W.Times editorial: Obama secretly ends FFDO program?

[Britpilot]

Then there is the pro 'right to carry' crowd. I call it
'small penis syndrome'.

Pilots are not cops. Their primary concern and thought process is flying the airplane and completing the trip safely aeronautically. It is not enforcing laws or their weapon or using it.



Pilots are very good at we do with airplanes, but good with handling deadly weapons on the job we are not.

Guess I must have a small penis then. I call it "The right do defend myself"

Tell that to a terrorist, they don't want you to complete your trip safely. The threat is real my friend.

That is your opinion with which I and a great many others do not agree with.

 

[PuffDriver]

This is the POTUS that ALPA wanted in there....Be careful what you wish for.....

Wait for it...wait for it.....
:bawling: :bawling: :bawling:

 

[Flying-Corporal]

Ha, ha, ha, oh boy that's good. Other agencies keeping us safe? Like who?

I am glad I made laugh, mate . TSA, for one. Police, two. Travelling public, three. Just because one has a gun, doesn't mean he is the king of the hill. If I am not mistaken Britpilot, police used to not carry weapons in England not too long ago.

You are not privy to the the FFDO program otherwise you may have some more information on what they know and do.

Well, if a disaster has been averted I think I should know about it as a citizen. The shoebomber disaster has been talked about in the media. We pay paxes that finance various programms, I want to know how necessary/effecient/useful/etc. it is. Prove me wrong, why sound so misterious???

 

[greyskyracer]

Couldn't agree with you more. Most FFDOs that I've flown with don't even bother putting it on the belt in-flight, so what's the point of having it if it's locked safely in the box?

I have mixed feelings about the program, but I do feel if they choose to be an FFDO that burden should lay on them. Strap your gun on your belt. I do not want a gun flying around the flight deck in severe turbulance. Take your gun with you on your walk around or when you run inside to take a dump. It is not my responsibility to watch it.

 

[skywiz]

Even if in box, there still is a value

Couldn't agree with you more. Most FFDOs that I've flown with don't even bother putting it on the belt in-flight, so what's the point of having it if it's locked safely in the box?

Not saying that they should keep it in the box... BUT part of the benefit of the program is DETERRANCE... terrorists are probably less likely to attempt a hijacking type attack if they know the pilot may have a gun in the cockpit.

 

[FR8mastr]

Then there is the pro 'right to carry' crowd. I call it
'small penis syndrome'.

One usually hears that line from a 30 something woman with about 500 CC's of substance shoved into her body along with a few ounces of poison injected into her face, commenting on some dude who can finally afford the sports car he has always wanted.
So if your not a woman what is the fascination with accusing anyone that does something you dont like of having a small penis?

 

[SplitBar]

I say good riddance. This program was entirely precipitated by a bunch of gun nuts that thought they would get the right to "concealed carry" when there was absolutely NO reason for them to have a weapon.

ALPA was opposed to this program from the get-go if you recall. It was only when the gun nuts formed APSA that ALPA relented and grudgingly supported the program.

Believe me, we had one of the original APSA nuts. He failed the FFDO program the first time, passed the second time and eventually was terminated when he "forgot" his weapon in a public restroom.

The FFDO program will never have any value until you build a flight deck door with a gun port in it. Otherwise, the door has to be opened for the FFDO to have any effect on the situation. The Turkish 737 crash proved the strength of the door. In that crash, the F/O died because the rescuers couldn't get through the flight deck door for 45 minutes.

FFDOs? Good riddance. We've already had one monkey put a round through an airframe. Its only a matter of time before one of these guys shoots either himself or his flying partner.

$2M for this program? Total waste of taxpayer money.

Agreed !

 

[turbodriver]

After having flown with FFDO's who shouldn't be trusted with a water pistol, I'm not surprised by this.....

 

[WMUSIGPI]

Erin Andrews ... aahhhh. That's a whole lot of sumpin.

Charissa Thompson is better....

 

[WMUSIGPI]

This Administration has already sent strong signals that it is hostile to the whole concept of defensive firearms in the hands of citizens. Sounds like par for the course to me.

Perhaps because this Admin. is a blink of an eye away from being Socialists???

 

[Blue Dude]

This admin blew past socialism in the first week and is presently accelerating to the left.

 

[Redmeat]

Perhaps because this Admin. is a blink of an eye away from being Socialists???

Your dad told you that didn't he?

how old are you?

This admin should only be considered even remotely close to Socialist if you come from a background of the Super Rich.

If you do come from that background why did you decide to become hourly paid labor (pilot)?

Having daddy get you a job on Wall Street would probably have suit your tastes better...

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Problem viewing? Click here.

Newsflash from ALPA International​

TSA Reconfirms Commitment to FFDO Program March 17, 2009 In stark contrast to an op-ed article in today’s edition (March 17, 2009) of the Washington Times, that claims “…President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology,” TSA officials reassured ALPA they are committed to the FFDO program and have plans for its expansion. TSA’s leadership immediately contacted ALPA and requested a meeting to discuss this news report. ALPA representatives met with TSA executives this afternoon and were told that TSA embraces the FFDO program, that there are no plans to reduce or restrict its growth, and that the agency fully intends to grow and expand the program.
Government representatives acknowledged that the program needs additional funding to achieve these goals, and that they are actively pursuing sources of additional funding. These funds will be used to enhance the program’s management structure and oversight, which if implemented, will address an ALPA Board of Directors security priority.
TSA is currently training hundreds of pilots each year and plans to continue to train at least that number or more into the future. The size of the FFDO cadre has grown so large that additional resources are needed to provide greater structure and oversight to this important program, which TSA referred to today as “an important layer of defense.”
“ALPA is very pleased that the TSA was so proactive in communicating its concerns to the Association and we are likewise pleased that we are able to report this good news to the membership,” said ALPA President, Capt. John Prater. “ALPA values its relationship with the TSA, and it is obvious from the way the agency handled this event that the feeling is mutual.”
Stay tuned.

 

[maddog2020]

Problem viewing? Click here.

Newsflash from ALPA International​

TSA Reconfirms Commitment to FFDO Program March 17, 2009 In stark contrast to an op-ed article in today’s edition (March 17, 2009) of the Washington Times, that claims “…President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology,” TSA officials reassured ALPA they are committed to the FFDO program and have plans for its expansion. TSA’s leadership immediately contacted ALPA and requested a meeting to discuss this news report. ALPA representatives met with TSA executives this afternoon and were told that TSA embraces the FFDO program, that there are no plans to reduce or restrict its growth, and that the agency fully intends to grow and expand the program.
Government representatives acknowledged that the program needs additional funding to achieve these goals, and that they are actively pursuing sources of additional funding. These funds will be used to enhance the program’s management structure and oversight, which if implemented, will address an ALPA Board of Directors security priority.
TSA is currently training hundreds of pilots each year and plans to continue to train at least that number or more into the future. The size of the FFDO cadre has grown so large that additional resources are needed to provide greater structure and oversight to this important program, which TSA referred to today as “an important layer of defense.”
“ALPA is very pleased that the TSA was so proactive in communicating its concerns to the Association and we are likewise pleased that we are able to report this good news to the membership,” said ALPA President, Capt. John Prater. “ALPA values its relationship with the TSA, and it is obvious from the way the agency handled this event that the feeling is mutual.”
Stay tuned.

In your face hippies!

 

[Tristar]

After having flown with FFDO's who shouldn't be trusted with a water pistol, I'm not surprised by this.....

Frankly, if they can't be trusted with a water pistol (or perhaps even a real one), maybe they shouldn't be trusted with a few hundred thousand pounds of airplane, tons of jet fuel, and the lives of a couple hundred people. If you feel so strongly about them, I presume you've contacted pro-standards? Or to quote Blazing Saddles, "are we just j#rking off?"