There needs to be a National call for pilots to be armed and trained to handle threats.  The very fact that some of these attacks could have been prevented, makes me sick and infuriated.

Pilots are trained to handle every contingency that may arise.  Their jobs and lives depend on their ability to do the right thing in the face of extreme danger.

Yet, every time those pilots go to work, they are specifically disarmed, as is every passenger.

Today we see the sad result of disarming the good guys.

Anybody have any ideas or suggestions on how we can open up a national debate about this?

They used to have sky marshalls, back when hijackings were rife in the 60's/70's. Like a Deputy on board.

I can't help but think of Un. Consequences and the delrin (?) or plastic slugs described in the book that were used in handgun ammo used to take out the enemy on planes. Also, the cockpit needs to be firewalled and secured from the rest of the plane so that the cabin can be sealed off & bulletproof, locked from the inside.

An armed guard in the back and a secure cockpit are two measures which shold be immediately considered.

We should also immediately terminate all known terrorists, anywhere, regardless of whether they did this or something else. Kill them all, and let Allah sort them out! [sniper]

The answer may be as simple as securing the cockpit from passenger access.  Right now, there is only minimal physical separation between passengers and the cockpit in most commercial aircraft.  I disagree with the concept of the flight crew bringing firearms on board; they can be turned against the crew, perhaps giving the hijacker a more effective weapon in some cases.

I can tell you that part of the SOP for the US Marshals "Con Air" flights is that the pilots will not open that door no matter what is happening in back (forget what you've seen in the movies).  There is also another part to this procedure that I won't disclose, but the mandate is to get the plane safely on the ground and then sort things out there.

[size=6]Amen[/size=6]

Well, I guess that if members on this board think that it's a bad idea, then my idea is doomed.  Funny thing is people are comfortable with the idea of Marshals and other Leo's being armed.  A ridiculous double standard, but that's just my opinion.  The idea of sealing the flight deck is a good one, though impractical.  It will probably be implemented in some form.

I think a secure cockpit and arming of the crew (with aggressive training) should be implimented.  

Damn straight.

They need to have someoned armed with ammo that will not pierce the cabin, all the flight attendents need to have something like pepper spray and trained on how to use it, and a damn big YES on the crew having a firewall and the crew having access to it.

HOW the FUCK did assholes armed with box cutters and knives do this shit?!?! and how the fuck did they overpower 80 other people on the plane!?? If I see someone with a knife trying to take over a plane, I am going to charge that asshole and kick, bite, claw, punch, jab as much as I can. Sure I will get stabbed, but hopefuly there will be 20 others doing the same to bring this guy down. Why not?! I know I am going to die anyways!

And another thing, make airport security so damn tight that it will take us 2 hours to get through! That is the price we will pay so that nothing like this will ever happen again.