer force, we should cover a vast majority of the domestic flights," said Capt. Bob Lambert, president of the Airline Pilots' Security Alliance. "It just seems like we haven't learned very much from Sept. 11." The APA was strongly instrumental in lobbying for armed pilots during 2002.

Rep. John Mica, R-(FL), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on aviation, said he's angry that the TSA is moving at "a snail's pace. You can't imagine my frustration," he said. "This should be a quick orientation."

Not.

Even though hundreds of pilots are standing by to be weapons-certified, they're in a holding pattern that's lasted more than three months. They've passed their background checks and psychological screenings. But critics in Congress says the TSA, already in hot water over a critical $900 million budget shortfall has become too bloated too fast and just isn't able to respond to lawmakers' queries over delays in arming pilots. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), a sponsor of the bill to arm pilots, accuses the TSA of dragging its feet because it didn't want pilots to carry guns in the first place.

Now, pilots are reportedly lobbying for the entire flight deck officer program to be taken away from the TSA and given to another federal agency -- preferably the FBI -- for oversight and supervision.

FMI: www.alliedpilots.org