Guns in the Cockpit

Q: Guns in the cockpit?

Several readers were curious here. I have mixed feelings about the subject and remain undecided, leaning towards no. Part of my indecision, however, stems from the fact I haven’t thought about it much. I find the entire debate to be an overwrought red herring, distracting us from more important issues like bomb and explosives detection.

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This Q&A is part of a collection that originally appeared on Salon.com. Patrick Smith, 38, is an erstwhile airline pilot, retired punk rocker and air travel columnist. His book, Ask the Pilot (Riverhead) was voted “Best Travel Book of 2004” by Amazon.com. Patrick has traveled to more than 55 countries and always asks for a window seat. He lives near Boston.