26 August 2003
Pilots win right to carry AK-47s
Fitting missiles to planes may be next
WASHINGTON --
Airline pilots, who have been unhappy with the pace of weapons training
approved by the government last November under the Federal Flight Deck
Officers (FFDO) program, have now received permission from Congress to carry assault
rifles in the cockpits of commercial airliners.
In response to this action from the government, a spokesperson for the
Airline Pilots Union (APU) stated, "By
allowing pilots to pack automatic weapons, we will be better able to
protect our aircraft and in turn protect life, liberty, and the American
way. Moreover, our members believe these weapons to be real chick magnets."
The new directive called the Federal Assault Rifle Capitulation Effort,
or FARCE, allows any pilot who submits a completed one-page
application and $17 to the Transportation Security Administration to purchase a fully automatic assault rifle and carry
it with him while on or off duty.
In a related business move, The Boeing Company, believing that congress
will continue to yield to the wishes of the APU, has set up an
advanced development program to explore retrofitting 737's with
air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.
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