Reagan Airport figured out.

[Hippie]

If it is suppose to be so safe to fly why hasnt this airport reopened? Recent news say it will open next week. My bet is they are trying to get at least 3 or 4 Skymarshalls on every flight coming and going before it opens. There are so few marshals now they just cant do it. Bottom line they want to protect the capital at all cost, but oppose pilots with guns.
The opposition to pilots or crew being armed is ludricrus as well. Now the pilots cant use deadly force to maintain control of the aircraft. But jets can shoot em down and kill em all...stupid logic. I heard em today talking about perhaps giving them stun guns. The same arguments against firearms really apply to stun guns as well. So much for intelligence in government. I wont fly again unless the pilots are armed.

 

[ajaxinacan]

As I posted on another board, I am not a lawyer, but:

I am an aviation professional, and I know of no FAR (Federal Air Regulation) that prevents the pilot of an aircraft being armed. I think many people assume that is the case, but I sincerely belive it is not. I spend a lot of time buried in the FARs as part of my job, and I have never encountered one that dealt with the issue.

That said, I think a commercial pilot would be governed by his employer, and a private pilot could be armed at his discretion. Whether or not local law would apply on interstate air travel is an issue that has probably not been tested in court.

So, don't let anyone tell you that the FARs, or more generally, the FAA prohibits pilots from being armed. That is not the case in law, as far as this non-lawyer aircraft fixer knows.

 

[C.R.Sam]

I think Ajax is right.

Sam.....ex airline driver.

 

[sw627pc]

Actually, the law allows commercial flight crews to be armed, with certain requirements (14 Code of Federal Regulations section 108.11) . Problem is no one ever put the "qualification" requirements in writing, or established any method for same. (sound familiar?) And recently, just before Sep. 11, the updated regs being proposed removed this authority.

 

[Mike in VA]

There is no 'safe' way to re-open National Airport.

I have been in and out of National Airport a lot. The usual approaches follow the Potomac either from the north or the south, and in the course of any particular approach, you are literally seconds, not minutes, but seconds from the White House or the Capitol, the Smnithsonian, Pentagon, etc (can you say 'target rich environment'?).

All a terrorist has to do is appear to be making a normal approach and then make a hard turn or two about a mile out and crash into the target of choice. Even if you could identify the threat in time to do something aobut it, where are you going to drop it? Georgetown? Old Town Alexandria? Roslyn? SE? Regardless, as we have all seen too tragically, it's going to make a hell of a mess. No joy.

There is no good answer aside from making real sure no one takes over a plane to begin with. That being said, i have no problem with arming pilots who are properly trained. Many commercial pilots have had military training, the nature of the job requires a cool head & an analytical mind, and it just makes sense to have an additional line of defense.

Bottom line in my mind, is we either accept the risk or we let the bastards put/keep us up a tree. I say open it, manage the risk as best we can, and lets get back to business and living our lives.

Like NYC, DC is a tourist town and it's hurting big time, don't be afraid to come & enjoy, there's lots of cool stuff to see& do here.

 

[labgrade]

Serious question ...

Do flight crews have to go through the security check points, i.e. metal detectors?

 

[TheBluesMan]

Why is it taking so long to re-open Reagan National?

Because it takes this much time to install so many anti-aircraft batteries at strategic locations throughtout D.C.

Strange idea, I know. But possible...

 

[Art Eatman]

A few days after 9-11, I saw a news squib in a link from World Net Daily: An FAA spokesman stated pilots would no longer be allowed to be armed, effective November 1.

Since then, there has been a lot of the usual "For armed pilots" and "Against armed pilots"; let's don't go beatin' on that dead horse.

Rep. Barr, I believe--or maybe Rep. Paul--introduced a bill in Congress to allow pilots to be armed.

labgrade, I've seen flight crews go through the ding-dong machine, but I've never seen them bothered about any "Ding!"-ing. Dunno if that will change.

I've read of one stew and two pilots who refused to take their flights because of a total absence of any security check of themselves. Even after 9-11, folks tend to think of anybody in a uniform as a Good Guy.

Damfino,

Art

 

[org]

Crews and metal detectors

Labgrade: Yes crews do go through the metal detectors. They are also subject to bag searches, depending on how the security person gets his/her jollies.

Interestingly, though, before the WTC many bag handlers and mechanics didn't go through metal detectors.