BC,

We've corresponded many times before and you know that I am a Vietnam Era Veteran.
What you didn't know is that I am a 767/757 Captain for one of the major airlines involved in
the horrific events on Tuesday.  My family and extended airline family are totally devastated, as
is the nation and the world.  Words can't express the disbelief that our own commercial airliners
were used as weapons in attacks of mass destruction on our country.

Speaking as an airline professional, I have just a few brief comments on
your post "Too Soon" today:
 

>>I think it's too soon to resume air traffic.

Sure, business needs to get going again, but if they grab another plane,
how long will it take to restore confidence then?
Some easy steps the airlines could take:

1. Get the pilot & co-pilot in the cockpit and seal the door on the ground.
    The door doesn't open for any reason while the flight is in the air.
    I heard somebody say that in a "normal" hijacking, the pilot leaves his seat to negotiate
    with the guys - screw that. That pilot stays locked in the cockpit until the plane lands.
 

A nice idea but each cockpit would have to have it's own bathroom, galley, etc.
Also, cockpit doors have "blow-out" panels in event of depressurization.  Also, Koresh
forbid, if there is an accident the pilots may have to use the door to escape the cockpit, or
passengers/crew may have to access the cockpit to escape through an airplane window
if all exits were blocked due to fire, etc.
 

>>2. Reinforce the doors, making them impenetrable.
    I've heard the term "cardboard doors," several times since Tuesday morning.
    I don't want to hear that term again.<<
 

See above.
 

3. If they don't already, have a fuel dump switch on every plane.
    I'd rather have 30,000 gallons of fuel on the streets than inside a skyscraper.>>
 

Good idea, but you couldn't possibly dump 50,000+ pounds of fuel fast
enough, assuming the pilots even still had control of the aircraft.

>>4. Why do commercial airliners have a switch to turn off the transponder?<<

Lots of reasons for that.  Also, even though the transponder is turned off, air traffic can still follow
the "blip" showing the aircraft, just like they did in the old days.  More effective would be an actual
"panic button" where with the flip of a switch the crew could notify air traffic, etc. that they were being hijacked.

>>5. The next time a religiously-insane hijacker shows a knife or a gun - you rush the mother-effer.
    Until Tuesday, the smart move was to ride it out.
    With these religio-crazies, you figure it's over anyway, so you might as well take the chance.
    Of all the people on a plane, I'm the last guy to play hero, but if the hijackers are religious,
    you wink to the guy next to you, grab the SOB as he walks by and advance on the others.<<

Agreed 1000%.

>>6. Put armed undercovers on every flight.
    Some guy makes a noise with a knife, you drop him without asking questions.
    What would the cost be, 3 dollars per ticket?  That's money well spent.<<
 

Absolutely agree that unfortunately the only reasonable remedy for the time being at least
is armed, under-cover air marshalls either on all flights or on randomly selected flights.
 

>>7. Find out how the knives and boxcutters got onboard before we send more flights up.<<
 

Hard one to answer.  People can make weapons out of just about anything.
More of an argument for Air Marshalls I guess.
 

>>Don't you think these steps should be taken before the next plane takes off?<<
 

Many steps have to be taken before normal flight service resumes.  Please be
assured that no one, and I mean NO ONE is more concerned about the safety of
the traveling public and airline crews than this country's professional airline pilots.

Thanks for your time, BC, and please withhold my name if you publish.