Sunday marked more than just a visit from the Easter Bunny, foil-wrapped chocolate eggs, and those cumbersome feathered hats covering every little old lady’s gray hair in church. Sunday was the first day that there was a chance of flying aboard a commercial plane operated by an armed pilot.
A group of nearly 50 pilots completed a rigorous training program certifying them to carry government-issued guns while piloting aircraft. The program has been met with both praise and criticism, as some feel more comfortable knowing that pilots will be better equipped to deal with extreme situations like hijacking, and others remain skeptical that the guns may end up in the wrong hands.
The training was not limited to practicing firing the .40-caliber pistols. Pilots were required to engage in true-to-life brawls with “hijackers,” undergo psychological testing, and in some instances shoot up to 8,000 rounds in practice.
The program, established by Congress, may just prove to be among the great effects of the Bush administration. The program not only arms pilots, but gives them the training and know-how to defend their plane and passengers from dangerous travelers.
Pilots selected to participate in the program expressed their newfound confidence in defending their passengers. Participating in the course “will give them the basic tools, they will be able to respond well if they’re attacked,” said Ivan Kalister, who supervised specialized training for the program.
Arming pilots is an extra measure to ensure the safety of passengers among commercial aircraft. It is highly unlikely, following extensive psychological testing, that, “It’ll get in the hands of the wrong person,” as Mary Ellen Binz, an art teacher, expressed her concern.
Pilots are required to carry the weapons in their luggage before boarding the aircraft, and must keep the guns in a locked compartment within the cockpit when leaving it to use the restroom or for any other reason.
The truth of the matter is that when a plane goes down in the hands of a hijacker, everyone on board is lost. Any measures that can be taken to keep such situations from transpiring are worth the investment and the miniscule risks involved.
Coupled with the extensive training in battling one-on-one with perpetrators, the arms training ensures with near certainty that the guns will remain in the hands of the pilots with specific training in when and how to use them. And that’s just what we — as passengers — need; pilots who are capable of protecting us.
Hopefully Captain Fred Bates, a key instigator for the program and also a pilot for American Airlines, is right-on with his estimate. He proposes that within five years, 33 percent of pilots flying United States commercial aircrafts may be armed. And that would make for a safer commercial flight for passengers and crew alike.