AIRLINE PILOTS TAKE FEDERAL FIREARMS TRAINING COURSE IN GEORGIA, 2003-04-17 (photo)

Pilots take part in weapons retention training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, April 17, 2003. Pilots who successfully complete training will be sworn in as federal law enforcement officers known as Federal Flight Deck Officers and can begin carrying weapons on flights as soon as April 20, 2003. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation last July that would allow pilots of U.S. commercial airplanes to carry guns on a voluntary basis, a step supporters said was necessary to secure the cockpit and prevent hijackings. REUTERS/Rick Fowler RF/GN