Originally Posted by
VelvetJones
How is this any different than an Air Marshall who is already known to be armed? Real life isn't a Steven Segal movie. You can never account for the most bizarre and extreme scenarios that are imaginable.
Sigh; I thought it was obvious from my post that my point was to dispel the notion that the only way a pilot would beat the system is by crashing the plane. The examples, while far-fetched, were illustrative.
To answer your point, go back to the mid 1990's and ask people how likely it was that the last few pages of a Tom Clancy book would actually happen.
I'm not suggesting that they should act on every bizarre and extreme idea. Do we need radiation detectors at the airport in case someone is involved with a nuclear bomb plot? Should we swab hands for traces of cyanide in case someone plans to poison the FA's coffee?