Canada - Air marshals: Canada's secret weapons in war on terror

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/789883--air-marshals-canada-s-secret-weapons-in-war-on-terror?bn=1

OTTAWA–If you're a frequent flyer, chances are you've sat beside one of them as they played the role of business person jetting to Europe, vacationer headed down south or passenger flying to a U.S. city.

Settled into their seats, they look no different than the hundreds of other passengers crowded into the big Boeing or Airbus jet, a newspaper or magazine on their lap, BlackBerry in hand.

No different, that is, except for their semi-automatic handgun tucked discreetly out of sight, their specialized martial arts training for fighting in close quarters, and a readiness to vault out of their seats to take on – and take out – a suicidal hijacker or bomber at 31,000 feet.

These are frequent flyers with bite. They are one of Canada's secret weapons in the war on terror, a cadre of highly trained officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who serve as inflight security officers on Canadian commercial flights around the globe.

Sat beside one on YYZ-LHR recently.

Sat beside one on YYZ-LHR recently.

Pretty obvious, eh?

what a waste of money. I was told they are often on the flight YYZ-Regan airport in washington.

More money wasted and taking up valuable seats!

The article states "Candidates also need superb conditioning to be ready to fight in a pressurized cabin where the air is thin. And they need the mental skills to be able to shrug off jet lag and leap into action.

"You're in tight confines, close quarters and things are going to happen very fast. As a result, your skills – fighting, shooting – have to happen very fast as well," the commander said. "If they're into an intervention, they are also fighting for their lives," he said."

Dont we all do this just to get to the bathroom or a cup of coffee?:D:D

"You're in tight confines, close quarters and things are going to happen very fast. As a result, your skills – fighting, shooting – have to happen very fast as well," the commander said. "If they're into an intervention, they are also fighting for their lives," he said."

Dont we all do this just to get to the bathroom or a cup of coffee?:D:D

or to stop the Y's from heading to the front washrooms.

But do they get to keep their FF miles?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/canada/1070582-air-marshals-canadas-secret-weapons-war-terror.html

;)

Sat beside one on YYZ-LHR recently.

Did you find out by conversation or observation?

No wonder I missed it, never read the Canada forum. Did read it in the actual paper version of the Star this morning. What a useless profession and waste of our money. The chances of an air marshall being on a hijacked plane is 1 in 200 million. Utter folly. Where were they on the NW flight since LHR-US is supposed to be a key route?

More money wasted and taking up valuable seats!

The article states "Candidates also need superb conditioning to be ready to fight in a pressurized cabin where the air is thin. And they need the mental skills to be able to shrug off jet lag and leap into action.

"You're in tight confines, close quarters and things are going to happen very fast. As a result, your skills – fighting, shooting – have to happen very fast as well," the commander said. "If they're into an intervention, they are also fighting for their lives," he said."


My money is on the Dutch guy.

Security theatre at its absurdest.

How does this "air marshall" discover and stop a guy pulling explosives out of his underwear?

And how does a single air marshall monitor a large plane like a 777, that effectively has 4 or 5 different cabins? Or stay awake and alert for 17 hours?

On a recent long haul flight I walked through the entire J cabin to find that I was the only person not sleeping. So if the air marshall was way back in row 63 so he could keep an eye on "everything" ahead of him (hard to keep an eye on what's going on behind you) how would he know if something was going on in the forward-most galley, before it was actually all over?

On the other hand, I suppose they could just recruit from the Richmond Airport detachment.

More money wasted and taking up valuable seats!

My thoughts exactly.

Security theatre at its absurdest.
[deleted]
On the other hand, I suppose they could just recruit from the Richmond Airport detachment.

4 of those gave 5 Tasers to a guy in 25 seconds flat?

deleted

Well Done and I think its great! ^

4 of those gave 5 Tasers to a guy in 25 seconds flat?

We need 4 Air Marshalls per plane or how will they Taser a guy:p

sounds like a movie.....great theoretical concept......

i wonder how it will work in reality with hundreds of hystreical / confused passengers in a panic mode.... some cannot understand english or french.......

i wonder how it will work in reality with hundreds of hystreical / confused passengers in a panic mode.... some cannot understand english or french.......

If I recall correctly, Underwear Man was subdued by another pax. I would think that this would be somewhat "normal" beheviour in this circumstance - someone threatening the plane would be accosted by whoever happens to be sitting more or less nearby.

Now add to this a marshall or 2 (or 3 or 4 ...) who suddenly pull a pistol or taser or whatever they use. Honestly if I saw a guy pull a gun-like device and I was close enough, I'd sucker puch him at minimum.

Where were they on the NW flight since LHR-US is supposed to be a key route?

Perhaps they were on LHR-US flights, and that is exactly why they missed him ;)

Did you find out by conversation or observation?

Perhaps he/she was wearing a shirt that said "UNDERCOVER POLICE OFFICER"?

Any officer to reveal their identity via conversation would be promptly re-assigned to Sachs Harbour... so I wouldn't consider that a realistic possibility.

Well if they were anything as subtle as the ones that boarded a flight from Miami to Washington a while back then they boarded first, looked like cops, kept their jackets on, and so obviously eyeballed everyone as they got on then they just slide into the background. I suppose that if the intention was to act as an obvious deterrent then mission accomplished.

Perhaps he/she was wearing a shirt that said "UNDERCOVER POLICE OFFICER"?

Any officer to reveal their identity via conversation would be promptly re-assigned to Sachs Harbour... so I wouldn't consider that a realistic possibility.

I wouldn't expect someone to say "Hi I'm an air marshal", however over the course of the flight and having a lengthy conversation it may have become clear.

If their job was figured out by observing mannerism's and interactions then others on the plane may well have deduced the same thing and the effectiveness of the marshal would be greatly reduced.

Any officer to reveal their identity via conversation would be promptly re-assigned to Sachs Harbour... so I wouldn't consider that a realistic possibility.

It is a realistic possibility -- as has happened -- for such persons to reveal their identity via conversation without being re-assigned in the manner you suggest.

Well if they were anything as subtle as the ones that boarded a flight from Miami to Washington a while back then they boarded first, looked like cops, kept their jackets on, and so obviously eyeballed everyone as they got on then they just slide into the background. I suppose that if the intention was to act as an obvious deterrent then mission accomplished.

They don't act as an obvious deterrent to bombs, and armed law enforcement officers are much more needed on the ground than in the air when it comes to dealing with other armed persons.

Anyone who even considers launching a high-speed projectile in a pressure dome is a moron. Period.

Obvious "needs of the many/needs of the few" exception applies (plane is about to be run into Big Building X at 2:30 on a Monday).

If I recall correctly, Underwear Man was subdued by another pax. I would think that this would be somewhat "normal" beheviour in this circumstance - someone threatening the plane would be accosted by whoever happens to be sitting more or less nearby.

Now add to this a marshall or 2 (or 3 or 4 ...) who suddenly pull a pistol or taser or whatever they use. Honestly if I saw a guy pull a gun-like device and I was close enough, I'd sucker puch him at minimum.

make sure u dont punch the air marshall by accident! i am very sure if someone shouts for help on a plane nowadays, someone would come and help.....like that dutch kid

i should clarify...what i meant was the use of guns inside the plane when pax are confused....