Originally Posted by
Cholula
I was vaguely familiar with the FFDO program when this thread started yesterday. But I decide to Google it and learn a bit more.
Among the things that popped were
this thread on Federal Flight Deck Officers in a forum at an IBB called RealPolice.net.
The thread starts out slow, goes off-topic a bit and then dies out until someone bumps it again this year. And then all Hell breaks loose and the thread is eventually locked. Kinda reminded me of a FT forum we all know and love.
Anyway, the thread makes for fascinating reading if you have an hour or so to spare sometime. And it's not so much the information about FFDOs as the ego-bumping and posturing amongst FAMs and other assorted LEOs.
There was plenty of chest thumping to go all the way around.
I think most LEOs concerns with FFDOs is not so much in the mission of the job. They're all for that. What irks them is now the FFDOs are calling themselves LEOs and pushing for 24/7 carry and badges (which they got) and all that mess. Most LEOs who have flown have run into this type of FFDO - the one who tries to tell you how it is. It's a little comical.
Like the one guy in the thread said - isn't he a pilot now because he had flight deck familiarization since the FFDO is now a LEO and has had about the same amount of LEO training and the FAM had pilot training?
With a bunch of Type A folk like this (who else would run
to the gunshots?) this is to be expected. It's simple hazing. Ball breaking like this is part and parcel of most LEO/pilot type jobs. Goes with the turf.
