BS: On Flying Now...

Subject: On Flying Now...
From: Amos
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 12:39 PM

From a colleague -- may be literally true, may not...but says something very necessary:

Aboard Flight 564 by Peter Hannaford

As it was at most U.S. airports, last Saturday was the first near-normal day at Denver International since the terrorist attacks. On United's Flight 564 the door had just been locked and the plane was about to pull out of the gate when the captain came on the public address system.

"I want to thank you brave folks for coming out today. We don't have any new instructions from the federal government, so from now on we're on our own." The passengers listened in total silence.

He explained that airport security measures had pretty much solved the problem of firearms being carried aboard, but not weapons of the type the terrorists apparently used, plastic knives or those fashioned from wood or ceramics.

"Sometimes a potential hijacker will announce that he has a bomb. There are no bombs on this aircraft and if someone were to get up and make that claim, don't believe him.

"If someone were to stand up,brandish something such as a plastic knife and say 'This is a hijacking' or words to that effect here is what you should do: Every one of you should stand up and immediately throw things at that person - pillows, books, magazines, eyeglasses, shoes -anything that will throw him off balance and distract his attention. If he has a confederate or two, do the same with them. Most important: get a blanket over him, then wrestle him to floor and keep him there. We'll land the plane at the nearest airport and the authorities will take it from there."

"Remember, there will be one of him and maybe a few confederates, but there are 200 of you. You can overwhelm them.

"The Declaration of Independence says 'We, the people' and that's just what it is when we're up in the air: we, the people, vs. would-be terrorists. I don't think we are going to have any such problem today or tomorrow or for a while, but some time down the road, it is going to happen again and I want you to know what to do.

"Now, since we're a family for the next few hours, I'll ask you to turn to the person next to you, introduce yourself, tell them a little about yourself and ask them to do the same."

The end of this remarkable speech brought sustained clapping from the passengers. He had put the matter in perspective. If only the passengers on those ill-fated flights last Tuesday had been given the same talk, I thought, they might be alive today. One group on United Flight 93, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field, apparently rushed the hijackers in an attempt to wrest control from them. While they perished, they succeeded in preventing the terrorist from attacking his intended goal, possibly the White House or the Capitol.

Procedures for dealing with hijackers were conceived in a time when the hijackers were usually seeking the release of jailed comrades or a large amount of money. Mass murder was not their goal. That short talk last Saturday by the pilot of Flight 564 should set a new standard of realism.

Every passenger should learn the simple - but potentially life-saving - procedure he outlined. He showed his passengers that a hijacking does not have to result in hopelessness and terror, but victory over the perpetrators.

The Airline Pilots Association, the pilots' union, last week dropped its opposition to stronger cockpit doors and is now calling for retrofits. (It's opposition was based on pilot concerns about getting out easily in emergency situations.) The scandal of easily penetrated airport security will result in congressional calls for a federal takeover of the security system.

Previous efforts to reform security procedures and raise standards have been talked to death. This time, however, no lobbying efforts must be allowed to prevent airport security from getting the reforms that are needed: federal operation, rigorous training, decent pay and no foreign nationals eligible for employment.

Peter Hannaford is a public affairs consultant.

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 01:13 PM

Oh well, we're off on a trip to Italy in a few days, and we'll remember that.

I suppose the thing is that up till now, the big worry about hi-jacking would have been of some heavy-handed security operation being set in motion as a rescue attempt. A side trip to some unexpected destination might be a nuisance, but not really such a big deal.

One side effect of this might be that the likelihood of a "normal" hijack, intended at diverting the plane to some other destination, is probably greatly reduced. Instead of plane full of docile passengers speculating about where they might be going there'll be this crowd of people letting the would be hijackers have it with everything they've got.

Only bit in that which doesn't make much sense is that "no foreign nationals eligible for employment". If every country assumes that only foreigners do stuff like that I'd see that as a reason to worry about complacency.

(And if you see a friend called Jack on a plane, for God's sake be careful how you greet him - a thoughtless "Hi Jack!..." and you are buried under a pile of magazines, glasses, cups of coffee, and shoes and smothered in blankets...)

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 02:44 PM

I've aso received this commetary and assumed it was the product of someone's fertile brain. It's true that any of us flying in the future will be carefully scrutinizing our fellow passengers. And I doubt that passengers and crew members will remain passive if there is an official announcing of a hijacking. I only hope that passenger vigilanties do not pile on the first Middle Eastern looking person they see in their zeal to protect themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: kendall
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 07:29 PM

I got notes from two airlines assuring me that security will be very tight, and they even hinted that there will be Sky Marshals aboard. Damn, I wish tey would let me take my gun with me to England.

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 07:29 PM

I'd much sooner travel on an airship. They'd move a lot slower, which gives more time to deal with situation like that.

Hell, you could jump off in a parachute even. And they'd do a lot less damage if they were crashed into a building.

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 07:35 PM

Yep, Kendall, as usual I am with you. I sure wish they would let me carry the Sig. But I am not worried about flying.......what the hell, you are going to die of something. I will be damned if any bunch of fanatics, or anyone else for that matter, is going to make me be afraid so that I waste even one second of the allotted time I have. Nope, I will jump right on and go.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 07:39 PM

I'd sooner take my chances with a bloke with a plastic knife than a hero with a gun in a pressurised aircraft, thanks very much. If I knew it was Big Mick or kendall perhaps, but...

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 07:42 PM

Nah, Kevin, you are right. While I know the level of Kendall's training, and mine is significant as well, still it is better not to have armed folks on the plane other than Sky Marshalls. Still, I would feel better about it..........

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: GUEST,Guest, Deda at home
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 08:12 PM

Sorry to bear bad news, but the following is an email my husband just got from an old pal who has worked for a US airline for many years, decades, as has his wife.

Subject: Email from a US Pilot Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2001

Removed by request of the poster

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 08:18 PM

A big tough friendly bloke in a suit of armour, but with no gun - that would be the kind of Air Marshall I'd want. A Wookie might be about right. But definitely not some John Wayne /Bruce Willis type.

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: kendall
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 08:22 PM

Beautiful. Fucking beautiful.

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 08:31 PM

Airships

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: R!
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 08:41 PM

I flew from Heathrow to Philadelphia yesterday (Sept 22) morning and was unable to detect ANY increase in the level of security. 'Tho the metal cutlery was replaced with plastic utensils and no action films were shown.

Subject: RE: BS: On Flying Now...
From: Amos
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 08:58 PM

Oh THAT'll handle the situation all right!! Terrorist hasn't been BORN who would board a plane where they were showing "Babe" or "Bambi". They wanna go down to the sounds of Sylvester Stallone and Dirty Harry, or they ain't going. Brilliant fucking solution that is!!

The message from Deda's friend is discouraging. If I were a rough tough investigative journalist I would be using the FOIA to pull all such reports regarding security failures and scandalize the jerks who could have done something effective and did not. It could be a whole Woodward and Berstein number with an inside informer known only as "Deep Cockpit", except that wouldn't get past the Nanny software.

A