Budget Cut for "Armed Pilots" Program

[RoyGBiv]

Yes... Sometimes I read CNN.
It's a "know your enemy" thing.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/13/us/budget ... =allsearch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Obama's proposed 2013 budget cuts in half funds for the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program. The current budget of $25 million a year -- which goes for such things as conducting background checks, training the pilots, and periodic gun proficiency tests and retraining, in addition to administrative costs -- would be cut to $12 million.

The thousands of armed pilots, who greatly outnumber the better-known federal air marshals, volunteer for the job, train at federal academies and are deputized to use their weapons in the cockpit. They call themselves the "single most cost-effective counter-terrorism measure" the government has taken.

The federal government spends about $15 a flight for FFDOs, as armed pilots are called, compared to $3,000 per flight for federal air marshals, said Mike Karn, vice president of the Federal Flight Deck Officers Association. Those numbers are based on costs of the respective programs divided by the number of flights covered by armed pilots and air marshals.

[gdanaher]

Let me understand. If it took $25 M a year during the time period when the pilots were being trained and vetted, why would it continue to take the same budget once they are trained, vetted, and on the job? New pilots might be added on an annual basis, but the rush is over. What am I missing here?

[i8godzilla]

Can someone tell me how many terrorist attacks were stopped by the FFDO program? Come to think about it, other than the typical unruly passenger, what have the Air Marshals stopped?

Were both the shoe bomber and underwear stopped by passengers?

[RoyGBiv]

Can someone tell me how many terrorist attacks were stopped by the FFDO program?

Sarcasm?

IMO, if it costs $25M to keep the program running, it's cheap enough that all we need to do is add $0.10 to every airline ticket to pay for it. And politically speaking.... Is the WH actually proud about saving $12 from our last line of mid-air defense, rather than focusing on fixing the trillion dollar problems we have in healthcare, SS and medicaid.? This is an excellent cost saving measure for our President to brag about.

[i8godzilla]

Can someone tell me how many terrorist attacks were stopped by the FFDO program?

Sarcasm?

IMO, if it costs $25M to keep the program running, it's cheap enough that all we need to do is add $0.10 to every airline ticket to pay for it. And politically speaking.... Is the WH actually proud about saving $12 from our last line of mid-air defense, rather than focusing on fixing the trillion dollar problems we have in healthcare, SS and medicaid.? This is an excellent cost saving measure for our President to brag about.

Not really. This program has been in place since 2003. $25M a year for almost 10 years is a lot of cash for ZERO results.

There are really only two major headlines this program has produced:

On March 24, 2008, a US Airways pilot's gun accidentally went off on Flight 1536 from Denver to Charlotte, North Carolina. The pilot was a Federal Flight Deck Officer and was authorized to carry the weapon by the US Transportation Security Administration. No one was injured and the aircraft landed safely.According to the pilot, the gun fired while he was trying to stow it. The bullet went through the side of the cockpit and tore a small hole in the exterior of the plane. The plane was pulled from service for repairs.

On January 13, 2011, a JetBlue pilot's bag carrying his gun was accidentally picked up by a passenger flying to West Palm Beach, Florida. When the passenger realized the bag wasn't hers, she notified a flight attendant.

This program would cost less:
(Okay, now it is sarcasm!)
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=CLjNJI54GMM[/youtube]

[tbrown]

Can someone tell me how many terrorist attacks were stopped by the FFDO program?

At least twice as many as the whole TSA.

[RoyGBiv]

Can someone tell me how many terrorist attacks were stopped by the FFDO program?

So.. I see what you're saying here... It's tempting to say that it's impossible to prove a negative, but, that's not what you mean... so.. All I can say is... with a gun in the cockpit, and a door that can delay a BG long enough to ready and aim said gun, no BG is gonna take over my flight and fly me into a building. I might get blown up, but not turned into a missile. That's a tangible result to me. One fewer worry when I fly. >$25 M in value? Yes, easily. I understand you disagree. Peace.

[G26ster]

Can someone tell me how many terrorist attacks were stopped by the FFDO program? Come to think about it, other than the typical unruly passenger, what have the Air Marshals stopped?

Same number of BGs you stopped because you carry, and have weapons at home for HD.

[Kythas]

I understand the program and believe it has value.

My question is: why does it cost $25 million per year to let a pilot carry a gun on board? How does letting him walk around the metal detectors at the TSA checkpoint cost this much money?

I know - there's bureaucracy involved. I'm only half kidding, though. I seriously don't understand why it would cost anything, really.

[Lambda Force]

I understand the program and believe it has value.

My question is: why does it cost $25 million per year to let a pilot carry a gun on board? How does letting him walk around the metal detectors at the TSA checkpoint cost this much money?

I know - there's bureaucracy involved. I'm only half kidding, though. I seriously don't understand why it would cost anything, really.

It's the government. It would make too much sense to run a NICS check once a year for a few pennies each. They could charge the pilots $10 for a 10 year license and make a profit if it wasn't for the bloated bureaucrazies.

[The Mad Moderate]

I don't understand why there would need to be additional background checks for pilots to carry, as far as I know they already have to go through an extensive check just to be pilots. The 25 million a year is crazy, a box of ammo is not that expensive, paper targets are a dime a dozen, why not just make sure they can shoot and put a special code on the badge they carry anyways.

[Liberty]

How much did it cost for that fancy holster with lock in it?

[Paladin]

Beyond passengers themselves, the armed pilots program is one of our nations best defenses. It is a program in the tradition that created our nation. The Obama administration just wants to spend more money (they already spent $1billion) on naked-scanners that don't work and more time molesting women and children.

[Bennies]

Found this on an aviation board. This guy certainly is not helping the cause of keeping the program funded. Apparently this guy was really out there as a pilot as well and has now been fired from not one but two airlines. All FFDOs I know are extremely outstanding proffesionals. I don't know what this guy was thinking.
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/air ... /#comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[i8godzilla]

I wonder if this pilot was part of the program?

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nati ... ?track=rss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Once again, the PASSENGERS took control.