Uechi-Ryu.com

Why not simply allow the market to take care of the problem? If I own an airplane (however large or small), am I not allowed to carry firearms on board? If I then allow my friends, colleages and associates and their friends, colleages and associates to charter my plane for their transportation needs, don't I have the right to allow them to carry firearms on board?

In other words, does the FAA have authority to prevent owners and passengers of general aviation aircraft (private airplanes) from carrying guns? There are certainly no metal detectors to go through when I hop into my friend's Cessna.

And if no such FAA authority exists, I predict that private, general aviation charter services will grow. For that matter, the FAA should just get out of the way and let all airlines decide for themselves what their firearms policies will be.

Wanna bet which airlines would do more business (or have a safer track record) in the future: those that allow guns or those that don't? Of course, we'll never find out because that would expose the the truth, and the truth and the best interests of the State are never compatible.

Yosselle

Panther's provcative posts,IMHO were to get us to think and discuss our thoughts, opinions and remedies or solutions if any to what are probably the toughest issues of this century.

If this means that there may be contoversy or lack of agreement, it is a means of causing us to think out what we each feel and discuss the problems.

I noticed that the later posts were charged with less emotion and more ideas.

I have not detected anyone (in this forum) advocating that we erode or abandon our constitutional rights.

One area of safety to the entire air traffic system has not been as yet fully implemented as a means of further promoting flight intellegence to the present state of the art.

What I mean is that the Air Traffic Control systems which monitor the flight of air traffic are relics from the late 60' or early 70's.

When I was doing my GI Bill flight training for the Commercial Pilot and Instrument Course from 1967 through 1969, I had visited many control towers and had been to Boston Center (actually in Nashua, NH) I was quite familiar with the nav/com equipment used at the time.

A couple of years ago and to my great surprise there were reports of system failures at BOS and many other airports.
The articles stated that down time was aggravated by the fact the the ancient equipment in use required parts (tubes?) which were stocked by few suppliers.

Pictures of the equipment in use at BOS (Logan) appeared to me to be the same in use when I was in flight school!

The airliners and aircraft of today have redundant and state of the art nav/com systems which make the ground systems look like 2 cups and a roll of string.

I know that the FAA is implementing modernization, but the time table is too long and the budget too weak.

With a proper intergrated computerized system which would be compatable with today's aircraft, vital information for safety and security could be assimilated and utilized.

It is pure conjecture to say that such a system would have been of use in the WTC/Pentagon tragedies, but perhaps programs which could spot the ticketing process purchased through a single credit card and create a caveat to monitors.

Better systems information could have probably allowed caused the fighters to be dispatched sooner.

Arthur Wolk, an FAA Security Systems company expert advocated martial arts training for flight staff on a TV interview this week, and advocated armed air marshalls who would have ammunition loads which would not penetrate the hull of aircraft.

Just a few thoughts.

Alan K

I started this thread over a week ago...

Reread the original post. Then recall (or go read the text of) the speech that was made last night. Then think about the reactions of all those in attendance (and I suspect most of those watching)...

All it takes is to look back at history and see how it will repeat itself...