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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence
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To: joseph krinsky who wrote (1464)9/13/2001 8:32:30 PM
From: Rob S.  Read Replies (3) of 27666
 
That is another area for long-term modification of the design. As simple as an external door seems to be, there is actually quite a lot of structural issues involved with adding one or some with just moving one a few inches. I have not studied this aspect in detail. My dad is a retired commercial aerospace engineer, having worked on airplanes from the DC-3 to the Boeing B-767. He had the nice job of working on the new Air Force One just before he retired (cushy job for the last 3 years on the way out). When he was working on earlier Douglas, Lockheed and Boeing aircraft he did a lot of structural design on the door systems. I will talk to him tonight or in the morning to see what he says about how easy it would be to add and move door structures.

My first guess is that because many aircraft have a door close to the crew compartment that might be co-opted for use in an extended secure crew cabin. The airlines will object to that because it would reduce revenue generating floor space. If the FAA and NTSB order Boeing and the airlines to make changes they will but typically the airlines and Airline Pilots Association carry a lot of power, both politically and also financially. The pilots can ultimately go on strike and shut down the airlines as they have done on occasion. The airlines control the revenue stream and can refuse to dip into it to make capital intensive changes - they just refuse to buy the changes that Boeing (incorporating supplier’s products) proposes to them. McCain is a pilot (or ex-pilot) so he might share some sympathies for pilots maintaining control or the cockpit at all times. but then with a terrorists gun or knife at your head the pilot losses control in a much worse way.

One major reason why I am so excited about this effort besides seeing the technical possibilities is that there is a major stiffening of political will. The NTSB and FAA will just shut the bloody airlines down if they don't make the skies safe. That hits these companies right where their source of motivation is - their wallets. Pilots who are grounded are out of jobs too.
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