"Some" of the questions asked above are answered by an earlier post that I did in the FT Trip Reports section....some unfortunately are not. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

Best wishes, Dave

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003734.html

Flew IAD-LAX with a pair of AM's. They took the front row on a 757. It had been blocked. We were in row 2.

Both read books and drank sparkling water. Talked with FA's and used restrooms. Neither ever spoke to the other, or acted like they knew each other.

The male carried a bullet launcher above his left hip, the female had hers in the small of her back. Both guns were easily and frequently seen.

I suspect that I saw two on the DL shuttle from BOS to LGA. I was on a status mile run and had just flown up from LGA and was the last off the plane. I was the first to board at the gate in BOS (same eqp as had just flown up on) - yet they were already on board, and were having a pre-flight briefing with the crew. I was clearly on sooner than they would like.

The two SMs took seats (unassigned on DL shuttle) 3C and 2D. They didn't talk with each other at all during the flight. One helped a lady get her bag in the overhead bin (his weapon wasn't exposed to me during this maneuver, but I was on the left (in 4D), I suspect his weapon was on his right.

Both were white men, in their mid 30s, in decent shape. Both wore large windbreakers - certainly out of season for December 30th!

Both read paperback books and drank water. Anytime someone moved towards the front of the plane, they put their books down.

Upon arrival in LGA, they walked together, but not talking, to a payphone. One called somewhere, the other stood by.

I highly doubt air marshalls use pay phones.

I think the Get Smart shoe phone is much more appropriate for this super-secret, ultra high-tech division of the fabled TSA.

With the cuts in meal service, they can no longer use rock-hard dinner rolls as weapons.

Here is my question (really trying not to sound sarcastic - )

Why is this this a fascination to you - the Federal Air Marshall Identification?

I seriously would be interested to know why the spotting of a FAM is important or special to passengers.


I, would rather they remain anonymous - but that's just me - - -

I think threads like this should be deleted. This is obviously divulging sensitive information about FAM methods and operations.

I respectfully disagree.

Air Marshalls should in no way be positively identifiable by passengers, either by dress, actions, or weapons showing.

It is very easy to get jackets tailored to nearly eliminate the bulges caused by pistols, and a little care on their part would prevent such giveaways as catching the pistol on the bulkhead or having one's shirt/jacket riding over it to expose it to plain view. Ask any undercover narcotics cop.

If these were air marshalls, they were being quite unprofessional. Give me a vice cop with an ankle holster and ten years experience in a big city any day!

And I don't want them on the plane at all.

I'm all for identifying the marshals on the flights. They create more danger to the pax by bringing a gun on board than they provide safety. They should not be permitted to steal another pax's seat and they should never be seated in the premium cabin. Until the marshals are unarmed and seated in coach on a seat-available basis (or better yet, just left at the gate), by all means share information about them and their habits.

Today's air marshal was seated in the last row of coach on the aisle where he belonged. He was armed, however. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/frown.gif

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

The terrorists or the marshals?

Nothing mentioned here is secret insider info on the AM program. If casual observation by the regular flying public can identify some AMs, that should be exposed so that the people running the program can improve training and procedures as needed.

I agree with Spiff and others who feel the value of the program is out of line with the costs. On the flight when I sat next to one, I remember feeling at the time that his presence on the flight didn't make me feel any safer at all. In fact, after observing and talking with him a bit, images of Barney Fife from the old Andy Griffith show came to mind.

Here's an interesting hypothetical--if the guns (or ammo) of an air marshall are so visible, what's to reassure the pax that this is a legit air marshall and not some terrorist ready to hijack the plane.

Seriously, if I saw a pax with a gun, I'd probably try to discreetly express my concerns to a crew member. If it was a cop, FBI, etc., the situation can be easily resolved by the law officer showing his/her badge. But air marshalls are supposed to be "under cover," right?

For a more extreme example, the standard air marshall response to a disturbance seems to be to stand near the cockpit door, point their weapon at the pax, and make everybody sit still. How do the pax know that is not a hijacking? In the post 9/11 era, it seems we've all sworn to sacrifice our lives to thwart the next attack--what's to prevent a bunch of flight-93-minded pax from storming (and being killed by) an air marshall?

It seems that some really ugly incidents are inevitable under this program.

Good points...

If nobody knows what the air marshall's badge looks like, whose to prevent a bunch of terrorists from dressing like air marshalls?

I'm thinking they should come out with something truly unique here - so that if they do appear on your flight, you know it's legit.

A little story.

I have a freind who flys for United. She told me that during their briefing with the Marshall, that he said "If there is a situation, you had better hit the deck, cuz if I have to, I am gonna shoot right through you!"

She walked off that flight!

Too many John Waynes in that bunch.

And now PILOTS WITH GUNS! Yipes!