Airline Pilots Security Alliance - Law Enforcement Agrees

This section will contain information directly from Law Enforcement individuals and Agencies that pertain to the common sense idea of arming pilots for cockpit defense.

The below testimony was given to APSA by a long-time law enforcement officer with far above average training and experience. His thoughts mirror those of countless law enforcement officers, officials, and instructors surveyed by APSA. Unfortunately, by refusing to provide pilots with lethal force to defend cockpits, the Bush Administration is defying universally accepted and time-proven law enforcement policy. He is thereby inviting suicidal terrorists back into our cockpits, something recent events indicate they are again preparing to do. APSA is working tirelessly to get the Administration to change it’s policy before the country relives the horrors of September 11, 2001.

I have worked as a law enforcement officer, both locally and federally for the last 11 years. During that time period I never believed that I would ever witness an act like the one our country witnessed on 9-11. Now that we have, it's time to begin thinking differently about security.

When I hear in the news that the airlines propose giving 'stun-guns' and other non-lethal weapons to pilots so that they can protect the cockpit, it makes me cringe. I wonder how many Americans honestly buy into the argument that we can stop really bad people in a nice, non-lethal manner. I have to believe that the majority of people on airlines would feel better knowing that the pilots are armed, yet it's business as usual for the airline companies who are still concerned with their bottom line and liability issues. Obviously, their concern is not with the safety of the passengers or the crew but with themselves. Would an entire box of stun-guns have stopped any of the horror we witnessed on 9-11?

I've heard the argument," Well, we'll let the pilots fly the plane and hire people to protect the pilots. Also there's the hurdle of training a pilot to use a gun.". This logic suggests that we trust the pilots to have the education and skill needed to fly our aircraft but they are incapable of attending weapons training (such as that attended by a security guard standing in a shopping mall!).

WAKE UP!!! The well being of the entire aircraft depends on the security of the cockpit. The pilots ARE the last line of defense and are ultimately responsible for everyone onboard. How can we ask them to carry that responsibility and not provide them with the means to carry it out?

The following is written by Mr. Bob Taubert. Mr. Taubert has 23 years service with the FBI, most of which was with Counter-Terrorism and SWAT operations. He spent 9 years in the Marine Corp with 2 tours RVN. He currently has his own security/training company, The Center for Security Studies and Applications. I think it is safe to say Mr. Taubert is somewhat knowledgeable in this area.

Recently, the Department Of Transportation's, Transportation Security Administration told congress that an airline pilot's job is to fly his aircraft and on board flight security is the job of the Federal Air Marshal. The result was that DOT /TSA, rejected the desires and will of the majority of the flying public and airline pilots that the latter be armed to prevent cockpit takeovers like those that occurred on September 11. A little later, courtesy of the media, we learned that the same bureaucrats had already corrupted the FAM program and were putting unqualified security personnel aboard commercial aircraft, so they could meet deadlines imposed upon them by our politicians. With this rush to recruit, screen and train a sufficient number of FAMs the program is bound to suffer in the area of quality as well.

It has been estimated by aviation transportation professionals that it will require an Army of FAMs, in the neighborhood of 150,000, to cover every US foreign and domestic commercial passenger flight occurring on a daily basis. Our Marine Corps boasts only 175, 000 and If they weren't so busy doing what they do best, I would recommend they handle this vexing, but vital problem. The FAM program, in spite of starting salaries that rival many junior commercial pilot's pay, is already experiencing attrition. In short, the job gets boring fast.

Ultimately and traditionally, the command pilot is responsible for the safety of his aircraft, passengers and crew. Most airliners today are piloted by a crew of two, but some have more depending on the aircraft or flight. Pilots are trained in emergencies to function as a team. One controls the aircraft and the other handles the emergency. In a cockpit invasion a pilot armed with a firearm would deal with the aggressors and the other would be attempting to land the aircraft at the closest airport.

What about the new reinforced door? Well, it won't be here until April 2003 and the one that has been installed in the interim has already been breached by a determined banker. Why a firearm? We must prepare for worst case scenarios and if we are going to offer a credible defense and a deterrent, we need weapons at least equal to or superior to our potential adversary's weaponry. Less lethal weapons are more appropriate for flight attendant use. Leave it to the FAMs? Many things can occur on board an aircraft to compromise these officers and they can be overwhelmed by teams of suicidal terrorists. And, there will never be a sufficient number of them. Nevertheless, pilots support the FAM program, but they would also like to see an additional layer of defense added to the matrix, so the aircraft becomes a truly "hardened target."

Anyway, if all this fails your "concerned" administration will treat you to one demonstration only, of the efficacy of an F16's air to air missile capability.

Bob Taubert

(This Author has shot the Aim-9 Sidewinder missile and the Aim-7 Sparrow radar guided missile while flying F14's for the Navy in training exercises. I can attest to their reliability and lethality. While Secretary Mineta and UnderSecretary Magaw has missed their shot at making the skies much safer, I can assure you the F-16 will not miss......Bob Lambert.)