Although the present generation of long haul aircraft do no lend themselves to the “pod plan” as easily as the commuter class equipment, some changes could be made. The B-777 and such can go along way to putting the cockpit in a pod.

The entire bulkhead and door assembly needs to be considered as a unit. With the only entry to the cockpit barred, a terrorist could not use the aircraft as a missile and, as such, would then be exposed only to ‘suicide bombers’ and the usual ‘traveling psychos’. It would be possible to weed out the latter by giving them ‘non-fly status’ or ‘must be accompanied by guardian’ in the database. With no possibility of carrying enough explosives aboard to create a serious ‘bang’, the terrorist is left with bluffing or carrying bio-threat material. There will be no realistic way to defend against bio-threat and only early diagnosis and linking to an ‘exposure event’ will allow a speedy solution.

A federal law should be passed enabling a passenger (and the crew) to defend themselves from a unruly or hostile passenger by up to and including lethal force with a ‘hold harmless’ after a hearing. Protection from civil suit must be included. Actually, the person providing aid should be compensated and honored for their effort. Heroes on an aircraft are more important than fresh sandwiches. The small print on the ticket should inform of this loss of right to sue.