I disagree very strongly with that sentiment. I shoot, I train and have taught martial arts. I've worked law enforcement, defense, security. I own firearms, swords, and other weapons. Yada, yada, yada.
Big deal.
In the cockpit, my duty is to manipulate the controls in order to operate the aricraft safely, and to make decisions concerning the safety of flight. I don't attempt to decide if Joe should marry Susie in the third row, or if Bob shouldn't stiff Jim on the deal in the 21st. Doesn't matter.
Cockpit safety is important. I firmly believe that if any crewmember feels the need to carry a firearm of defensive arm, and can show that he or she has been trained and is both proficient and competent to carry that weapon, then he or she should be albe to carry it. However: being a pilot doesn't automatically make one competent or safe to carry or use a firearm, any more than being a pilot makes one safe or competent to perform emergency surgery or play professional golf.
At the SAME time, I also believe that if someone doesn't feel comfortable carrying that weapon, then he or she should not be obligated to do so. A pilot does NOT have an obligation to take a life or use lethal force. No decision should be balanced on how many people to kill to be morally sound. One looks at the options, acts quickly and decisively, and moves on, not looking back. Who, how many, what...doesn't matter. What must be done to resolve the situation? Then do it, and be done with it.
Comparing some idealistic moral high ground to the privilege of performing one's job is rubbish. I am employed as a pilot. I have had the opportunity to do other assignments, including several different types of work that involved weapons and tactics. I am a skilled aircraft mechanic. I'm an emergency medical technician. I even collect business cards. But ya know what? I work for a living as a pilot. I don't get paid to stop bullets, to treat wounds, or stack cards. I get paid to fly, to read instrument approach proceedure charts, to figure fuel balances, and to keep people happy and safe.
You tell me this. You are exiting the aircraft after a flight, and someone enters the terminal, or the parking outside the terminal. They have a weapon. Do you hide, do you go for them, do you find a phone and call for help? Are you going to go be a hero now, or is it just in the cockpit? Just where does that job end, that walter mitty fantasy about saving the day? Do your darndest to make it all work out, but in the end, if it doesn't, it is NOT your fault.
Remember that when the action starts, chaos reigns. Lack of order; things may not turn out quite right. That's why it's called an emergency. That's okay. It's fine. You don't need to be perfect. You don't have an obligation here. You (hopefully) didn't create this situation. Deal with it the best you can. If you have the proper training and ability, great. Chances are that no matter how long you have trained, and how proficient you think you are, you're not ready. That's okay. You weren't hired for this; do your best; fly the airplane. That's what you do best.
In close quarters, the only useful backup weapon is one already drawn, and the fastest reload is a second firearm. Them's the facts, folks. Belted in, facing away, the door blows; hinges gone and a thunderflash grenade enters the cockpit. It's dead quiet one second, then lots of smoke, a bright flash, you can't hear, can't think. It's been 1 and 3/4 seconds from dead calm and silence, and now your shirt is wet. As you reach for your oxygen mask per your training you begin to lose consciousness and realize as your final thought that you're bleeding out heavily down your uniform shirt. Your throat has already been cut.
That's reality. Spinning and drawing and being mr. hero is NOT reality. Fern bar talk about being ready to take a life is crap; clue up, mate. The object is to do your best, ultimately to stop the fight. Concentrate on any one outcome, including taking a life, and you're done. If you do happen to see it coming, and have time to unbuckle, get up, turn around, and move, then by all means, move through your opponent and keep going. Otherwise, fly the airplane; it's the most effective weapon in the world.
I'm in favor of having a personal weapon, if someone is qualified and capable, and prepared. That's really quite a tall order. However, don't make the sanctimonious demand that any of us be prepared to do this or that. Not hardly.
As for your road landing scenario, it's going to change with the specific circumstance. Sitting in one's arm chair at the computer is all good and well, but add in the noise, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the darkness...then see. How do you know you're going to "kill" anyone? (Seems to be a real fixation, here).
You handle the situation seeing what you've got. I don't know that anyone is going to live or die. Probably go for the highway. If it's crowded or can't get down, then probably for the dark area in between. It's not about one person vs. another. It's not about killing more or less. I have no idea why you're so fixated on killing, but you are. It's about handling a problem with what you have...weighing fate has nothing to do with it.
Cockpit about to be penetrated by terrorists, what to do? Not enough information. Rolling inverted is probably a good start. If a weapon is available, this is a good time for one crewmember to prepare for defense while the other flies. Crash axe, whatever. Chances are that if the terrorists are trained and ready, you're never going to know they're coming in, and won't have time to be prepared. However, you have the biggest weapon in the world in your hands when you're flying. Use it. Pressure dump, shut down one or more powerplants, pull, roll, unload. You have a lot of options. Squawk, call ATC, get someone's gunsights on you and get a tactical team deployed to your intended site. Too many variables, no information given.
Gun held to head, what to do? Depends how much I like my head. Mine has served me well for some time. Terrorist has a gun, then he doesn't need me to get airborne, and unless he's a quadrapalegic terrorist, I figure he can probably manage to takeoff...a child can takeoff. Do I do something stupid and get a lot of people killed, or delay? Dunno. How many others, what is going on? These men(?) are probably here to die. Stop on the runway, they can still kill everyone and die in the process; doesn't matter. No such thing as deterrence in a case such as this. However, once in the air, I have full control, something I won't have on the ground. Again, too many variables.
Don't try to make the moralistic arguement that anyone is obligated to kill. You just don't know that. How many have you killed? How prepared are you to do it; is it all theory, or is it proven for you? How comfortable are you with death, and how parepared are you to die? One who isn't fully prepared to die, isn't fully prepared to kill. Think about that before you tell the world about your commitment level.
Stop dwelling on killing. If you must, dwell on stopping a fight by whatever means necessary. However, you're very bent on coming back to this killing thing. That very fixation will get you hurt. Move through your opponent, and then move on. Weather he lives or dies is not your concern. Flying the airplane is your concern. Good luck to you.
