as others have stated, ffdo (federal flight deck officer) and yes, flying armed (and just as obvious as a fam going thru the exit-all ya gotta do is look, watch and see)

uniformed and on duty or those entering in civvies wearing their airline i/d such as a non-rev going on v/c? (and you know the answer i'm looking for vs what happens in reality at most airports ;))

Lol and you know who I meant...those on dut and in uniform. ;)

Whoa, if that's true then talk to your comrades at MSN and IAD and hook a brother up... :rolleyes:

It's not up to TSA. The airlines have to set up the procedures. Sorry. :)

Actually, FFDOs don't do that "just like armed LEO's." They do it AS armed LEOs.

FFDOs aren't LEOs. The have limited authority to act. On a plane.

The TSA considers them LEOs for the the purpose of TSA's internal procedures in clearing them up the exit lane (i.e. LEOFA)-- is that what you are trying to say?

Thankfully!!

Even if they were all subject to screening what difference would it make? They catch thinks sometimes but often don't so flight crew can even carry guns on board. Oh, they have permission to do that. I have always thought it beyond bizarre that there is official acquiescence to carrying guns on board when a pressure vessel tends to be discomfited if something passes through it, unless the doors are open, of course.

just checkin' ;) :)

Yes, indeed, they have limited authority to act. On a plane. But that authority is granted to them as LEO's They also have authority to possess and transport firearms in accordance with TSA regulations but regardless of state law restrictions. In order to exercise their authority, limited as it may be, they are, in fact, deputized LEO's. As is the case with every U.S. LEO, they have agency restrictions and regulations as to extent of authority, conduct etc. Their restrictions and regulations happen to give them no arrest authority and limit their jurisdiction to the cockpit.

And, yes, they are LEO's for the clearing via exit lane process.

FFDOs are considered Federal law enforcement officers only for the limited purposes of carrying firearms and using force, including lethal force, to defend the flight deck of an aircraft from air piracy or criminal violence.
FFDOs are not granted or authorized to exercise other law enforcement powers such as the power to make arrests, or seek or execute warrants for arrest, or seizure of evidence, or to otherwise act as Federal law enforcement outside the jurisdiction of aircraft flight decks.

http://www.tsa.gov/lawenforcement/programs/ffdo_information.shtm

Worlds smallest jurisdiction.

What do you think of the FFDO program?

Has always been this way
 

It was about 5 years ago I observed a GA at MCI open the back door of the boarding area to let the flight crew into the boarding area, so bypassing the security at the front entrance to the gate area. (As anyone who was ever there knows, MCI has a unique layout where the check-in counters are next to the gates). I questioned the security lead at the entrance to the boarding area how this was feasible and got the honest answer, "we only screen those who the airlines require to present themselves for screening".

It doesn't take a really close look under the skirts of the security theater to recognize that the holes and bypasses in the system are rampant, probably necessarily so. Take a close look at the floor layout next time you're in any typical airport and you quickly recognize the backdoors (SIDA badges and code required, of course) that completely bypass "security".

The only thing that surprises me are the posts of shock from otherwise astute contributors when it is again revealed that the sterile area ain't necessarily so sterile, and the security emperor is completely naked.

Screening flight-deck crew for anything just adds to the illusion. After all, that is the easiest way to have a 9-11 repeat; 1 of 2 flight crew turns terrorist, kills the other and flies a large aircraft into a major building. Feasible? Yes. Likely? Probably not, but significantly more likely than scenarios we spend far more energy and money on; the liquid bomb, another shoe bomb, etc., etc.

The parallel universe effect is even more apparent in posts such as the OP's where the flight crew member obviously had a weapon, but wasn't screened for explosives. How totally bizarre. :rolleyes:

Have you been reading Tom Clancy novels?

Dave

No actually, not for a few years.
Just an observer of the sad, continual misdirected squander of treasure occuring at the nation's airports.