Many of the FAMs are obvious... and AFAIK they are positioned in the front cabin so they can keep the access area to the cockpit under observation. Wihtout saying any more, I'm sure their positioning in the cabin is planned strategically and tactically. They get warmer coffee that way. :D

I wish they had been on those planes on 9/11, not only for those that were on the planes, but for those that were on the ground. I't seems to be a thankless job, for as long as things go well and nothing tragic happens people will talk about what a waste of money this program is, when in actuality it may well be a factor in preventing such an event.

While I always enjoy the OP's posts, I don't think it's prudent to make a game out of 'spot the air marshal'. I agree they should be a little less conspicous, but we don't need to help them stand out.

Would it really have made that much of a difference? Here are some of the "facts"
[list]
Can be easily spotted
Sit in the same seats
Carry guns [\List]


Any terrorist with half a brain will attempt to take these guys out first before.

My personal opinion, this is a waste of Tax Payer funds. I respect the guys doing the work, but the leadership needs a lesson :td:

I don't know if I'd call it cajones or naivete
 

I wouldn't be surprised if your antics get you placed on a special list. You'll have to see if your post-departure gate rape was a one time thing or if it increases over the next few months.

Given the (generally low) caliber of people who go into law enforcement and their ability to harass you and then call it 'discretion,' my approach is to treat them like large angry dogs.

Don't look them in the eye, avoid them if you can, and walk away slowly without showing fear if spotted.

OTOH, ratnamg, terrs with boxcutters vs. trained marshals with firearms... though I hope we never have to find out who is right on this thread. At the time, it wasn't even a significant possibility, nor were most folks aware that terrs would not be taking aircraft as collateral to make demands (though we should have known after the UTA DC-10, I believe it was, the terrs were going to fly into the Tour Eiffel...)

Your right are as follows:














Hope this helps :)

We all know the possibility of someone taking over a plane again is almost ZERO. As soon as someone tries 100 people will be on their ... like stink on poopoo.

myefre, you write with such exactitude and clarity! :D :D :D

This I agree.. So why Air Marshalls?

Au contraire, if it happens more often perhaps they will take the opportunity to really make themselves inconspicuous.

Maybe spotting them is a real patriot act.

I don't understand. We're the land of the free and the home of the brave, right? :confused:

Really??? Do we forget so easily??? If you would have told me the day before 9/11 whether it was possible, even remotely possible, that a team of hijackers could take a US origniated flight I would have said the possibility would be almost ZERO. Had you told me it would happen on the same day to more than one plane I would have laughed. Had you told me these planes would be flown into buildings I would have had you committed. Why are they there? Because regardless of how 'comfortable' we get, it's always possible, and the price we paid on 9/11 is far greater than the price we pay to put these people on our planes to protect us.

If these guys are so easy to spot by the average traveler, don't you think a terrorist would know who's throat they are going to slash first? These terrorists spent years planning 9/11. I feel that they would have the air marshall seating arrangements, dress code, wiffle haircut and general demeanor right down to a science.

I really do feel safer with them aboard, but this might be a woman thing.

Are you Norm Mineta? Or John Ashcroft? Or head of the CIA?? Sure sounds like it. :)

Because September 11 happened precisely because the men in charge were as clueless as you about the events to unfold that day, despite having intelligence that indicated that something was up.

Sure, we were all clueless early that morning, but we aren't the guys with multi-billion dollar budgets whose very jobs were to protect the USA from such attacks. Sadly, the findings of the September 11 Commission detail failures at all levels of our federal government early that day.

Even if sky marshals had been on those flights, would it have mattered? The official policy was to cooperate with hijackers, and I sincerely doubt that the marshals would have prevented the events that day.

Besides, the sky marshals had better figure out how to stay undercover until a hijacking happens, or they will lose the next round as well. Marshals aren't on every flight, and their failure to stay concealed means that the terrorists simply need to fly until they board a big plane with lots of gas and no marshals. Right now, they stick out like a sore thumb, and their obvious absence on many flights means that one need not be a genius terrorist to figure out which flight to take over. Which flights?

The ones without the preboarded, young-to-middle aged, male crew-cut/skinhead, SWAT-team-member-lookalikes in First Class, that's which flights. :rolleyes:

If I can figure that much out, then they are failing miserably at their job of being undercover federal cops. And quietly outing them inflight doesn't endanger national security, it merely points out to them their incompetence and the incompetence of their leaders. Either stay undercover or wear uniforms and introduce each one preflight.

I wish September 11 had never happened either (along with every other loyal American). But IMO, the dramatic expansion of the sky marshal program in the days that followed will have very little to do with whether it ever happens again. Your mileage, and beliefs, will, of course, vary. :)

On a recent AA flight from MCI to ORD, we taxied out, the pilot hit the accelerator to get us airborn and the cockpit door flung open and I could see from my 4E seat all the cool actions that get us from land to air during takeoff. The FA didn't leave her seat and the pilot tried to reach back and pull the door and after a few minutes of climbing, had a chance to really reach back and get it closed.

What was amazing through all this was NOT ONE SINGLE SUICIDE BOMBER came running up the aisle to take control of the flight. The way we are treated these days, I thought there must be at least 2 on every flight.

I wonder if there had been FAMs on that flight if they would have hoisted themselves out of their FC seats and positioned themselves in front of the open cockpit door with pistols drawn?

Later, the FA served the cockpit their meals and they went through all the silliness of carts blocking aisles, stern faced FAs stationed looking for the slightest movement...

Wouldn't the average bad guy just leap over that cart like a gazelle anyway if they wanted to take over a flight? That may be part of their training these days! Beverage cart hurdles.

Well, I just try to think of it as part of the floor show that is flying these days. :rolleyes: