The truth is using a small aircraft for a terrorist act would be pretty
easy, cheap and effective. The other side of that is, of course, so what? As
we all know, it is easy to rent a truck, strap explosives around one's body,
bring guns into a school, etc. The issue is not the delivery mechanism.

As has been said often, and again recently in this forum, we are becoming a
cowering nation. I have no problem acting upon real and significant threats,
but I hate the insidious use of the "war on terror" to shape public policy
that infringes on rights and diseminates meaningless alerts, leading to
"news " articles about simple acts like busting airspace and fashion changes
to airport friendly shoes...

Sometimes I feel like I must have been born at the luckiest time in US
history. I spent my 20's and 30's after WWII, polio, smallpox, the
depression... before AIDS, overcrowded cities, and now the war on terrorism.

Michael



"Rosspilot" wrote in message
...

http://www.strategypage.com/fyeo/qnd...get=URBANG.HTM

excerpt:

While passenger aircraft are now pretty secure, the same is not the case
for
commercial freighters and private aircraft. It is quite possible that a
smaller
aircraft, or long range transports from foreign nations, could be used for
suicide attacks. This scenario has terrorists renting a small two engine
aircraft (like the Piper Aztec or Cessna Businessliner) and flying off to
any
target within several hundred miles. These aircraft rent for about $250 an
hour
(with a 3-4 hour minimum). They have a cargo capacity of about half a ton,
and
that could be filled with explosives. This would give the terrorists the
equivalent of an American cruise missile (which has a one ton warhead.)
These
aircraft have a maximum take off weight of about three tons and only carry
about 500 pounds of fuel. Probably would not bring down a large
skyscraper, but
would do a lot of damage to the White House or most other government
buildings
in Washington. You can buy these aircraft second hand for $200-300,000.


I hate stuff like this, but I think it's better to toss it out there and
shine
light on it than stick my head in the sand and pretend it isn't there.





www.Rosspilot.com