{"id":3175,"date":"2001-09-21T15:01:26","date_gmt":"2001-09-21T20:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smperformance.wordpress.com\/?p=3175"},"modified":"2001-09-21T15:01:26","modified_gmt":"2001-09-21T20:01:26","slug":"stratvantage-consulting-llc-mikes-take-on-the-news-091801-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stratvantage.com\/index.php\/2001\/09\/21\/stratvantage-consulting-llc-mikes-take-on-the-news-091801-2\/","title":{"rendered":"StratVantage Consulting, LLC — Mike’s Take on the News 09\/21\/01"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
\n

From Evernote:<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

StratVantage Consulting, LLC — Mike’s Take on the News 09\/21\/01<\/h1>\n

Clipped from: http:\/\/www.stratvantage.com\/news\/092101.htm<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

T<\/strong>he News \u2013 09\/21\/01<\/h1>\n

In this Issue:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Guns On Planes As A Solution?<\/strong> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What\u2019s Wrong With This Picture?<\/strong><\/strong> I don\u2019t know about you, but I worry about recent statements recommending that Federal marshals with guns be stationed on airplanes.<\/strong> I always assumed that the risk of catastrophic decompression or other really bad outcome due to discharging a firearm on a plane was quite high.<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the site, KeepAndBearArms.com (now, let\u2019s consider the source here), it ain\u2019t necessarily so.<\/strong> First of all, you could use pre-fragmented \u201csafety slugs\u201d designed not to penetrate walls or ricochet from hard surfaces.<\/strong> Great. But even if you put a hole or two in the side of the fuselage, you could plug it with an airplane pillow, according to the site, which quotes a couple of self-identified aircraft engineers on the subject.<\/strong> They say the risk of a single bullet causing massive structural failure of these \u201cbulldozers in the sky\u201d is very slim.<\/strong> Of course, they don\u2019t worry too much about what would happen if the bullet happened to shoot out a window or penetrate the fuel tanks in the wings.<\/strong> One of the \u201cengineers\u201d says that he \u201cread someplace\u201d that a 747 could keep flying with four windows blown out.<\/strong> Of course, several passengers might get \u201cextruded\u201d in the process, but I guess you should learn to accept that kind of collateral damage.<\/strong> Anyway, the site seems to be advocating that normal folks be able to fly while armed, arguing, \u201cConcealed carry permit holders are among the most lawful people in our society.<\/strong>\u201d OK, now I\u2019m really scared.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s not take leave of our senses here, folks.<\/strong> It\u2019s OK with me if you\u2019re a gun advocate. But get a clue: Arming all air passengers would arm the stinking bad guys, too!<\/strong> <\/strong>Hello? All a terrorist has to do in this scenario is get a conceal carry permit, perhaps with stolen credentials.<\/strong> The idea of arming passengers is looney, and typical of the type of knee jerk overreaction we\u2019ve heard a lot of since the disaster.<\/strong> Never one to be outdone in the knee jerk category, our Congress has proposed a bill named H.<\/strong>R. 2896 — Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 <\/a> that would allow pilots to be armed.<\/strong> Now I feel safer. Let\u2019s see. Who was it that brought down EgyptAir 990 <\/a> into Long Island Sound?<\/strong> Could it have been the pilot?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong.<\/strong> I\u2019d much rather have pilots armed than passengers, but, let\u2019s face it: Pilots are not immune to mental illness, marital problems, depression, bigotry, hatred, or other antisocial behaviors.<\/strong> Some have even flown drunk <\/a>. Nevertheless, we do entrust them with our lives, and the vast majority of the time they come through.<\/strong> I\u2019m not saying pilots shouldn\u2019t have the ability to respond to a hijacking situation, but placing a very dangerous weapon in their hands (one that can be stolen and used against them) while they are dealing with flying the plane and keeping the crew and passengers calm may not be the smartest thing.<\/strong> Has anyone ever heard of sub-lethal weapons <\/a>, for crying out loud?<\/strong> Please write <\/a> Republican Representative Ron Paul of Texas, who sponsored the bill, and express your feelings.<\/strong> I\u2019d like to suggest that it be amended to allow the carrying of sub-lethal weapons designed to protect against a terrorist attack.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While we\u2019re on the subject of preventing skyjacking, wouldn\u2019t it make more sense if, instead of the primitive tech of a bullet, we used the modern technology called fly-by-wire (FBW)?<\/strong> Modern passenger jets such as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 777 (as well as many modern fighter jets) utilize FBW technology.<\/strong> What it means is the plane\u2019s controls are not mechanically connected to the control surfaces of the plane, and all pilot actions can be modified by computers.<\/strong> In the case of the Airbus <\/a>, hard limits are placed on what the pilot can ask the plane to do.<\/strong> If the pilot tries to take an action that would make the plane stall or crash into a building, for example, computers override the action and attempt to carry it out within acceptable limits of control.<\/strong> Boeing allows the pilot to override the computer, believing that the human has a better grasp on the situation.<\/strong> Well, what if there was a ground override that would enable airline officials to cause the plane to land and not respond to cockpit inputs?<\/strong> Or perhaps just programming a building avoidance routine would do the trick.<\/strong> Wouldn\u2019t that take care of the hijacking problem?<\/p>\n

Of course, such as system would need to be completely hacker-proof or it could be neutralized or co-opted by terrorists or antisocial script kiddies.<\/strong> Despite my misgivings about the security of secure systems, I for one would feel much more comfortable with such a system than with guns on board.<\/strong> Of course, having said that, the folks at KeepAndBearArms.com might want to put my picture in their rogues\u2019 gallery <\/a> of gun opponents, right next to Stalin and Hitler.<\/strong><\/p>\n

KeepAndBearArms.com <\/a><\/p>\n

Briefly Noted<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n