Originally Posted by
petaluma1
I've read this recently:
Well, sorry about that, he deleted his tweet, but basically he claimed that there is a firearm in every Delta cockpits. Is that true?
A gun with ammunition of the sort used at say gun ranges and/or for fatality-inducing purposes? Definitely not all DL flights.
Originally Posted by
LtKernelPanic
Not sure how it's handled intentionally but I know one pilot for Delta who applied to be a FFDO as soon as the program was available and afaik he only flies international TPAC flights. Since the FFDO program is run by same department that oversees the FAMs I wouldn't be surprised if the same agreements that let FAMs carry their weapons internationally let FFDOs as well.
If that is what the USG is allowing DL or other common carriers to do, then some of those countries with agreements to allow US FAMs on US carriers to/from those countries may want to get ahead of a PR problem and file to void/suspend the legal agreements with the USG unless and until an amendment prohibiting such is accepted.
Originally Posted by
jkhuggins
What if the weapon never leaves the cockpit? Does the weapon actually enter the country then?
I'm mostly ignorant on international law ... my only exposure is hearing on flights into the US that all food offered on the plane has to stay on the plane, because otherwise it's subject to mumble mumble importation mumble mumble agriculture mumble. I'm wondering if there would be something similar going on here.
Fireaems in transit are regulated in many countries too, even when it comes to government-owned firearms in possession of foreign government civilian or military employees. Staying airside or even on a plane with contraband firearms is not a proverbial stay-out-of-jail card, not even for US government employees.
At least some of these FAM-allowing agreements provide for some degree of sovereign immunity-related protection from prosecution, which may be (or cause) a scandal or sorts next time a USG-authorized on-board gun-carrier uses a weapon to shoot and kill an unarmed passenger at an airport or on a plane that doesn’t turn around back to the US or a USG-kiss-up country before landing.