If you are a fighter pilot who was just ordered to fire upon

[Mashed Potato]

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato

Originally posted by: MechaSheeba
How is it such a hard decision? Lives of a hundred or so people weighed against possibly a few thousand including hundreds of firefighters and police officers i.e. 9/11, is it really so tough?

I agree, but we can say this because we are not actually pushing the button. Imagine seeing on the news that 90 families were without mothers, fathers, or children because of the plane you shot down.

They would've been without mothers & fathers anyway.

I woudl guess most pilots have already considered this and come to some level of peace (or rationalization) about it.

Would we (as a pilots) really know that the people were going to die regardless of our action?

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Absolutely, without hesitation.

 

[swtethan]

Eagle 3, Fox 2!!! *missle sound*

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato

Would we (as a pilots) really know that the people were going to die regardless of our action?

Well, the scenario in the OP does say that we know the intentions of the terrorists, so I guess an F-15 comes with a standard remote mind probe.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato
Would we (as a pilots) really know that the people were going to die regardless of our action?

An order to take down a civilian plane isn't given unless someone competent is 100% sure that's the case.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato

Originally posted by: MechaSheeba
How is it such a hard decision? Lives of a hundred or so people weighed against possibly a few thousand including hundreds of firefighters and police officers i.e. 9/11, is it really so tough?

I agree, but we can say this because we are not actually pushing the button. Imagine seeing on the news that 90 families were without mothers, fathers, or children because of the plane you shot down.

They would've been without mothers & fathers anyway.

I woudl guess most pilots have already considered this and come to some level of peace (or rationalization) about it.

Would we (as a pilots) really know that the people were going to die regardless of our action?

Terrorists have "raised the bar" so to speak. They did it once, we have to assume they'd do it again if given the chance.

 

[Mashed Potato]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato
Would we (as a pilots) really know that the people were going to die regardless of our action?

An order to take down a civilian plane isn't given unless someone competent is 100% sure that's the case.

Is this coming from the same people who are sure that we should invade a country because they have weapons of mass destruction housed in specific countries? (devil"s advocate)

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato
Would we (as a pilots) really know that the people were going to die regardless of our action?

An order to take down a civilian plane isn't given unless someone competent is 100% sure that's the case.

Is this coming from the same people who are sure that we should invade a country because they have weapons of mass destruction housed in specific countries? (devil"s advocate)

Yes.

All humour aside; those are two very different scenarios.

 

[BrownTown]

Personally I'm almost certain I would have no problem if I knew they were almost certain to die anyways. The real question should be whether you would do it if ordered but you thought the plane was not being hijacked. I think I would still do it in that case too, but I'd feel alot worse about it.

 

[LordMorpheus]

yeah. I'd be far enough removed from actually killing all those people that I'd be able to do it, and I'd probably be ok with it afterwards, maybe a little recovery time.

 

[Mashed Potato]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Mashed Potato
Would we (as a pilots) really know that the people were going to die regardless of our action?

An order to take down a civilian plane isn't given unless someone competent is 100% sure that's the case.

Is this coming from the same people who are sure that we should invade a country because they have weapons of mass destruction housed in specific countries? (devil"s advocate)

Yes.

All humour aside; those are two very different scenarios.

Correct, these are two different scenarios. How many times have you said you would do something and you did not follow through? Judgding from the OP, if it were a definite, I could do it. Humans have a special characteristic that other animals don't which is free will. Mind changing is not out of the question.

 

[dquan97]

yup, I would.

 

[MrFire8808]

Originally posted by: swtethan
Eagle 3, Fox 2!!! *missle sound*

 

[HardcoreRobot]

yeah

 

[huberm]

Originally posted by: Atheus
Yea - this is why I'm not a fighter pilot... actually I'm not a fighter pilot because I failed _one_ of their damn stupid eye tests. Just about off the charts on everything else and because I can't pick the fvcking numbers out of the dots I'm supposed to be color blind? Bolox.

dude the dot thing is easy if youre not colorblind

 

[txrandom]

Yes.

 

[DarkKnight69]

No, because Samuel L. Jackson would be on the plane whipping snakes at all those terrorist bastards.

 

[daniel1113]

Of course... as a fighter pilot, it wouldn't be up to me to make those decisions.

 

[dxkj]

Without even a moments hesitation

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
In an instant I would do it.

same here, but i would have to know the plane would be more or less vaporized causing no chunks to land big enough to kill people on the ground

yeah, let me just pull out my special vaporizing missile... are you joking?

lol

 

[Eeezee]

Guess what?

If you demonstrate that you're willing to shoot down passenger aircraft to prevent a large terrorist attack, then you have demonstrated that you will stop at nothing to nullify their tactics. Once you've effectively nullified this "strategy," they'll stop using it. And then this question becomes meaningless because no one will hijack aircraft anymore

 

[chambersc]

I would be able to do it rather coldly.

EDIT: Even though I'm not religious, I would probably say a little something about the folks aboard.

 

[Trikat]

It was the terroists' plans to have you shoot down the passenger jets and you guys fell for it! MWUAHHAHAHAHAHHAA! :evil:

I would only shoot it down if I knew it was going to kill hundreds and thousands of innocent people. I guess maybe my decision would be much harder if it was a very large passenger plane.

 

[bigredguy]

Who knows. Terrorists only succeeded with three of the four planes. What if they had been able to land the fourth one safely? With the thought that you had maybe a 25% chance that these people could save themselves, you would be able to ensure them a most certain death? And depending on the altitude, once the plane is disabled, it could be a very long way down, very torturous I would imagine.

Maybe it's best I am colorblind.

And you should make it more interesting, let's say you've got family on board. What if your six month old daughter is sitting in first class with your lovely wife?

 

[Rapidskies]

Would I be allowed to give warning shots? If I was allowed to shoots a few rounds off the planes nose just to let them know that I meant business and get some live fire exercises then I would feel ok in taking the final shot. This way they at least have a warning of some type before I would have to bring that puppies down.