GOA was instrumental in creating the FFDO program which armed airline pilots...



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THIS IS HOW GOA HELPED TO ARM PILOTS AFTER 9/11

In the wake of the 9/11 attacks GOA sprung into action to arm pilots...




Dear John,



September 11th, 2001.



One of the most fateful dates in American history, and one that will never be
forgotten.



A group of terrorists hijacked commercial airliners and flew them into the
World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon in Washington, DC.



We at GOA watched in horror as the towers fell.



"If those pilots were armed, this tragedy might have been prevented."

This is the story of how GOA and a group of motivated airline pilots helped to
create the Federal Flight Deck Officer program,which has kept the skies safe
since September 11th, 2001.



In remembrance of the victims of the 9/11 attacks, we tell this story, so that
we never forget those that lost their lives, and what we at GOA worked to
ensure no attack like 9/11 would ever happen again.

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Today marks 25 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11,
2001.



Since that day, no terrorist group has attempted another hijacking of an
airplane.



That’s due to one simple fact.



In the aftermath of 9/11, GOA and a group of pilots went to Congress and made
sure that pilots could arm themselves, creating what’s known today as the
Federal Flight Deck Officer program.



Did you know that when the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred, it was within
a short period of time where pilots were disarmed by law?



After a hijacking and crash by a disgruntled employee in California, the FAA
created a rule that no firearms could be carried onto airplanes by pilots or
crew.



That rule took effect Jan. 1, 1988.



Just 13 years later, the 9/11 attacks happened.



In fact, Captain Victor Saracini told his wife, after the FAA created the
rule, that disarming pilots would only create more opportunities for cockpit
takeovers.



His words tragically rang true. Years later, his airplane— United Flight
175—would be hijacked andflown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.



On Sept. 11, 2001, GOA immediately began working on legislation to arm airline
pilots. We knew that we couldn’t let something like this happen ever again.

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THE SKIES ARE NO LONGER A GUN FREE ZONE!


Getting the FFDO program into law was a long process.



The pushback was tough. Even some traditionally pro-gun members of Congress
were initially opposed to the idea.



The most ridiculous accusations were thrown at the pilots, with opposed
members of Congress predicting mid-air shootouts between pilots over petty
arguments.



Of course, that hasn't happened.



But it was a hard fight to get this law passed.



We teamed up with a group of motivated pilots, and some unexpected allies
including Senator Barbara Boxer of California.



For those who don’t know, Senator Barbara Boxer was a Democratic Senator from
California, residing in the same Senate seat that Kamala Harris occupied later
on.



Senator Boxer was no fan of the Second Amendment, or GOA. But we managed to
find common ground to work with her office to cosponsor this bill.



Imagine a single Democratic Senator today doing something even as close to
pro-gun as that.



Impossible.



Yet, it happened. And thanks to the work of many different members of
Congress, pilots are armed and keeping the skies safe to this day.



And since pilots have been armed, no 9/11 style attack has happened again.



The sky hasn’t been a gun-free zone since this GOA-backed legislation was
passed, and we’re all safer for it.



If you're interested, we produced a video commemorating this fight to arm
pilots, which we released today.



You can watch it by clicking the red button below.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE <[link removed]>






In Liberty,

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Erich Pratt,

Senior Vice President

Gun Owners of America




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