Air Gun Home :: View topic - Obama secretly ends program that let pilots carry guns...

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
After the September 11 attacks, commercial airline pilots were allowed to carry guns if they completed a federal-safety program. No longer would unarmed pilots be defenseless as remorseless hijackers seized control of aircraft and rammed them into buildings.

Now President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology.

The Obama administration this past week diverted some $2 million from the pilot training program to hire more supervisory staff, who will engage in field inspections of pilots.

This looks like completely unnecessary harassment of the pilots. The 12,000 Federal Flight Deck Officers, the pilots who have been approved to carry guns, are reported to have the best behavior of any federal law enforcement agency. There are no cases where any of them has improperly brandished or used a gun. There are just a few cases where officers have improperly used their IDs.

Fewer than one percent of the officers have any administrative actions brought against them and, we are told, virtually all of those cases “are trumped up.”

Take a case against one flight officer who had visited the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles within the last few weeks. While there, the pilot noticed that federal law enforcement officers can, with the approval of a superior, obtain a license plate that cannot be traced, a key safety feature for law enforcement personnel. So the pilot asked if, as a member of the federal program, he was eligible. The DMV staffer checked and said “no.” The next day administrative actions were brought against the pilot for “misrepresenting himself.” These are the kinds of cases that President Obama wants to investigate.

Since Mr. Obama's election, pilots have told us that the approval process for letting pilots carry guns on planes slowed significantly. Last week the problem went from bad to worse. Federal Flight Deck Officers - the pilots who have been approved to carry guns - indicate that the approval process has stalled out.

Pilots cannot openly speak about the changing policies for fear of retaliation from the Transportation Security Administration. Pilots who act in any way that causes a “loss of confidence” in the armed pilot program risk criminal prosecution as well as their removal from the program. Despite these threats, pilots in the Federal Flight Deck Officers program have raised real concerns in multiple interviews.

Arming pilots after Sept. 11 was nothing new. Until the early 1960s, American commercial passenger pilots on any flight carrying U.S. mail were required to carry handguns. Indeed, U.S. pilots were still allowed to carry guns until as recently as 1987. There are no records that any of these pilots (either military or commercial) ever causing any significant problems.

Screening of airplane passengers is hardly perfect. While armed marshals are helpful, the program covers less than 3 percent of the flights out of Washington D.C.'s three airports and even fewer across the country. Sky marshals are costly and quit more often than other law-enforcement officers.

Armed pilots are a cost-effective backup layer of security. Terrorists can only enter the cockpit through one narrow entrance, and armed pilots have some time to prepare themselves as hijackers penetrate the strengthened cockpit doors. With pilots, we have people who are willing to take on the burden of protecting the planes for free. About 70 percent of the pilots at major American carriers have military backgrounds.

Frankly, as a matter of pure politics, we cannot understand what the administration is thinking. Nearly 40 House Democrats are in districts were the NRA is more popular than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. We can't find any independent poll in which the public is demanding that pilots disarm. Why does this move make sense?

Only anti-gun extremists and terrorist recruits are worried about armed pilots. So why is the Obama administration catering to this tiny lobby at the expense of public safety?

billandbeaufort · Senior Member

UMMMM because he is an extreemist himself? His buddy William Aires is a self proclaimed terrorist who bombed buildings in Washington D.C. and a Police headquarters in N.Y.C. and he dedicated one of his books to Sirhan Sirhan the killer of Bobby Kennedy! Rev. Right who married Barack and michele Obama is the leader of a Black Theology church and damned america in his sermon! One of Baracks good friends in Chicago was a member of the Black Panther Organization. He spent summer vacations from college in Pakistan (oh yeah! spring break in Islamabad this year LOL) You are surprized that this far left Marxist with ties to Islam is making it easier for his people to destroy our country? No surprize here! Why is he making soldiers pay thier own health costs after being wounded in Iraq? Why is he spending all our money, all our children's money and all thier childrens money, to the point that even far left socialists in congress are rebelling against him. He can and will certainly try to destroy our country in the next 4 years! Only a dramatic shift to the republican side in 2010 elections for congress can slow him down. I just sent a contribution to a republican running for a Senate seat in 2010 and by the way he is a conservative black man from Florida. Want the same restrictions on AIRGUNS that they have in England, just do nothing, don't vote, that is what he wants you to do. Then have some coolaid and watch what transpires! Smiley War

thepaladin · Senior Member

He's also just "vowed" to some of his more "radical" supporters to bring back the "so called" assault weapons ban. Since assault weapons are already illeagle (any full auto) tis refers to cosmetic looks that make a rifle look like it's military. Probably any AR type rifle.

Looks like our friends who ran out and started buying guns and ammo right after the election may have had the right idea.

sniper · Silver Status Member

!

yourdaddyjoe · Supporting Member

Can we ban "Guns being carried by Secret Service in and around the White House"?

Think about it... Have we had any major airline incidents with the Air Marshals and the Pilots packing?

Our biggest "threat" to freedom in America is sitting in the White House Oval Office...

TONBON · Veteran Member

yea, this gun control binge O'presidenta is on will go over over like prohibition. it won't happen here like in England or Austrailia. not in the same way. "i sold mine at a gun show years ago".
so who's goin' to the million gun march next year with the family?
Can't carry in D.C. though.
and the promotors of this event are specificly asking no one break the law and carry anyway.
i'm think i'm gonna go. my sister lives about 1 hour away. i can make it day trip.
AND THIS IS FOR O'SLAMMA YO MAMA
Faq-U

sniper · Silver Status Member

million gun march??????????????????????

yes joe. think about it................ my burners are because i could!! not because i ever use them!!!! i knew, one day in CA... no more Faq-U

. now i'm a registered "sex offender", um i mean "assult gun" owner x=whatever.... doj forms, finger prints, notary... yay I'M FREE!!! mom bought me my first AK when i was 18. thanks mom!!

i can dump 250rounds from my AK-47 and only reload twice!! i won't say how much armor piercing .308 ammo i bought when you could still get it!! Faq-U

public enemy number one!!!!

good thread!!!!!!!!!!

sniper · Silver Status Member

[quote="TONBON"]yea, this gun control binge O'presidenta is on will go over over like prohibition. it won't happen here like in England or Austrailia. not in the same way. ]

hope you're right. i have the audacity of hope.it is in the constitution somewhere........ i think........ isn't it????????? Rolling Eyes

billandbeaufort · Senior Member

[quote="sniper"]

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

I'd be just thrilled to know that my pilot could start firing a gun back into the passenger compartment to repel attackers that came from the same direction I was sitting.

sniper · Silver Status Member

buzz killer Razz

.

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

Oh, sorry. YEah, yeah...Obama is bad. Guns are good. Go Republicans. Wohooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thepaladin · Senior Member

Yes Roger it's much more comforting to know that only the hijackers managed to sneak weapons on the plane, you know like those passengers in NJ. Smile

It's the same constution that says a sitting senator or congress-person can't accept a cabnet seat to.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

TONBON · Veteran Member

if you go to "million gun march" they have a website.
they are planning a copy of all the other million whatever marches that thev'e had in the past.
except this time it's for us. gun owners.
i forget the date, but it's next spring. right before a round of elections.
not presidental elections.
i don't normaly get into being all political. but i like shootin'.
Mr. Green