Due to the confidentiality of crewmember security training only a limited discussion of the subjects will be covered here. For a more thorough review of the material we can offer a comprehensive presentation to authorized individuals of the airline, corporation, or charter company.

The Homeland Security Act passed in November 2002 and within 24 months airlines are required to provide a comprehensive self-defense program to their crewmembers. Personnel from the Aviation Safety and Security Association (ASSA) have first hand experience in training airline personnel in a hands on self defense course that we conducted for a well known U.S. domestic airline. ASSA personnel are pilots and flight attendants who understand the limitations of self-defense on an aircraft and don’t attempt to force crewmembers and your company into the Martial Arts world, but rather, attempt to fit into your world. ASSA personnel are pilots and flight attendants who have training in law enforcement, protective services, self-defense and can provide the training for your company, or a comprehensive train-the trainer self-defense course for other crewmember trainers who can then teach these straightforward techniques.

We approach crewmember self-defense in a realistic and practical manner. Simple and straight forward methods of training that build upon one another. We have looked at various methods of self-defense, and have chosen a few techniques we feel could be the easiest and most useful to flight crews. There are several limitations, which affect our self-defense methods: space constraints and the abilities of the crews to implement these methods. Our desire is not to teach crews to become Martial Arts experts, but to show them that they can develop some tools in which will 'empower' them with a few carefully chosen, effective methods of self-defense. We don’t want to get bogged down in techniques and proper form, which we feel is not productive to what we’re trying to accomplish here. Simple, easy, but effective techniques will give our crews the ability to defend themselves from an initial attack.

An integral part of our training is awareness, mental preparation, tactical advantage, willingness and ability to act. We teach that crewmembers should avoid placing themselves into a position of attack. However, we understand the dynamics involved on a commercial airliner or the corporate/charter environment and that avoiding physical confrontation may not always be possible. So, when the decision is made by a crewmember to act in self-defense we strongly encourage them to act with quickness, determination, and with all their strength to end the attack. Crewmembers don’t have to be victims, and have the right to defend themselves against attack from terrorists, intoxicated passengers, violent passengers and kidnappers or from whomever.

Physically overcoming an attacker is not a pleasant thing to contemplate. Yet, the reality of the world we now live in dictates how crewmembers must now do their jobs. Crewmembers need proper training in how to restrain a violent passenger or terrorist using effective techniques. ASSA personnel have designed effective and proven methods to restrain a passenger when the safety of flight is jeopardized. The risks of not conducting this training properly can result in crews either under or over reacting, not controlling the cabin environment and needlessly causing either further injury or death to a passenger. Un-necessary litigation and liability can be the unfortunate response to not adequately addressing this issue correctly. Proper training in this area by ASSA personnel can address this problem.