WASHINGTON – As the number of armed pilots aboard U.S. jetliners has steadily expanded in recent years, the program is showing signs of growing pains. Pilots and their labor groups complain about a lack of supervision and the difficulty in finding time to participate in training courses.
Worried that pilots’ handgun skills may be eroding, federal security officials are launching a refresher training program next month. Armed pilots must attend a two-day mandatory course at a training facility near Atlantic City, N.J., three to five years after getting their guns.
Some pilots have already taken prototype refresher courses that are being evaluated by authorities, said officials with the Federal Air Marshal Service, which runs the program.
“Using a weapon is a perishable skill, and we want to ensure they have the appropriate training,” said John Novak, an assistant director with the air marshal service. “We are taking the law enforcement culture and applying it to the experienced professionals of the aviation community.”
The controversial gun program, which started in 2003, was backed enthusiastically by pilots and their unions as a way to prevent terrorist hijackings after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. When the program began, union officials said as many as 30,000 pilots would eventually carry firearms in cockpits.
The number of armed pilots is well short of that number, but there are now more armed pilots than there are federal air marshals, according to sources familiar with the program.
To be allowed to carry handguns in cockpits, pilots undergo psychological testing and a seven-day training course. They must visit a firing range to demonstrate their shooting skills every six months. So far, there have been no incidents in which a pilot has fired his weapon aboard an airliner.
Pilots said the refresher course was a good idea but could prompt some to leave the program. Those who participate are not paid for their time. They also are not reimbursed for travel, lodging or food expenses.
“This is going to cost me $2,000,” said one pilot, who spoke on condition of anonymity because his membership in the program does not permit him to speak publicly. “If this was a really great program, they would treat us like adults.”
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