FLETC

By SUSAN J. SMITH
Daily Press Staff Writer

In November 2003, the government passed the Homeland Security Act Title 14, establishing a pilots against terrorism program. This week, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia allowed media to view the program first hand.

The Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) training program, originally established at the Glynco, Ga. campus began in Artesia on Sept. 8, 2002. The program is now run exclusively at the Artesia campus.

According to John K. Moran, deputy assistant administrator in law enforcement and security training for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), "This proved to be a positive move. The facilities are better for this at the Artesia campus because of the aircrafts and close proximity within the campus."

This week-long program is specifically designed for one purpose, "To make sure that an airplane is never used as a weapon of mass destruction again," said Suzanne Luber, TSA public affairs.

Linda Thomas, Policy/Project Analyst for the Artesia FLETC commented that the media event was a positive way for the public to see the high-quality of the facility and training at the Artesia FLETC.

During the training, pilots are put through intensive scenarios, qualified to carry a weapon, and forced to meet the physical demands of learning defensive tactics within the confines of the cockpit. This is a voluntary program, which means that pilots attending the campus are financially responsible for many of their own expenses.

The overall cost for the training can be as high as $5,000. This includes the out-of-pocket cost for pilots from the week-long leave from work, travel expense and room and board. "There is a difference in cost from training an FFDO and producing one," explained Moran. The training is only about $1,800, but when the costs for the assessment process, equipment and pilot responsibility, the number rises.

In addition to the initial costs of becoming an FFDO, the pilot will also be required to re-qualify about every six months. According to Moran, there are already several hundred FFDOs flying thousands of missions a month and he expects that number to dramatically rise. "By the end of 2004, we will have thousands," he said.

Pilots must also go through an extensive background and psychological screening before being accepted into the program. At present, about four percent of pilots never qualify to be accepted.

Although only a week long, the program is intense and covers only one possibility, someone coming into the cockpit door. "Pilots are trained to stay in the cockpit," said Moran.

Presently, the Artesia FLETC has three 727 airplanes used in scenarios, and may soon have more. The planes are complete, with the exception of the engines. In addition, the FLETC developed a specific simulation room for the pilots. The course is known as judgment pistol shooting. This is done with a laser-type gun on a video screen where the pilot has to make a shoot or don’t shoot decision.

It is an interactive program where the instructors have complete control. Joe Collins, TSA instructor from Glynco, Ga., explained that pilots trained in these rooms experience the same physical and mental reactions as anyone under an extremely stressful situation.

"We are looking for thinking skills. We want to make sure the pilots are prepared mentally and physically," said Collins. The media witnessed one of the scenarios with instructor Collins guiding the scene and Chris La Follette, lead firearms instructor in the pilot’s seat. La Follette was placed in a pilot’s chair and had to turn and watch the screen from behind. When the "bad guy" tried to enter the cockpit, La Follette took immediate action.

After the scene, Collins asked La Follette several questions that might be asked of a FFDO such as, "What happened? Why?" and "How many shots did you fire?" This is one way in which pilots can not only verbalize a response, but understand how such things as tunnel vision and auditory loss interact with split-second life or death situations.

Pilots are taught to protect the cockpit at all costs and shoot to stop intrusion. They must go through two phases on the simulations machines, training and evaluation. According to Collins, "Our standards are very rigorous."

During the media event, press was allowed to interview some of the pilots. One pilot, with seven years of military experience and 15 years with a commercial airline, said she was surprised at the professionalism of the Artesia FLETC.

"I work for a major airline and they have been very supportive," she told the Daily Press. "I am a woman and I wanted something to even the odds," she explained. Adding that she signed up for the program the first week after 9-11. After only three days of training she said, "I have already learned more than I thought."

Another pilot told the Daily Press that he was very impressed with the staff and professional quality of training at the Artesia Campus. "I have no hesitation to using a gun if anyone is coming through that door," he said. "We are just one link in the chain." He said that while his company was also very supportive of the program, he expects the training to cost about $2,000 in lost work and personal expenses. But, he said, "It’s worth it."