Do you think airline pilots should be armed?

Question

I think they should for their protection, but that is why they have air marshalls, etc, but for their own safety, in case there are no air marshalls and/or armed uniform personnel aboard

Answer 1

Yes.  They are trained to do nothing but protect the cockpit and not venture out to engage passengers outside of the cockpit.  There training is specific and intense and they are required to requalify every 6 months.  Pilots who graduate from FLETC(Federal Law Enforcemnt Training Center) have been screened, evaluated and trained to perform their duties.  9/11 would have had a different outcome if the pilots were armed.

Answer 2

No, because there are too many terrorists out there.  They spent many years in the U.S. preparing and training before they carried out 911.  If one gets a job as an airline pilot and pilots are allowed to have guns, I think the rest is self-explanatory.  Although it probably wouldn't hurt for pilots to carry a taser or mace.

Answer 3

Well of course!  you can't fly a plane with your feet!

Answer 4

no i do not. no guns should be given to the pilots

pilots have one specific job and that is to fly the aircraft.

actually they aren't even responsible for the passengers safety. only to fly safely.

even if carried in self defense, guns are not of much use to pilots. you need to be properly trained, not all pilots are prepared to do that, nobody really wants to carry a gun all the time, especially when sitting for 8 hours or more,

bullets around the cabin can't be good either.

also, guns do not recognize owners:

pilots are trained to fly, they are not trained in self-defense, or otherwise. they are effectively chained to their cockpits. they have the heavy responsibility of flying safely a multi million dollar aircraft, with a crapload of kerosene, multiple lives, by giving them guns, you are also giving would-be hijackers the weapons they need already aboard.

all the anti gun protection at airports just went down the drain

Answer 5

No, a pilot's job is to fly a plane, being armed does not ensure the safety of themselves, the crew or passengers. If there are hijackers on board, they probably wouldn't be armed due to tight security checks at airports. If they manage to get into the cockpit, they might snatch the pilot's weapon and use it against them instead. And even if a pilot manages to wield his weapon, there is a chance of him firing a ricochet bullet which might hit someone else or blow a hole in the plane.

Answer 6

Yes

But they do not serve the same purpose as the air marshall.  The air marshall protects the people, and the cabin.  

The Federal Flight Deck Officer protects the Flight Deck.  His weapon is not used to protect the passengers, or the Stewardesses, it is to protect the door to the cockpit.  

Recent events show that this is absolutely necessary.

Edit:

The gun has been in the flight deck for a LONG time, and flight crews are aware that it is not for the cabin.  All of the crew knows to never open or attempt to open the flight deck door without the captains permission.

Also, FFDOs are highly trained, and regularly trained on the use of their weapon, it isn't just handed out randomly.

The weapon is now necessary, considering the real threat.

Answer 7

It could happen in the future, but on the other hand now there is a gun on board... could make it easier for the terrorist.

Answer 8

Yes, there is a way that pilot's can be armed.  It is called the Federal Flight Deck.  They can get liscences to carry on semi automatic guns.

Answer 9

Yes I do beleive that they should be armed, and I also think its stupid that they have to go through security checkpoints too. Heck it they wanted to kill anynoe just cut the engines, or bleed the cabin air pressure, of push the nose down, or something. But yes I beleive they should be armed.

Answer 10

yes because of all the ******** extremists trying to terrorize us everyday, our pilots should have at least a shortened m4 carbine because who knows what will happen next. they need the best protection they can get (pilots).

Answer 11

Not some of the sychopaths I know who fly for the airlines.

Answer 12

Yes, I think we can trust pilots with guns, They go through so much just to get to where they are at. They dont have any perovous encounters with the law. And besides if they wanted to do harm, they would not use an ounce of lead, having those big things with wings and fuel under controll.

Answer 13

all pilots should be sumo wrestlers!

that'll sacre any terrorists away

Answer 14

A strong NO! I've got a couple of reasons for that.

1. A gun is not usefull on such a small distance. The fireaxe which is in the cockpit already is a better way to defend the cockpit. The only thing you do is bring a weapon on board that is only usefull to a hijacker.

2 Shooting a hole in an airplane causes a depressurisation (h**l, if you're gonna shoot at hijackers you're not gonna use rubber bullets are you?), causing an emergency descent to an altitude that is not fuel efficient, causing diverting because of not having enough fuel to reach the destination... +You gotta fix the plane, retest it... this costs money.

3 Lot's of pilots don't want to carry it. If I'm ever offered to take a gun in the cockpit I won't take it. I think it's not a structural solution for the problem. I think it is an added danger to flying the aircraft safely. Just make the door another 5 centimeters thicker and make the lock a bit better. Keeping the hijackers out lets us fly the airplane, and that's what we're for. Let the police forces take care of the hijacker.

Answer 15

Holes in the plane are a pretty small price to pay to keep someone from putting a big, plane sized hole in a building.  The arguments for no guns make no sense.  Yes, properly background checked, psych evaluated and trained pilots should and are able to carry weapons for possible cockpit breaches.

Answer 16

Yes, commercial airline pilots should be armed. The thing is you can't simply give them weapons, you need to properly train them how to use it, and train them with possible scenarios in which they will need to resort to using that weapon. This isn't necessarily for passenger protection, thats what air marshals are for. The purpose of arming commercial pilots is to prevent hijackings. So long as they are properly trained when and how to use it, i don't see a problem.

Answer 17

I think all pilots should be armed and trained in the proper use of firearms.

Answer 18

No.

First, a pilot is supposed to fly the plane, not shoot people.  What if it is simply a person on drugs or mentally unstable that is trying to take over the plane with a piece of sharp plastic?  Is that worth damaging the aircraft with stray bullets or killing other passengers in the cross fire.

Second, you hear about so many people in home invasions getting killed with their own weapons.  Now the terrorist with a box cutter has access to a gun and the passengers have no chance of subduing him.

The best defense is a locked reinforced cockpit door and a strict no access policy combined with passenger screening.  Let the pilots land the plane and the SWAT or commando teams do the job they've been trained to do.

I think even air marshals with guns in the passenger area is a stupid idea.