FFDOs and foreigners

[Erlanger]

I don't know what kind of response this is going to generate but I assure you all, that this is not flame bait nor disrespect to anyone, race or company but I wanted to tell this story of a conversation I had recently. I thought about not even posting this and just dismissing this, as one persons paranoia but couldn't help myself. I started my story by mentioning the company involved in the title but have removed any reference to it, though I can say the company is a regional airline.

I had an interesting conversation with a Captain the other day. He was on a break between flights and so was I. Our planes were parked just a few gates from each other. He was sitting down watching CNN on the monitors in the airport and I walked by and decided to catch up on the latest news too and sat down a few seats from him. The story on at the time was about the nuclear stand off with Iran. With that story on, he decided to tell me about his concerns about Iranians at (his) so-and-so airline. Now, I don't think he really meant specifically Iranians (though I could be wrong) but simple appeared to me, he meant any Middle Easteners, though he kept referring to them as Iranians. Incidently, this Captain was neither white nor a Middle Easterner, but he's a male.

So what was his concerns? He was worried about the number of Iranians (Middle Easteners) at so-and-so airline that were becoming FFDOs. He told me that he's flown with two, just in the last month and noticed other Middle easteners as FFDOs and hadn't ever had a another pilot who was a FFDO before that he had flown with. He also said he has talked to other pilots there and they noticed the same thing of who were mainly becoming FFDOs. He was worried about a coordinated plan to take control of airplanes and what better way then to have pilots who are armed. I'm sure the screening process to become a FFDO is adequate, but is it good enough?

I have not noticed this trend at my company nor have I heard anyone talk about this. I'm curious if anyone has these concerns or noticed anything unusual about who's becoming FFDOs these days at their company. Is this just one persons paranoia? I was thinking that if true, maybe they don't trust their own kind so they're arming themselves. That would be interesting. If I remember any more details of our conversation, I'll post it.

 

[Texx]

I don't know what kind of response this is going to generate but I assure you all, that this is not flame bait nor disrespect to anyone, race or company but I wanted to tell this story of a conversation I had recently. I thought about not even posting this and just dismissing this, as one persons paranoia but couldn't help myself. I started my story by mentioning the company involved in the title but have removed any reference to it, though I can say the company is a regional airline.

I had an interesting conversation with a Captain the other day. He was on a break between flights and so was I. Our planes were parked just a few gates from each other. He was sitting down watching CNN on the monitors in the airport and I walked by and decided to catch up on the latest news too and sat down a few seats from him. The story on at the time was about the nuclear stand off with Iran. With that story on, he decided to tell me about his concerns about Iranians at (his) so-and-so airline. Now, I don't think he really meant specifically Iranians (though I could be wrong) but simple appeared to me, he meant any Middle Easteners, though he kept referring to them as Iranians. Incidently, this Captain was neither white nor a Middle Easterner, but he's a male.

So what was his concerns? He was worried about the number of Iranians (Middle Easteners) at so-and-so airline that were becoming FFDOs. He told me that he's flown with two, just in the last month and noticed other Middle easteners as FFDOs and hadn't ever had a another pilot who was a FFDO before that he had flown with. He also said he has talked to other pilots there and they noticed the same thing of who were mainly becoming FFDOs. He was worried about a coordinated plan to take control of airplanes and what better way then to have pilots who are armed. I'm sure the screening process to become a FFDO is adequate, but is it good enough?

I have not noticed this trend at my company nor have I heard anyone talk about this. I'm curious if anyone has these concerns or noticed anything unusual about who's becoming FFDOs these days at their company. Is this just one persons paranoia? I was thinking that if true, maybe they don't trust their own kind so they're arming themselves. That would be interesting. If I remember any more details of our conversation, I'll post it.

Some things to think about.

The job of the FFDO is to "DEFEND THE COCKPIT!

 

[CA1900]

He was worried about a coordinated plan to take control of airplanes and what better way then to have pilots who are armed. I'm sure the screening process to become a FFDO is adequate, but is it good enough?

Sounds a little paranoid to me. Why bother with guns? All they'd have to do is bid a trip together after one of them upgrades.

 

[Flyerjosh]

Or even better take some of that money that buys guns, stinger missiles, and who knows what else, and just purchase a legit aircraft used.

It might not have the same emotional effect as a hijacking, but certainly a 707 loaded with fuel and explosives has the same effect or better...

Anybody ever read the book Storming Heaven by Dale Brown?

 

[Herman]

Only "US citizens" can become FFDOs, and a "US resident" can not (unless the statutes have changed recently). By definition, an "Iranian" or any other citizen of a foreign or Middle Eastern country can not. The FFDOs this guy seems to be paranoid about are his fellow Americans of different ethnicity or religious believes....some people might call this discrimination of race or religion.

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

Five years of residence, an FBI records check and an American history exam. That's all it takes to become a citizen.

 

[FN FAL]

Or even better take some of that money that buys guns, stinger missiles, and who knows what else, and just purchase a legit aircraft used.

It might not have the same emotional effect as a hijacking, but certainly a 707 loaded with fuel and explosives has the same effect or better...

Anybody ever read the book Storming Heaven by Dale Brown?

Why bother with fuel and explosives when you have an A-Bomb, dude?

As for "brand" of airline making any terrorist attack more "emotional"? Get real, the only people that get emotional when their brand is the one involved is those that work or are invested in the brand and the poor schmuck waiting at the airport for that brand to land with their family on it.

 

[Shrek]

"I'm sure the screening process to become a FFDO is adequate, but is it good enough?"

SO......are you sure that it is adequate or is it good enough?.........Pick one please

In my opinion......he is paranoid......

 

[pitotstatic]

Five years of residence, an FBI records check and an American history exam. That's all it takes to become a citizen.

WRONG!!!!

One has to be a Naturalized Resident Alien for for five years to apply for citizenship. Just to live here and have the USA as you primary residence is not enough. It took me 4 years from date of application to become a Resident Alien and then another five years to become a citizen.

If you win the green card lottery you have to wait five years to apply for a citizenship; if you get married to a US citizen you have to wait three years after the marriage before you can apply for citizenship.

Pitot

 

[TCBKING]

Jose Padilla anyone???? Or whatever his last name is.

 

[WateryGrave]

I don't like foreigners.....

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

WRONG!!!!

One has to be a Naturalized Resident Alien for for five years to apply for citizenship. Just to live here and have the USA as you primary residence is not enough. It took me 4 years from date of application to become a Resident Alien and then another five years to become a citizen.

If you win the green card lottery you have to wait five years to apply for a citizenship; if you get married to a US citizen you have to wait three years after the marriage before you can apply for citizenship.

Pitot

I came here in the summer of 1992, got the green card in the fall of that year, citizenship paperwork done by 1997 and sworn in in the spring of 1998. So you can say I speak from personal experience. Easy as pie if you come here through the legal channels, and not by way of some scam.
American citizenship is surprisingly easy to obtain if done properly. Tunneling under Arizona desert or jumping off a ship ain't one of them.

 

[aussiefly]

These days if you serve on active duty in the military you are eligible to apply for citizenship without the requisite waiting period. From what I understand it takes about 10 months for it to go through.

I think thats the best way to get your passport because as far as im concerned at that point you've earned it.

 

[slomo]

Jose Padilla anyone???? Or whatever his last name is.

How about Timothy McVeigh?

 

[Ganja60Heavy]

How about Timothy McVeigh?

He was Iranian?

 

[superrav]

"I'm sure the screening process to become a FFDO is adequate, but is it good enough?"

SO......are you sure that it is adequate or is it good enough?.........Pick one please

In my opinion......he is paranoid......

paranoid...