If pilots were equipped with firearms, would this truly make airplanes safer for passengers?

Topic:
Law Debates

19 Contributors
in this discussion.

Yes
47% of users

  • I do think that airplanes would be safer if the pilots had firearms, because they could defend the cockpit.

    If pilots were allowed to carry firearms onto airplanes, in the case of a hijacking, they could stop the hijackers before they took over the cockpit, thereby stopping any chance they have of flying the plane into buildings. I think 9/11 has changed the way we have to think, and the safety of the pilots, passengers and people on the ground is what we have to think about.

    Yes MundaneEdward45

  • I am in favor of pilots being equipped with firearms; this would allow them to defend themselves and passengers in case of a hijacking situation.

    A pilot who was properly trained and equipped with a firearm could be a huge asset in a dangerous hijacking situation. Current hijackers seem to rely on the fact that they can overtake a pilot and control the airplane. By taking that factor out of their fight, you have a good chance to reduce the amount of hijackings in the world.

    Yes LudicrousCaleb80

  • Keep Guns secret

    Do not tell the public that airline piolets have guns on them. Keep it secret and so that when the hijackers attempt to hijack the plane, the piolet will have a not so pleasent surprise for them. Piolots should use a small enough, special made bullit, that would not allow itself the ability to exit the human body which would then defeat all argument of a piolet hurting an inocent passenger along with the hijacker(s) being elimated. Just big enough to kill the target, yet small enough to harm others.

    Yes Anonymous

  • I agree that this would make the flight somewhat safer, though I'm not sure how much, because pilots could defend the cockpit.

    Although I'm more in favor of having a couple of air marshals with firearms stationed at various parts of the plane, I think giving the pilot a gun would at least protect the cockpit from being overrun, and that would give passengers some peace of mind. The plane could perhaps keep flying no matter what else was happening.

    Yes AlondraH

  • No, because I think locked cockpits are a safer alternative to armed airline crews.

    I think locked, bullet-proof cockpits are a safer alternative and better terrorism preventative than armed airline crews. Firearms can always be wrestled away from the "good guys" by villains, and good guys can turn bad if they are disgruntled workers, or just having a really bad day. Locked cockpits serve as a preventative because terrorists know they can't hijack the plane.

    Yes Th4Fire

  • I don't believe that pilots being equipped with firearms would make airlines safer.

    I don't even understand why that would ever make airlines safe, pilot is not trained to be a police officer. Giving a person a gun on an airplane is not going to make the flight any safer. Maybe it would be okay if the pilot goes through strict training on how to use the gun and on how to protect people. I don't see that happening though.

    Yes LorenaH

  • Arming pilots would improve security on plans because they could defend themselves and in turn keep the whole plane safe.

    Arming pilots would help them as the last line of defense on a plane to keep the plane safe from being taken over. The pilots typically have nothing to defend themselves with and if a terrorist were to try to take over the cockpit they would be able to pretty much unhindered. This is a not a good thing because we don't want this to occur. Arming pilots would also cause people who were thinking of taking over a plane to know that they will face opposition on all sides. In the end the most important thing is keeping the people on the plane safe and if that means arming the pilot then by all means it is necessary.

    Yes T Richmond

  • Armed pilots would make it very safe, but they should be responsible.

    I think it is a very clear choice for many aircraft pilots to hold onto an armed weapon because that could potentially save many lives if a passenger is either a corrupt terrorist or they also have brought guns or a bomb onto the airplane. This would be safer if the pilot also intends to use them the right way and not on purpose.

    Yes waffletime

  • With proper training and background checks, armed pilots would add to security aboard airplanes.

    In order to carry arms, pilots should be able to competently use the weapon and be given background checks and training on how to make decisions to use the weapon. Just knowing that a pilot was armed would be discouraging to criminals, and would be comforting to passengers. Pilots have faced weapons and need to be able to fight back for themselves, their crew, and their passengers.

    Yes babydoll93
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No
53% of users

  • I do not think that making pilots responsible for their own security by giving them guns makes the airplane safer for passengers, because it would distract them from their job.

    I think that giving pilots guns and implying that they might need to defend themselves only distracts them from their jobs and, by extension, actually makes passengers less safe. I think having armed and trained guards on planes is a far safer choice, rather than arming the pilots.

    No ToughEfrain26

  • I do not believe that pilots equipped with firearms would make airplanes safer for passengers, since too many things can go wrong if a firearm falls into the wrong hands.

    I believe pilots carrying firearms is an excessive use of control on an airplane filled with innocent passengers. If people who wish to do harm on an airplane are aware that the pilots are equipped with firearms, they may find a way to use the firearms themselves. Also, if pilots have a problem on a plane with an unruly passenger, they may be inclined to use the power that carrying a firearm brings, and use it at the wrong time, which could possibly bring unwanted casualties to a seemingly routine problem on an airplane.

    No AbsorbedWilliams

  • Having pilots equipped with firearms would not make airplanes safer because there is a lot more to gun safety than just giving someone a gun.

    There has to be a lot more training involved than just giving someone a gun to use as protection. You have to know how to use a gun. You also have to possess some combat skills in case someone wants to fight you for the gun. If you do not, the gun could be used against you.

    No eyeslikethat

  • Equipping pilots with firearms does not make airplanes safer for passengers - it makes them less secure.

    Pilots don't need to be equipped with firearms to make the passengers on their flights safer. In the past, US Marshall's have been assigned to ride on planes when air travel safety is in alert mode. The Marshall's sit out in the plane along with the passengers and are much more ready, alert, and capable of responding to threats than would be the pilots who are seated behind locked doors and in the flight control compartment. Pilots would not be able to respond to threats as quickly as people who are seated among the passengers.

    No ep0xihusky

  • No, pilots having firearms would not be safer, because a gun on a plane is not safe.

    My main concern here is that firearms are being brought on planes, when there might not actually be any on there already. So, if some random person on the plane was able to get a hold of that gun, then they would definitely be able to do something dangerous to everyone.

    No 5h4d35Joe

  • Equipping pilots with firearms would not make airplanes safer for passengers because pilots should be concentrating on flying.

    Pilots should not be equipped with firearms. They should concentrate on flying the plane. Fighting villains would take away from the task of flying and keeping the passengers safe. If anyone should carry a firearm, it could be a guard or other worker on the plane.

    No EImerN4th

  • This is situation-dependent, but in most cases, it would likely make no difference.

    My answer of "no" to this question is lukewarm. In the case where hijackers were attacking a plane with knives or box-cutters, firearms could disable them, but in most cases, hijackers will have something like firearms or explosives. In this case, a pilot brandishing a firearm could actually provoke the hijackers into shooting someone or blowing up the plane, maybe prematurely causing deaths when the hijackers could have been talked down.

    No 54uIIan

  • Guns are bad!

    Pilots should absolutely not have guns on airplanes. Seriously, it is bad enough that people on the ground have them, never mind in mid-air! There would be immense safety issues if someone was to consider firing a gun on an airborne plane for starters. That for me, would be a less safe environment because if that gun is fired on the plane, it could damage the plane, damage me, or damage other passengers.

    No MentM4j3r3

  • No, the presence of a firearm on the plane would make it less safe.

    With the Transportation Safety Administration devoting billions of dollars and many thousands of man-hours to passengers and luggage for dangerous items, it seems ridiculous to intentionally place a firearm aboard what should be a safe plane to start with. The risks of someone else getting their hands on the gun far outweigh the potential safety benefits.

    No ZxcutieGeorg

  • I do not believe that arming pilots would make airplanes safer for passengers because arming pilots would only increase the intensity of planned attacks once it became public knowledge that pilots now carry firearms.

    I believe arming pilots would not result in greater passenger safety because once it became public knowledge that they were carrying firearms it would change how enemies approach their attempts to harm airline passengers. So it wouldn't deter them but would only result in a change of tactics when attacking an airplane. It might result in a more violent and overt type of attack or possibly just different tactics to get to the pilot.

    No TasticBran
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If pilots were equipped with firearms, would this truly make airplanes safer for passengers?
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