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Obama wants to disarm airline pilots

By Janice Wood · March 19, 2009 ·

The Obama administration is quietly taking steps to shut down the program that qualifies commercial airline pilots to carry firearms in jetliner cockpits in order to ward off another 9/11-type attack, according to a March 18 Newsmax story by David A. Patten.

The administration recently diverted $2 million from a program to train and certify pilots to carry firearms safely while on duty, Patten wrote, summarizing a March 17 report in the Washington Times. Instead, it is using the money to hire additional field inspectors to help discipline pilots who step out of line, he wrote.

On the same day, a Washington Times editorial condemned the Obama administration’s action, calling it “completely unnecessary harassment of the pilots.”

Since Obama took office, the approval process for certifying pilots to carry firearms has ground to a halt, the newspaper reported. Pilots are afraid to speak out about the behind-the-scenes maneuverings, for fear of retaliation, according to the newspaper. No cases have been reported in which pilots have brandished a weapon inappropriately or otherwise abused their eligibility to carry firearms.

To read the full text of Patten’s article: http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_airline_pilots/2009/03/18/193314.html?s=al&promo_code=7C69-1

About Janice Wood

Janice Wood is editor of General Aviation News.

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Comments

  1. Kris Anderson says

    March 20, 2009 at 9:00 am

    If their going to divert the money, then put it toward the NexGen System instead of something wasteful.

    Being stupid must be a requirement to be a politician.

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