Question about Air Force Pilots

tripleseven

Well-Known Member
I've been reading some news stories about the progress of arming commercial airline pilots with weapons. My question is, are Air Force pilots armed with guns while flying, or do they only have to be proficient with them "on the ground"? If so, what do they use? Thanks.
 
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I've been reading some news stories about the progress of arming commercial airline pilots with weapons. My question is, are Air Force pilots armed with guns while flying, or do they only have to be proficient with them "on the ground"? If so, what do they use? Thanks.

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Depends. Stateside, the standard aircrew doesn't fly with sidearms, unless it's one of the nuclear SIOP bombers. Outside the CONUS, sidearms are routinely carried. Standard for the longest time was the S&W Model 10/15 .38 revolver. Now standard is the Beretta M9 9mm auto.

Funny thing....we're required once a year to go through anti-hijack training, it's actually a grounding item if not completed. I can understand this for a C-130/C-5, etc. But we single-seat fighter guys are required the same. If I'm getting hijacked....I don't know how that'd be possible.
 
So, an ANG or Reserve pilot wouldn't carry one but say a pilot based in Europe would? By the way what does SIOP mean? Thanks, again.
 
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So, an ANG or Reserve pilot wouldn't carry one but say a pilot based in Europe would? By the way what does SIOP mean? Thanks, again.

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Not necessarily. Anyone flying outside the CONUS, especially enroute to a hot zone, would be armed. Also, in Alaska, pilots fly with arms all the time, since it's required.

SIOP: Single Integrated Operational Plan. Plan for employing nuke forces, and commonly refers to the players (bombers, subs, ICBMs) in the nuke arena.
 
Trip7,
I don't want to discuss this too much in an open forum, but currently the Air Force's passenger-type aircrafts' aircrews are armed 100% of the time while carrying passengers.
This is stateside or overseas. I hope that clears up your question.
Sorry MikeD!
tongue.gif
 
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Trip7,
I don't want to discuss this too much in an open forum, but currently the Air Force's passenger-type aircrafts' aircrews are armed 100% of the time while carrying passengers.
This is stateside or overseas. I hope that clears up your question.
Sorry MikeD!
tongue.gif



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That does make sense. I'm just not always current on what the heavy community does and what changes they make. Good to hear MAC (AMC) is thinking though.
 
I wondered if The Air Force types still called it(AMC) MAC. I thought maybe it was just us Navy slugs being too lazy to call it a different name.
 
Just some of the old-heads. It's usually phrased as "MAC Flight" or "Big MAC". Most of the young guys think that a burger is being discussed.
I even had an oldtimer come up to me at an airshow and ask me how flying for MATS is nowadays?! (Military Air Transport Service, pre-1967)
 
wondered if The Air Force types still called it(AMC) MAC. I thought maybe it was just us Navy slugs being too lazy to call it a different name

HA! I hear that all the time. I'm new, so it's always been AMC to me.

About arming, all passenger carrying aircrews are armed. AIRCREWS does not specifically mean pilots
grin.gif
As for the training, i'd hardly call it proficient. Go to 9mm training every 3 years, but every other time they use this laser tag like system. Real bullets every 6 years!!!! The anti-hijacking requirement is stupid, its a video we have to watch.
 
We almost never carried the M-9 (Beretta 92FS)...the squadron owned them, but we never carried them stateside. When we flew in the Gulf, we were given Sig 229's in 9mm by the air wing. We were also given the PRC-112 radios (in double ziplocs...they weren't water proof!) rather than our PRC-90s. We did carry in the Gulf while flying OSW, overland, or near the infamous 'black line'. When we "outchopped" the theatre, we passed them on to the next air wing coming in.

Chunk
 
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