Shit... this argument won't take you too far! Most pilots I've ever met (I used to be a Platinum frequent traveller with Northwest) are responsible ex-military folks who'd be VERY comfortable with a sidearm.

Most cops I've ever dealt with (most, not all) are under-educated immature "bullies" on a power trip who shouldn't have been given a gun in the first place.

I believe that all cops are under-paid. If you paid them well and raised the requirements about what it takes to be a cop, we'd be better off.

In any case, give the pilots guns... all of them. At the very least, assign one gun per cockpit or one per captain.