Should airline pilots be armed?
No, pilots should not be armed.
Just because pilots are charged with the safety of their passengers does not give grounds for them to carry a gun. That is like allowing a bus driver to carry a gun just in case the bus gets hijacked. There is no difference. Having the pilot armed would make every passenger feel uncomfortable and unsafe. The present air marshal's are just fine.
Posted by: esmond10Its your own good.
Pilots would use them properly if they were trained in flight school. They would be used only in severe emergencies. So, people would feel more safe. And, if we let it be known that our pilots have weapons and know how to use them, terrorists will keep their distance. So, it's for your own safety!
Posted by: Anonymousyes
For one thing what's it going to hurt if they're armed? All it could possibly do is benefit us all. I mean even though they have doubled up on airport security, it's still possible for anything to happen while you're on a plane. I think that they should become sort of like cops. A fight could break out, a terrorist could be on board or anything like that. I don't believe anyone has any good reason why airplane pilots shouldn't be armed. It couldn't possibly hurt anything.
Posted by: AnonymousI believe airline pilots should be armed because it keeps them and their passengers safe.
Airline pilots should be armed because they have the right to defend themselves and their passengers. As we have seen in recent events, including the most recent attack attempt on Christmas Day 2009, terrorists are still trying to harm innocent civilians. Arming pilots would deter terrorists from attempting to attack airplanes and would safeguard innocent lives.
Posted by: w00dwitchDefinately
Despite all of the increased airline security, things will get past, it's only a matter of time and the person's willingness to go to extremes. They will eventually get past them and once they do, there isn't going to be an air marshall there to stop them. If the pilots are armed, once the hijackers attempt to take over the cockpit, they won't get passed the pilots. I highly doubt they will be expecting to be shot, and of all people, by the pilots. They will have the firearms for OUR safety.
Posted by: AnonymousPilots With Firearms Is True Security. The TSA is a rights trampling joke.
The right to bare arms is a right we ALL have, let the pilots continue to carry, and why not allow passengers to do so as well? You can bet your sweet hindquarters Israel's airliners are the safest. They know the difference between security and losing one's rights.
Guns are more of a deterrent than unsafe naked body scanning machines and perverted TSA employees.Posted by: AnonymousYes they should!
Airline pilots should be armed because of the fact that they basically carry every one's life in their hands. Having a gun is just a way to protect the passengers from what could be a very deadly terrorist attack. This prevents the plane from being hijacked and having deadly consequences.
Posted by: cl_106xpThey should have access to protective weapons.
There should be a method, policy, procedure and training for the handling of the weapon. An action plan should be attached to the possibility of having to use the weapon. But, yes, pilots should be armed. The pilot should have to pass a psychological assessment, as they may already have to. But, a pilot with a gun is no more dangerous than a pilot with a plane full of passengers, flying through the air. There are no police in the sky. There's nowhere to run and hide up there. And, the pilot already has the responsibility of everyone's life in his hands. So, he should be as equipped as possible to deal with that responsibility.
Posted by: MohaI0v35Yes, pilots should be armed with guns.
If the pilots had been armed in the 9/11 attack they could have intervened and possibly immobilized the terrorists. Even though pilots are not soldiers or police men they should have the chance to protect the citizens of the United States. They already provide services for us, by flying the plane, why not be able to save themselves and others. I want to be a Pilot, and I want the reassurance that I will be safe and the people on my plane will be safe.
Posted by: AnonymousThey should have a weapon only in case something should happen on the plane that requires them to have one.
Pilots should be armed but they should also be trained a lot in the use of this weapon and have to qualify every year to keep this weapon on the plane. Every flight does not have Marshalls on it so Pilots would be the next best defense against a terrorist attack on a plane.
Posted by: 5h4rkEmarI think pilots should be armed just in case an insane traveler is on the aircraft.
You have seen on TV that many people have been discovered to go on airplanes and try to hijack them. They have weapons and they use violence and it doesn't make sense how they make it through the scan at the airport. The pilots could be armed and protect themselves and the passengers if they are able to responsibly handle the situation.
Posted by: waffletimeInnocent people will get shot? What not if you're careful
My argument to this is that you don't need regular bullets give the pilots tazers or rubber bullets! Why would this work? you would have a weapon that can still incapacitate a foe but it is non-lethal! Yeah, it'll hurt like hell if a bystander gets hit but would you rather have a little pain and be safe or have nothing and a terrorist or someone cause the plane to crash and then die? Easy for me to decide, give them something to defend themselves and the passengers!!!!
Posted by: AnonymousOfcourse
Pilots should be armed so that the planes can have a little more security. Besides, if you are going to trust a pilot to fly an airplane thousands of miles from the ground from one location to the next, why not trust him with a weapon. Either way, he is the one controlling your life line at that moment.
Posted by: AnonymousArming airline pilots would increase safety of the plane.
Airline pilots should be armed in order to effectively increase safety. In the normal non-hijacked plane, the passengers might be comforted by the fact that in such an event, there is someone armed. If a Hijacker does try to break in to steal said firearm, the breaking of the door would be reason to get ready to fire upon said hijackers. Terrorists that plan to steal said gun would have a less life-threatening time buying their own gun.
Posted by: TheAntidoterPilots should be armed, so that they can effectively handle situations of hijacking.
In the history of hi-jacking of passenger flights, most of the hi-jackers enter cockpit and threaten the pilot. If the pilot is armed and trained, some of such incidents can be avoided.
Posted by: HillyHeroI strongly agree that airline pilots should be armed to avoid any potential hijacking that could result in the loss of lives of many people.
Everyone should have the right to bear arms, and some should be required to use it. Too many issues have been in the news lately involving crimes that could have been avoided had the victim been armed. People are less likely to commit a crime, especially a potentially violent one that involves a lot of people, if they know that someone is going to shoot back. If pilots on the planes of 9/ll had been armed, along with the stewardesses, there would not have been an issue because the crews would have taken care of the problem before so many lives were lost.
Posted by: R3yn4FerIii think they should be!
It would increase the safety of american citizins and would help prevent terrorist attacks like back on 9/11. Pilots should have the right to defend themselves during an attack instead of waiting and dying along with its passengers. They should have the right to be safe themselves. I think there should be more than one firearm on a plane.
Posted by: nra-countryYes, I think airline pilots should receive training, and the means to defend the cockpit.
Absolutely, an airline pilot being armed will provide the best security possible for our air travel today, and eliminate the need of such violating security practices being done at this time by the TSA. Not only would arming airline pilots increase security better than our current methods, it would save hundreds of millions of dollars. But let's keep the metal detectors either way.
Posted by: RavidbardeII think airline pilots should be armed, so they would be better able to protect themselves and their passengers in case of a terrorist attack.
Airline pilots could prevent highjacking and terrorist attacks, such as 9/11, if they had weapons on them. Many lives could be saved. It might even be a warning, so that people wouldn't even try to do anything in the first place.
Posted by: darcyskaPilots need something.
9/11 could've been prevented if our pilots were armed. Yes, I know it would be like giving a gun to a school bus driver but who said anything about guns? What if pilots learned basic combat and what not? Being armed doesn't necessarily mean they have to fly lanes with 20 assault rifles on the flight.
Posted by: AnonymousPilots are probably our most valued "taxi drivers"
I believe that pilots should be armed because while the chances of a plane being hijacked are much lower now because of airport security, the reality is that a plane is still very easy to hijack. Arming pilots would not only make it harder to hijack the plane, but if we let it be known that our pilots were armed, it would make terrorists less likely to even try to hijack the plane, therefore taking the risk of the plane being hijacked and making it even lower. While it is true that bullets could rip a hole in the plane's casing, that's a very low risk compared to not having the gun there at all, and besides, there are other ways to arm your pilots, such as hand to hand training courses, or tasers, or even batons such as the police use. Arming our pilots would only bring benefits to the safety of airplanes.
Posted by: plavin3Yeh
It doesn't mean like, all of a sudden, no terrorist will ever be able to attack a plane ever without being foiled by the Captain (although having a title like that's a good step towards becoming a superhero), but it will increase safety somewhat. Terrorists assumably would be able to overcome unarmed pilots (or they wouldn't even bother trying to hijack), so all arming pilots does is give them a higher chance of thwarting the attack. Ideally, all the airline staff should have guns too, so even if the pilot and co-pilot get taken out, there are reinforcements.
Posted by: AlwaysMoreThanYoui Highly agree that they should
Everyone should have the right to bear arms, and some should be required to use it. Too many issues have been in the news lately involving crimes that could have been avoided had the victim been armed. People are less likely to commit a crime, especially a potentially violent one that involves a lot of people, if they know that someone is going to shoot back. If pilots on the planes of 9/ll had been armed, along with the stewardesses, there would not have been an issue because the crews would have taken care of the problem before so many lives were lost.
Posted by: AnonymousPilots should be armed and trained to repel terrorists
Even when there are Marshalls protecting the plane in the first place, pilots definitely need to be armed and trained to eventually repel hijackers. Every effort should be made to prevent terrorists from taking control of our planes. Think about how many lives could have been saved if the 9/11 pilots were armed? If fire arms are too dangerous to carry in planes, then there are other solutions that could work such as tasers or blinding lights, it adds another layer of security to protect passengers, and it adds another obstacle for the terrorists as well.
Posted by: AnonymousI do belive airline pilots should be armed because if the plane is being hijacked, that may be the only way to save lives if the plane has been overtaken by hostiles.
I believe airline pilots should be armed to protect themselves and the passengers from hostiles. There are many U. S. Marshalls which are placed on airplanes to keep a hijacked plane from occuring, but I still belive it is a good idea for the pilots to be armed. The hijackers could get past the Marshall and make their way to the cockpit which would be a very dangerous scenario. If the pilot was armed, this could save hundreds of lives as the hostiles would not expect the pilot to have a weapon. I don't think we should take any chances after the attacks of 9/11.
Posted by: SummersSauveI support the arming of airline pilots because it is their job to see to the safety of their passengers.
Airline pilots should be armed because they, with the help of other airline personnel, have a responsibility to keep their passengers safe. It is possible that many terrorist attacks on airlines could have been prevented if the pilots were adequately armed. The arming of airline pilots poses no detriment to the safety or well being of the passengers or other individuals present during a flight. Aside from the need for extra training there are no drawbacks from a monetary point of view either.
Posted by: VampireShuyes they should
For one thing what's it going to hurt if they're armed? All it could possibly do is benefit us all. I mean even though they have doubled up on airport security, it's still possible for anything to happen while you're on a plane. I think that they should become, sort of like cops. A fight could break out; a terrorist could be on board or anything like that. I don't believe anyone has any good reason why airplane pilots shouldn't be armed. It couldn't possibly hurt anything. I believe airline pilots should be armed because it keeps them and their passengers safe. Airline pilots should be armed because they have the right to defend themselves and their passengers. As we have seen in recent events, terrorists are still trying to harm innocent civilians. Arming pilots would deter terrorists from attempting to attack airplanes and would safeguard innocent lives.
Posted by: sevPilots don't always have to carry a actual bullet casing gun.
Pilots should be allowed to carry both a taser and a gun that is capable of shooting a hollow point bullet. I think that if a terrorist got hit with one or the other that he would just go down. Even if the pilot missed the terrorist, and hit the plane, a hollow point bullet shell would do no damage because they would disintegrate on impact, but it would do some damage to a human body. It is the responsibility of the pilot to ensure the safety, not only of them and the plane, but the passengers too. So I believe that a pilot should be allowed to carry both a taser and a gun in the cockpit.
Posted by: markthesharkIts for your own safety.
Pilots would use them properly if they were trained in flight school. They would be used only in severe emergencies. So, people would feel more safe. And, if we let it be known that our pilots have weapons and know how to use them, terrorists will keep their distance. So, it's for your own safety!
Posted by: AnonymousPilots should be armed in order to prevent or disarm terrorists
labusy is ignorant. The terrorists from 9/11 took over and hijacked the planes by getting BOX CUTTERS and SMALL KNIVES on board and being the only armed persons on board. Any one could bust down a cockpit door by ramming a drink or food cart through it but it would take a few tries. I'm certain if a Pilot was armed he would be at the ready to disarm the terrorist with his gun at the first sign of distress.
Posted by: AnonymousCheaper than Air Marshalls, and a better deterrent
Israel found airline hijackings drop to nothing after arming their pilots. Allowing Air Marshalls to fly armed on air planes helped deter crime, but Air Marshalls are expensive and cannot be on every flight. Pilots are on every flight. By allowing pilots to be armed, it ensures all craft cannot be hijacked. And because there is always more than one pilot, there could be a pilot or copilot dispatched to handle another Crotch Bomber or Shoe Bomber and save the plane.
Posted by: Pir4AndI do believe that airline pilots that are properly trained and comfortable carrying a weapon should be allowed to do so.
Airline pilots that are properly trained and comfortable carrying a weapon should be allowed to do so. This would allow one more level of safety and security aboard airliners. This is especially true for aircraft flying in countries where there is less security and there have been incidents of attempted terrorist actions aboard planes coming in from those areas.
Posted by: takeshisanAirline Pilots Should be Armed
Arming airline pilots would serve as a last line of defense if the aircraft were to be taken over by force. If the attackers are able to break down the locked door to the cockpit, then they will be shot by the trained pilots. If airline pilots are armed, then every single passenger on board the aircraft will be far safer then they would be without an armed pilot.
Posted by: Anonymous
Airplane pilots should not be armed as they should be focused just on flying.
Airplane pilots should not be armed as they should be focused just on flying. They are not soldiers or police officers. They would not get the training or experience to know when to use or not use the weapons. There are potential risks of attack in the cockpit, but there have been so few that it's not worth the risk or the distraction.
Posted by: H0bi3InvaderI do not think that pilots should be armed, I think that other security measures taken before hand should be more efficient.
Although the need for security when flying is necessary pilots take the job to fly, not to be police officers. They do not receive the necessary training to be security personal and this can lead to more danger than safety. I believe instead that we should deal with the conditions that make it dangerous to fly. We should encourage our government to stop backing dictators and coup regimes for profit, then desperate people would cease terrorist activities against us.
Posted by: XglossyWyndNo, airline pilots should not be armed, because hijackers could end up getting their guns.
With tight airport security, it is almost impossible for a hijacker to bring a gun or a knife on a plane. The most they would probably be able to get through would be a pair of box cutters. They would not be able to bring down the entire plane, or be able to bust open the pilot's cockpit doors with a pair of box cutters. If the pilots had a gun, the hijackers could ambush the pilots when they came out of the cockpit and the hijackers would end up having the guns and the passengers would be defenseless.
Posted by: labusyAirline pilots should not be armed because they're pilots, not soldiers or policemen.
The job and responsibility of an airline pilot is to pilot a plane from A to B. The pilot is not expected to carry out any other duties because he/she is not trained for that and because his main job is already very involved. Ideally, no one should be armed in a plane because that weapon may be stolen by some ill-thinking person and used erratically.
Posted by: NWintersNo, it won't work
Arming pilots does nothing, firing a gun in a plane could punch a hole in the plane, potentially sending it down (why terrorists wear bomb vests on planes). Second, terrorist attacks are rare and the pilots are seperated from the cabin. By the time a terrorist walks into the front of the plane with a bomb strapped on the gun won't help at all.
Posted by: ishallannoyyoNope, nope nope, pleanty of reason to not arm pilots.
1) Ever since 9/11, airport security has increased so much that now a high jacking would be stopped before the terrorist got onto the plane. 2) If the terrorists somehow got past security, their selection of weapons would be very limited, thanks to the ban on items such as nail clippers and bottles. Most people do not understand how such small and dangerous items, can be considered dangerous on a plane. Since guns are not allowed on planes, they can use separate items to build a gun on a plane. The new security pretty much ensures they cannot board with any type of weapon. 3) If the pilots or staff were armed, they would pretty much be doing all the hard work for the terrorists, because all they would have to do is steal from the staff or pilots. 4) Guns on a plane; a small tin packed with people with hardly any elbow room is not exactly the best place to have a firearm. If any security weapons should be on the plane, they should be non leathel such as phontonic disruptor, stun weapons, and heck, maybe even a baseball bat. Pretty sure that there will never be a high jacking of a plane in America again unless it is somehow by a remote computer or something.
Posted by: Jeffster184No, airline pilots should not be armed--it's too dangerous, for several reasons.
In the wake of recent airline hijackings, we are seeking new options to ensure the safety of onboard passengers. We went through this problem back in the Seventies and we are experiencing it again today. Sky marshals have returned--legally-armed passengers--which leads to another question, as to whether or not the pilots themselves should be armed. The answer is no--because pilot training is complicated enough without learning the proper handling of firearms in closed quarters, the possibilities of a stray shot in the cockpit (thereby depressurizing the chamber and ensuring an airplane crash) or the dangers of a hijacker having access to the pilot's firearms are only a few problems that could arise from arming the pilots.
Posted by: ElwBoardinThought about it, no.
Let me start off by saying that terrorist strikes on airplanes happens only on super rare occasions. There must be hundreds of thousands of flights around the world each day, and the total number of them that were involved in terrorist hijackings must be in the single digits. So the chances of planes being hijacked are way too low to warrant allowing pilots to have guns. Secondly, if terrorists do want to hijack the plane, they are coming up behind the rear of the pilots and they arent suspecting an attack, so giving guns to pilots would most likely result in a struggle in the cockpit by terrorists just to get the guns. Assuming the terrorists are armed with other devices, it wouldnt take long for them to get the guns and then use them on the pilots if they needed to.
I dont see any reason to arm pilots since terrorist hijackings happen at a ridiculously low rate and pilots with guns doesnt automatically make the plane safer.Posted by: imabenchArming airline pilots would not increase the safety of our transportation system.
Airline pilots should not be armed. To do so, would only be an symbolic effort to increase safety and would actually make air travel more dangerous. If a potential terrorist knows that a gun is on board, they could craft a plan to utilize it as part of a larger plan. The use of a locked cabin door and on-board air marshals seems like enough security.
Posted by: P3nrIinI don't think airline pilots should be armed as it may create more violence.
I don't think airline pilots should be armed as it may create more violence. People may know that they are armed and if they are against that, they may feel unsafe on the airline and choose to try to protect themselves in other ways. Also, if for some reason a wrong person is trained to be a pilot, they could easily sabotage everyone on the flight because of the armed weapon. I think that pilots should not be armed because it will just cause more pain and issues in the end.
Posted by: ObaICheeseAirline pilots do not need to be armed because airport security is very strict these days.
Airline pilots should not be armed for two primary reasons. The first is that airport security has increased significantly since the September 11th attacks. It is now extremely difficult to get any weapons through to an airplane. The second is that if a pilot is armed then a passenger could make his or her way to the cockpit and attempt to steal the weapon in order to hijack the plane.
Posted by: TwoVicThey have a complex job and they need to work on that!
Our world has come to a state that we can no longer travel safely. I agree that air travel is a safety issue and sadly it is not going to end soon. Pilots are to control and guide the plane. I think airlines should have sky marshals with arms to prevent terrorist attacks. The job of a pilot is very complex and I am sure everyone wants to reach safely on ground. Pilots should carry on their work as pilots. They should concentrate on their work. The airport security and sky marshals could do the job quite well. May be air hostesses and stewards could carry guns.
Posted by: N4rrGetMore guns ANYWHERE is absurd
Most reasons why pilots should NOT be armed have already been answered. It's not their job. It's not such a bright idea to be shooting a gun on a plane. A terrorist hell-bent on suicide wouldn't be remotely intimidated. What if the pilot goes off the rails, and has to be restrained by passengers, as happened just a few months ago? It just goes on and on. More guns is never the answer for anyone in any situation. It's the logic of an idiot, and anyone who would argue otherwise should themselves be disqualified from having a gun as they've demonstrated themselves to be mentally unstable.
Posted by: AnonymousI don't agree that pilots should be armed, security can be provided outside the cockpit.
A pilots number one concern should be the safety of the passengers. There is so much at stake when we fly and i want to be secure with my pilot knowing that his main focus is on flying the plane. If security needs to be improved than an armed guard can be in place outside of the cockpit for the whole flight to protect the cabin. I don't even want security in the cockpit, the only ones who should be allowed in should be the pilot and co-pilot.
Posted by: C0ImEIiteAirline pilots should not be armed because that could serve as a greater hindrance than help.
Airline pilots should not be armed because more problems would arise out of having the firearms than not having them. While carrying firearms could protect airline pilots in case of more terrorists attacks, there are US Marshalls on flights whom are better trained and prepared for such events. As well, carrying a gun could actually make passengers feel less safe.
Posted by: Sk8rChri