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CNN Live At Daybreak

Packing Heat: Training for Pilots

Aired February 20, 2003 - 05:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: By this spring, some commercial airline pilots could be packing heat, you know, carrying guns in the cockpit. But first, the Transportation Security Administration recommends pilots take five days of training and even psychological testing.
Patty Davis tells us more about that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Air marshals aren't the only ones who will be armed on commercial airline flights. Starting next month, the Transportation Security Administration will train pilots to use guns, too.

ROBERT JOHNSON, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR: We are training pilots to protect and defend a very limited space inside the aircraft, that being the cockpit. That is their only official jurisdiction as federal flight deck officers. That's what they will be trained to defend.

DAVIS: Last November, President Bush signed legislation giving pilots guns if they want to carry one. The TSA has been focusing on carrying out that mandate.

Wednesday, a TSA task force recommended five days or 48 hours of pilot training, psychological testing and background checks. Pilots will carry federally issued 40 caliber semiautomatic pistols. While in the cockpit, pilots would carry the gun in a holster. Pilots groups like that. What they don't like is this, off duty they would be required to take the gun off, put it in a lock box and carry it in a nondescript bag.

AL AITKEN, ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION: We believe that the method of carries that they propose will lend itself to theft of our weapons and loss of our weapons when it's out of our immediate control.

DAVIS: Despite their reservations, thousands of pilots have applied to carry guns.

(on camera): The first group to be trained includes just 48 pilots. Your pilot could be packing heat within a couple of months.

Patty Davis, CNN, at Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 20, 2003 - 05:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: By this spring, some commercial airline pilots could be packing heat, you know, carrying guns in the cockpit. But first, the Transportation Security Administration recommends pilots take five days of training and even psychological testing.
Patty Davis tells us more about that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Air marshals aren't the only ones who will be armed on commercial airline flights. Starting next month, the Transportation Security Administration will train pilots to use guns, too.

ROBERT JOHNSON, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR: We are training pilots to protect and defend a very limited space inside the aircraft, that being the cockpit. That is their only official jurisdiction as federal flight deck officers. That's what they will be trained to defend.

DAVIS: Last November, President Bush signed legislation giving pilots guns if they want to carry one. The TSA has been focusing on carrying out that mandate.

Wednesday, a TSA task force recommended five days or 48 hours of pilot training, psychological testing and background checks. Pilots will carry federally issued 40 caliber semiautomatic pistols. While in the cockpit, pilots would carry the gun in a holster. Pilots groups like that. What they don't like is this, off duty they would be required to take the gun off, put it in a lock box and carry it in a nondescript bag.

AL AITKEN, ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION: We believe that the method of carries that they propose will lend itself to theft of our weapons and loss of our weapons when it's out of our immediate control.

DAVIS: Despite their reservations, thousands of pilots have applied to carry guns.

(on camera): The first group to be trained includes just 48 pilots. Your pilot could be packing heat within a couple of months.

Patty Davis, CNN, at Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com