There was a big fight over whether to let pilots carry guns aborad airliners in the wake of 9/11. Now, two years after allowing it -- only 5% of pilots are cleared to take off packing heat.
That's about 5,000 of the 95,000 commercial pilots in the US. Groups that represent pilots say as many as 40,000 want to carry a gun. They accuse the Bush administration of throwing up flak to make training and carrying weapons inconvenient.
For instance, the training takes a week. Pilots have to do it on their own time. And it's in Artesia, New Mexico -- a three hour drive from the nearest airport. (Chicago Tribune)
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