Freight Dog

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/03/10/aviation.security/

The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations grades 13 areas of security. They are, from best to worse (comments reflect group's statements):

Screening bags: "B." Baggage screening has improved, but some scanners still don't detect explosives.

Flightdeck doors: "B." The reinforced doors work, but are not mandated on cargo or foreign carriers.

Federal air marshals: "C." Air marshals do a good job, but there are too few, and they cover a limited number of flights. The exact number of air marshals is classified.

Crew training in classroom: "C." Security training varies widely from airline to airline, and there is no program for cargo crews.

Perimeter security: "D." There is a lack of Transportation Security Administration oversight, and security is inconsistent from airport to airport.

Threat intelligence: "D." Few airlines share crucial threat updates with their pilots.

Pilots with Guns (on passenger planes): "D." The Federal Flight Deck Officer program, which trains pilots to carry handguns while in the flightdeck, has "poor operational policies" that limit participation. There is only one facility that trains the pilots. The Coalition of Airline Pilots Association also opposes a requirement that dead-heading pilots -- pilots traveling as passengers -- keep their weapons in locked boxes in the plane's cargo area.

Pilots with guns (on cargo aircraft): "D." The Federal Flight Deck Officer program for cargo pilots has just started, and numbers are limited.

Screening passengers and employees: "C/F." There is little explosives screening for passengers, and employees are not screened.

Screening cargo: "F." The near-total reliance on a "known shipper" program is a serious flaw. "We don't care who the shipper is, we want to know what's in the box," Safley said.

Credentialing: "F." Available biometric identification technology has yet to be deployed by the TSA.

Crew training -- self-defense: "F." Vital hands-on training is not mandatory, and thus neglected.

Missile defense: "F." Shoulder-fired missiles are a serious threat even though countermeasures do exist.