How can you be prepared to defend against terrorism in a plane that's in flight?

Question

I am mainly thinking of physically able males with this question, although others are welcome to chip in if they have something to offer.

I wonder since 9/11 if we're any more prepared against terrorism than we were then? Specifically, I'm talking about defending a plane, in flight, against a terrorist. What things can we do to be prepared? For those of us who would like to be in a 'proactive' role in a defensive situation, where should we sit. I would assume an aisle seat. Close to the cockpit door? What kind of fighting techniques work in the closed confines of an airplane? I would think straight leg kicks would be fairly effective, along with using food service carts to block or attack with. Based on the 'flight that fought back' over pennsylvania (i think) it appears that it is very necessary to launch a defensive attack rather quickly before the terrorist(s) can gain access to the cockpit or to try and remove them from the cockpit if they're already there.

Have any others given any thought to this? Do you prepare mentally for this when you fly now? Do you size people up on the plane and make notes of who could be a terrorist or who might present a physical threat?

I am not a believer in "hope everything works out o.k." or "there's nothing you can do, when it's your time it's your time" so don't bother answering with things of that nature. For the same reason I carry a gun with me nearly everywhere I go, I like to be prepared for anything.

What thoughts do you guys have on this matter?

Answer 1

I'm a former Flight Attendant so I've been through security training. Guarding the cockpit and trying to limit a terrorist's access to it was always priority, even before 9/11. Today, the cockpit doors are reinforced so there's even more protection.

First of all, you can't get the gun on a plane. You wont be allowed through security with it.

Being aware of your fellow passengers is a good idea but please note that there are certain signs which are more likely than others. For example, I had passengers who were upset simply because of how a passenger was dressed. I had an English girl who asked us why we let a "fanatical Moslem" on board, when not only was the elderly gentleman not posing any sort of threat, but he was not even Moslem (he was a Sikh priest in colorful garb). Don't base your "sizing up" just on looks. Remember that a terrorist could be of any s*x, race or nationality.

Hijackings are still rare, especially in industrialized countries. They are handled on a case-by-case basis and it's an entirely different situation if the hijackers are suicide-bound.

Historically speaking, passengers and crews who *cooperated* with the hijackers were more likely to survive an incident. Fighting back could result in that person being killed or immobilized. That would make you useless if the passengers did organize and mounted an attack and/or put you in a vulnerable position if they keep you to use as a hostage. Many hijackings have been successfully resolved because the passengers escaped or stayed put while their release was negotiated.

If an attack were launched, it would need the cooperation of several passengers at least, if not the entire cabin. Mounting an attack on your own could even jeopardize the others on board by aggravating the situation and making the terrorist "clamp down" on the rest, hampering any escape or further attack plans.

Please note that there hijackings before and after 9/11 so please don't base all your information on those four coordinated incidents. Flight 97 fought back because they had clear evidence that they were experiencing an sucide attack and had nothing to lose by making the attempt. If it's a political motivated attack and/or being conducted by someone with a mental problem, that may require a different stratagy.

Your best course of action is to not expect any attack. If any incident happens, which is extremely unlikely, especially if you are not flying in politically sensitive parts of the world, you are better off if you cooperate with the crew or hijackers. Offer your opinions and/or skills if asked and don't do anything on your own. You could risk undermining a delicate negotiation and you would be working on very little information. People with actual experience with these matters are called into action so please let them do their jobs. There is a protocol in place and you would not be alone!

Answer 2

hi. ok first of all i really like your question, thought about that too. But I am a 16 years old guy, living in England, therefore I dont carry a gun with me...well probably some people do, but I dont ;-) I do fly quite often. Not only going on holidays but also visiting relatives all over europe. So mainly the flight is shorter than 2hours. I bet many people have the opinion that there is nothing you can do in this situation. In a way I can understand those people because imagine a couple of people on the plane telling they have a bomb and they will kill everyone if somebody tries to stop them.

Answer 3

Terrorism is so extraordinarily rare on airplanes that it doesn't make sense for non-specialists to "prepare" in any particular way.  Certainly Hollywood scenarios of studly males beating up the bad guys are complete fantasies.

You might just as well worry about how you would greet aliens if they tried to abduct you from the aircraft, because that's only slightly less likely than a terrorist attack, despite sensationalist propaganda from government and media sources that would like you to believe otherwise.

In fact, I worry a lot more about people who think about how to fight off terrorists in an airplane than I worry about terrorists themselves, as such people tend to have violent and overreactive tendencies that can endanger a flight, and they are much greater in number than terrorists.