Thousands of Pilots Won't Fly Armed, Blame TSA

[noPEACEwithoutJUSTICE]

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Thousands of Pilots Won't Fly Armed, Blame TSA</span></span>
By Jeff Johnson
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
January 15, 2004

(CNSNews.com) - The federal agency charged with providing security for U.S. airlines, and the airlines themselves are intentionally sabotaging the congressionally-mandated program to train and certify pilots who volunteer to carry guns in the cockpit, according to supporters of the program who claim tens of thousands of pilots have opted out s a result.

Pilots with knowledge of the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO), or &quot;armed pilots&quot; program tell CNSNews.com that the manner in which the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires FFDOs to carry their weapons not only discourages participation, but also renders them defenseless against potential terrorist attacks when they are most vulnerable. The pilots also complain that TSA has issued a &quot;thinly veiled threat&quot; to disclose personal information discovered during background investigations and subjective results of psychological evaluations in an attempt to further discourage pilots from volunteering for the program.

The U.S. House passed the Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act by a vote of 310 to 113 in July of 2002. The proposal became law Nov. 22, 2002, as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002

An FFDO, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told CNSNews.com in an exclusive interview that the TSA is &quot;not pursuing [the armed pilots program] with any sense of urgency.&quot;

&quot;The TSA has designed the program to deter participation and they're being successful,&quot; the FFDO said. &quot;The program should be a large program so that it can be an effective deterrent and, because it is not as large as it should be, it is not the deterrent that it should be.&quot;


Rest here (http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewNation.asp?Page= \Nation\archive\2004 01\NAT20040115c.html )


You're not going to BELIEVE this one....*

Quote[/b] ]&quot;Federal Flight Deck Operators go down to pick up the gun from a trip and it's already whisked off to baggage claim,&quot; Roberts explained. &quot;It happens several times a day, more than once.

&quot;Pilots go down to get the gun and the baggage handlers have already been in the belly [and] unloaded it and the gun is on its way to baggage claim,&quot; Roberts elaborated. &quot;The FFDOs then have to get back up into the airplane, go down out of the terminal, down to baggage claim and hopefully find their gun on the carousel.&quot;

If common sense were only common.

http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/eh.gif

[noPEACEwithoutJUSTICE]

Question:

If a pilot's background check and subsequent psychological evaluation may disqualify him from carrying a gun in the FFDO program, WHAT psychological standard is required to fly the airplane???

Is the requirement substantially less than what is required to carry a hand gun?

<span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>Why?</span>

[lpara]

<span style='font-family:comic sans ms'>Isn't it infuriating that even though they've passed the law, they still have so many ploys to keep them from &quot;carrying.&quot; http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/shake.gif

Good questions, NPWJ and it reminds me why I don't fly unless it's demanded of me by my hubs http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif</span>

[noPEACEwithoutJUSTICE]

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>This baby is a Three-Parter!</span>

Read Part 2 (http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewNation.asp?Page= \Nation\archive\2004 01\NAT20040115b.html )

Read Part 3 (http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewNation.asp?Page= \Nation\archive\2004 01\NAT20040115a.html )


I heard the TSA announced yesterday that airport screeners were going to allow people a SECOND CHANCE through the metal detector!!

Wow.

They're really on top of the problem, aren't they.

[USMC vet]

Maybe things will change now that a retired admiral is at the helm since Dec. *If you look at the TSA web page, you can see that at least two of the officers are lawyers, one of whom was a fellow at the Brookings Institute (isnt that a liberal think tank?). With both Ridge and Minetta along with some misinformed or just plain anti-2nd Amendment congressmen, is is any wonder that the pilots are unarmed and fearful for their jobs if they persue FFDO? *

More interfering bureaucrats under control of the executive branch of government.

[bestdayever]

The FFDO program has not been embraced by most pilots because if during the extensive pyscological exam, the examiner (and of course these are all individual pschologists hired by TSA) finds anything or suspects that the individual could have any unusual attributes, he or she could lose their flight physical which would of course put them out of work.

Airline pilots undergo extensive medical and pyschological examinations prior to being hired.
Additionally, airline pilots are the most regulated and scrutinized profession in the world. Medical exams each 6 months, flight check exams each 6 months, random cockpit checks in flight by FAA, and of course every word they say in the cockpit is recorded as well as a constant recording of how they fly the airplane.

It is interesting to note, that prior to the mid 70's, many of us old timers used to carry weapons in the cockpit as a deterent because of all the hijackings in those days. Of course, most of those were nut cases who just wanted to make headlines while flying to Cuba.
Then (I can not remember the dates anymore) mid to late 70's a disgruntled PSA employee (not a pilot BTW) stormed the cockpit and shot both pilots dead. That was when the security checks began. Of course, pilots were not allowed to carry weapons after that.
Hope that helps some of you understand why the pilots do not like the program.
Thanks for listening.


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[buffpilot80]

Psychological examinations administered by a profession who believe that guns kill people, not other people and now have the power to unemploy someone who wants to carry (in their opinion) an illegal weapon. Gee, I can't understand why every pilot isn't lined up to get a gun.

I had three ex-military cops that tried to get hired by the TSA. They were turned down. The two other friends that were hired had previous experience bussing tables and working as a flagman on a construction crew.

I don't fly anymore either.

[USMC vet]

Quote[/b] ]I don't fly anymore either

Really. Me either and I used to be a Delta Gold Medallion, annually. No that's not analy. Course, these days, who knows with the searches and all.

[TXN4EVER]

Sometimes you have to wonder.Who is the biggest threat to this country.The terrorists or our own government? http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[ebonyelephant]

I believe that this current situation is one more example of how the Washington Bureaucracy asserts its unlawful authority by overruling decisions made by Our duly elected leaders. *I find this appalling but not surprising; I have and will continue to write my representatives about it. I encourage others to do likewise.

The Federal employee mentality of &quot;we'll be here after you're gone&quot; has to be dealt with and its arrogant authoritarian policies undermined. The aforementioned problem is the same situation that has resulted in a do nothing, codify dictators and offend no one except Americans US State Department.

[noPEACEwithoutJUSTICE]

Here's the letter sent to the TSA regarding their non-compliance with Federal legislation and TSA's official response:

Letter to TSA:

Quote[/b] ]To Acting Administrator David M. Stone:

Although the Transportation Security Administration admittedly doesn't want to arm pilots, your federal agency is wrong -- perhaps even treasonous -- to purposefully shoot down this deter rant to terrorism.

Evidence is obvious that the TSA is intentionally sabotaging the congressionally mandated program to train and certify pilots who volunteer to carry guns in the cockpit. For the safety of America, stop all intimidation tactics that drastically have thinned out roughly 90 percent of the nearly 40,000 certified pilots who initially signed up to become armed Federal Flight Deck Officers.

Evidence is obvious the TSA wants pilots to either fail or lose interest in the FFDO program. Your anti-gun viewpoint is forcing pilots to run a gauntlet of screening, background investigation, psychological testing and psychological interviews far more intrusive than anything Federal Air Marshals experience. Worse, your agency maintains a thinly veiled threat that pilots could find they are not only out of the program, but out of a job through no fault of their own. And the TSA purposefully has made regulations for handling the guns far too cumbersome, causing many pilots not want to participate due to all the effort required to carry a firearm.

Drop your objections to guns in cockpits, overhaul your program and properly carry out the &quot;Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act&quot; as obligated. Stop your efforts to scare off a lot of really good people who would like to participate in this program and do the right thing.

Redesign the FFDO training and certification program so it's similar to what has worked in 36 states. Using the best features from those concealed carry laws would greatly increase pilot participation and quickly provide a deterrent to terrorism.

It makes sense to mandate that pilots who successfully pass a detailed background check and satisfactorily complete the training should be issued FFDO credentials by the TSA. So act now before more time is wasted by your misguided tactics, knowing copies of this petition also went to the White House and my Congressmen.

Sincerely,
[noPEACE]


And here's their response I received today via email:


Quote[/b] ]Thank you for your e-mail regarding the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program. From the moment this important and unprecedented aviation security initiative was signed into law, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has worked diligently to establish a program that is effective, safe, and consistent with the mandate set by Congress. *This mandate is to &quot;deputize volunteer pilots ... as Federal law enforcement officers to defend the flight decks of aircraft of such carriers against acts of criminal violence or air piracy.&quot; *Now, less than a year after the program's implementation, large numbers of armed pilots fly missions every day, fully prepared to defend against such threats. *There are many more pilots being deputized every week. *Also, the use of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center at Artesia, N.M., has enabled TSA to double the number of pilots being trained. *

Contrary to certain opinions and beliefs expressed in the media, TSA has not discouraged pilot participation in the FFDO program. *TSA designed standard operating procedures that ensure participation by *volunteer pilots who are fully qualified to carry out the duties of an FFDO. *This reflects the agency's public responsibility to do everything possible to prepare pilots to capably respond to a critical incident onboard an aircraft. *To meet this extremely high threshold, decisions that were made on matters such as the application and selection process, always required careful deliberation of the issues, detailed consultations with pilots, the airline industry, and experts in the fields of law enforcement and aviation security, and a thorough assessment of the requirements of the law.

Finally, TSA is fully committed to working with pilots to ensure the most effective program possible and is open to changes in training and security procedures. *However, such changes will only be made when supported by experience, informed judgment, and sound discretion, with the safety and security of the flying public always in the forefront. We will continue to work in this manner in order to deliver safer skies over America.

Again, thank you for taking the time to express your concerns about transportation security and the Federal Flight Deck Officer Program.

TSA Contact Center


The irony is that, in a CNS Exclusive, they've sent an email threatening pilots who speak to their Congressman about the TSA's implementation of the FFDO program...

Here's the article: Exclusive: TSA's Email Threat &quot;Last Straw&quot; for Congressman (http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page= /Nation/archive/200401/NAT20040126b.html)