They'd also have to put in a steel plate wall/door along with it (take out 2 seats for that weight added) plus it's not much good if the hijacker shoots a hole in a pressurized wall and causes the plane to break up or decend violently. They might install a parlyzing agent that can be remotely actuated in the cockpit that would put all involved to sleep or incapacitated although there will always be someone that has a health problem this would affect, or someone screaming that their civil rights have been violated. -> -----Original Message----- -> From: owner-classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org -> [mailto:owner-classiccmp@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Ernest -> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 11:46 AM -> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org -> Subject: Secure cockpit doors? -> -> -> -> ----- Original Message ----- -> From: "Bill Sudbrink" <wh.sudbrink(a)verizon.net> -> To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> -> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 7:10 AM -> Subject: Re: OT: World Trade crash... -> -> -> > -> > Mike Ford [mikeford(a)socal.rr.com] wrote: -> > -> > > Very sadly I suspect this type of attack to be -> > > repeated soon. It was simply too easy and too -> > > effective, for other organizations not to try -> > > it again. -> > -> > I doubt that. As a matter of fact, I think that -> > most airline hijacking will cease to be effective. -> > I think that, after this, any able bodied person -> > on a hijacked plane will resist with their life. -> > I know that I would, rather than die as part of -> > an instrument used to kill many more. -> -> It seem logical that, after seeing what a hijacker COULD do, the airlines -> will install secure doors to the cockpit. The idea being that if -> a hijacker -> takes the plane, the most he can do is either blow up the plane, -> or command -> the pilots to fly to a certain destination but they would not be -> able to get -> into the cockpit themselves. This would be expensive, and it -> would take time -> but I think that they should consider it. -> -> This would be emotionally hard for the pilots because certainly -> the hijacker -> would threaten to kill passengers if the cockpit door isn't -> opened but all -> things considered, I'm sure that the pilots and passengers would -> rather see -> the plane go down than see a repeat of yesterday's tragedy. It seems more -> likely that a few people would be injured but the damage would -> be contained -> if the cockpit doors are secured. -> -> Also, the news reports indicate that the hijackers had knives. -> Knife wounds -> are not as physically tramatic, nor as fatal as gun shot wounds -> so I would -> assume that people would attack the hijackers if they started to -> cut people. -> Bombs and guns are not easy to smuggle onto a plane these days -> so it seems -> logical that hijackers would have to resort to other weapons, -> like clubs or -> knives, etc.. -> -> After what happened yesterday, I basically agree that flight -> hijacking will -> cease to be effective. That doesn't mean that terrorists won't -> continue to -> blow them up, etc. -they still like to kill and destroy after all but it -> will be much more difficult for organized terrorist groups to think of an -> airplane as a tool of mass destruction. -> -> E. -> ->

As a pilot... The pilot has total responsibility for the safe completion of their flight. Totally secure doors are impractical for long flights due to the need to rotate the crew, and the crews in-flight needs (getting up and moving around, getting food, and using the toilet, etc). Given the responsibility the pilot carries, I think the pilot should be armed. The FAA (now headed by the looser who ran MassPort and Logan during its years of failing security grades) has just imposed a series of knee-jerk reactions, none of which would have prevented this type of attack. The only solution is an armed response on the plane itself. Sky Marshalls, as are emplyed by El-Al, are the ONLY PROVEN effective measure. Several laws have to change for this. Currently its not legal to carry a loaded weapon on an aircraft. Perhaps some undercover people trained in martial arts, and with a near-leathal power stun gun? Gordon Zaft wrote:

Russ Blakeman wrote: What about the armed Air Marshalls I have heard mentioned? Chad Fernandez Michigan, USA