Tsa Announces More Money For Flight Deck Officer Training
Eight million dollars will be available to continue training pilots as federal law enforcement officers authorized to carry guns in the cockpit, according to a budget review underway by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The availability of additional money this fiscal year means TSA can begin training more pilots by mid-summer. The funding was included in the Omnibus FY03 spending bill passed by Congress earlier this year. TSA will not disclose the exact number of pilots to be trained with the money.
The first class of Federal Flight Deck Officers (FFDO) were trained in April at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA. Forty-four students finished the class and are deputized as FFDOs.
The inaugural group of pilot candidates learned how to use a handgun and apply other defensive tactics in an effort to stop a terrorist or anyone else attempting to hijack an airplane in flight. Results from the class will be used to improve the training for future classes.
The new federal law enforcement officers were issued .40 caliber semi-automatic pistols to use in defense of the plane’s cockpit. Their training also included defensive tactics, instruction in the use of force, legal liability and information on how to safely transport their weapons.