Flying The Unfriendly Skies

posted on June 18, 2015

When expensive stuff that doesn’t work trumps cost-effective stuff that does, we often smell “big government” meddling. Such appears to be the case with the $1 billion/year Federal Air Marshal program, which puts marshals on a relatively few select flights at a cost of $3,300 per. Ouch.

Don’t misunderstand: The program is probably an essential element in post-9/11 “risk-based” defenses against hijacking. The problem arises with another tier of the defense that TSA appears desperate to scrap—armed pilots. At a cost of $17—almost 200 times less—it would seem a logical and economical choice. And it has the potential to cover vastly more flights.

But TSA leadership doesn’t like the program for myriad reasons, at least one of which appears to be craven self-interest at the top: Only by growing TSA headcount and budget do TSA big-wigs make more money themselves, so arming non-employee pilots has little appeal. 

Latest

The Armed Citizen
The Armed Citizen

The Armed Citizen® December 4, 2023

True stories of the right to keep and bear arms.

NRA 2023 Year In Review

None of this would be possible without the enduring support of NRA members.

A Fact Check of Gov. Newsom and Gov. DeSantis on Crime and Guns

To paraphrase the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, they are entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.

Montana’s AG Explains Why NRA v. Vullo is a Critical Supreme Court Case

“Government should not be able to come in and act like the mafia,” says Montana Attorney General Knudsen.

The Armed Citizen® December 1, 2023

True stories of the right to keep and bear arms.

Interests



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.