in-flight improvised weapons

[wingnutx]

I've been trying to come up with good ideas for decent cqb weapons that you can actually take on a plane. I can no longer take my favorite security blanket, the long-neck bottle. Anyone have any good suggestions?

How about a pair of socks and something small, dense, and hard, like a billiard ball or a can of spam. Put the object in the doubled-up pair of socks, then whack the nearest islamikazi in the head.

A padlock and a headphone/power cord might do the trick as well.

I understand that canes are allowed on board, but I haven't tried taking one on a flight yet. Would a good hardwood cane or a Cold Steel City-Stick make it past a checkpoint? how about a 2-piece pool cue?

"CIA Letter Openers" seem like a good way to end up in jail.

[SamH]

A hardwood or baboo walking stick perhaps? Steel would seem too conspicuous, me thinks.

An extendable umbrella in your carry-on bag is also an option. A steel pen in your coat pocket is another idea (if allowed)

There aren't a huge number of ready-made weapons, unless your cabin provides steel knives and forks. Even a walking stick or cane is tricky to use in such confined spaces. The best thing might be to use 'sticky hand' techniques or grappling takedowns.

[gryphon]

Among a short list of things that I carry/would consider good to carry:

** Several sharpened number 2 pencils
** A nice heavy harbound text book, probably somthing on the lines of an accounting text would do just fine
** A hand towel
** High school or college alumni rings
** Salt

All of these(they are not all but some of the more common) could be used for defense/offense if you think about it, and realize the potential uses of each.

[Hard Ball]

Try a good quality hardwood cane. Very effective and no problem in carrying on board an air liner and having available at your seat.

[Coronach]

IIRC someone posted here that canes are being stowed out of the way in overhead bins...so that if there is an in-flight emergency they won't get in the way of other passengers ( ).

Of course, that doesn't explain how the handicapped individual is supposed to get out of the other passengers' way without his cane, but raising that issue would require logic and common sense.

Mike

[wingnutx]

SALT! That's a really good idea. An eyeful of that stuff will make it awfully hard to defend against much. A fire extinguisher full of the stuff would be great for chasing away unwanted guests.

This might be a bit complicated, but I've seen someone make a hell of a fireball by blowing non-dairy creamer past a cigarette lighter with a straw. I don't supposed hairspray is allowed on board. You could ruin someone's day with a flaming gout of aquanet.

[imadork]

Try a cognac or wine bottle. They have them on board, or you can carry one on with no questions asked. You could break it off at the neck easily for a nice improvised stabbing weabon. I like the billiard ball/sock idea!
The lavatory mirrors could be broken into shards...

[Dave R]

The power "brick" for a laptop computer would prolly be a good weapon. If its the kind with the cord permanently attached. A strong pen would make a good stabbing weapon.

[imadork]

A sturdy fountain pen would be good probably. Or maybe the Fisher Space Pen. I knew those things were good for something!

[pax]

I am told that a CD can be snapped in half, producing two not-perfect but usable slashing weapons.

pax

[MrAcheson]

I split a cd in "half" once and all I got was a lot of plastic splinters. It didn't so much split as shatter and fragment. None of the fragments was big enough to use as an effective blade nor were they particularly sharp. I suppose anything will do in a pinch, but breaking a cd would be a last resort to get a sharp object.

[LASur5r]

Here's where I get to show off ..just a little. (Long time in unarmed martial arts)...also having known some hard time prisoners....

1) Heavy soap bar in a sock. (a flailing weapon)
2) Handful of heavy coins in a sock.(a flailing weapon)
3) Belt with a heavy buckle. ( CQB brass knuckle)
4) Belt (a garrote type weapon)
5) Shoe with a hard heel (taps?) (a short clubbing weapon)
6) Keys (CQB stabbing weapon)
7) Sturdy pens (raking or stabbing weapons)
8) Shoe on feet(shin and knee kicks)
9) Food tray (shield) Frisbee type weapon.
10) Near full water bottle.
11) Telescoping pointer.
12) Cup of hot water(Distraction type weapon)
13) Correctly rolled up section of newspapper.
14) Elastic suspenders (CQB slingshot)
15) Etc., etc. (you get the idea)

[Fly320s]

13) Correctly rolled up section of newspapper.

OK, I'll bite.

How do I correctly roll-up a paper to make it into a weapon?

[David Blinder]

I tend to break improvised weapons down into four categories:
1) impact weapons- Any item that has weight and be be used to effectively strike. (see earlier posts for suggestions)
2) distraction weapons- Any object to distract so that you can escape or counter attack (spit, soda, dirt, magazine, etc.)
3)edged or pointed weapons- Any item used to slash or stab. (pen,fork,keys, broken bottle, etc.)
4) shields or barriers- Anything you can put between you and your attacker to protect you against a blow, weapon or as an obstacle. (wall, another bad guy, your own mother-in-law, seat cushion, briefcase, etc.)

Just use your imagination and you to can quickly master the ancient art of fork fighting.

[Long Path]

One can never overstate the utility of duct tape.

Break a glass or a makeup mirror, tape the largest shards to flashlight, roll of pencils, or the like, and you have a mean slashing weapon.

Bind your attackers when you've got them immobilized.

Join items, like pens and pencils, for more effective weapons. Make gripping surfaces. If your attackers are armed with edged weapons, as in 9/11, use it to armor your arms and hands. Heck, you could even pull a Mall Ninja (tm) and use it to tape a panel to your chest. I would suggest a paperback atlas or a heavy magazine.

What's your greatest weapon? The refusal to be a victim, and the mindset that insists that deadly force is to be met with instant, furious force that far exceeds what is necessary to put your attacker down.

[gryphon]

wingnutx,

Flour is also a good item. It combusts and can explode under the right conditions. Although, you might get delayed walking into an airport with a bag full of flour.

[OTMG Jr.]

Roll up a copy of Maxim magazine as hard as you can. Hold one end so that the long part of the magazine extends down from the fist. Bring down in a hammer fist motion and you can mess someone up real good. This is also good for blocking blade attacks. There is nothing suspect about bringing a magazine on a plane.

Pull the AirFone out of its cradle in the seat in front of you. Yank until the cord pops out. Hold the end of the cord and swing the phone as a weapon or use the cord as a garotte (if you know how to do that kind of thing).

The CD thing works but you have to break it just right.

A credit card can be sharpened down to and edge, but its more effective to break it diagonally and use the corner as a stabbing weapon.

The floating seat cushion makes for good distraction and as a sheild against slashing attacks.

Laser pointers can blind an assailant.

Edited to add: Muslims believe that looking at a naked woman is unclean and they must make ablution if they see one, or they won't get the eternal reward. It they're the martyr type hijackers, have the stewardess or a female companion disrobe. They get reluctant if they think they won't get into heaven when they're done flying into a building.

[mons-meg]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned the obvious? The dinner cart! Have some big dude get behind it, have several other big dudes "brick up" behind him, and run with it. Seat cusions are indeed good shields against smaller bladed weapons.

Or, take off your shoes and put them on your hands if confronted with a knife; slap the blade away...could distract someone long enough for your buddy to clock him with a fire extinguisher.

Really, though, isn't this an academic exercise at this point? Does anyone thikn the box knife trick is going to work again?

[Long Path]

I'm not sure whether OTMG Jr. has a point or not, but the disrobing of the females is certainly worth a shot.

I think that exigency/contingency planning is always worthwhile. On a plane, in a courthouse, where ever hostages may be taken-- will you be willing to be taken against your will, without a fight?

Cans of cola and the little 6 oz glass bottles of club soda would make mean projectiles to throw.

Wear good solid boots on board.

Consider the possible effects of depressurizing the cabin. (warning! May be more harm than good!)

Don't forget the Smokehouse almonds. (No, they're not really a weapon, but they're really, really good!)

[Mark D]

Grab a blanket/curtain (coat or shirt works too) and wrap it around your weak arm and let the rest of the fabric hang off of your arm like a Bullfighter. Do not attempt to block blades with your arm, rather, entangle them with the loose cloth hanging below. This technique dates back to the 1300's or so.

Hot coffee/water/tea would make a good disabling attack.

Tear the overhead stowage doors off the hinges, use as a shield.

Depending on the construction of the cart... Destroy the food cart and part it out for weapons.

Remove and dismantle the Attendant Stations. There are usually corded mics there that would make good flails.

Memory serves that there are small fire extinguishers available in the galleys. Good distraction/irritant/club.

A grisly option, but one to remember... Any dead passengers or crew can be used as improvised ballistic shields.

Best option: A realistic and non-PC security apparatus that prevents hijackers from ever getting on the plane.

[gryphon]

On the seat cushion idea, if it fails to block the blade, you could always use it to smother the BG. A few seconds of all those latent pillow farts would take the fight out of anyone!

[4 Eyed Six Shooter]

Right after 9-11 one piolet got on the intercom and announced that if anyone stood up and announced a hi-jacking that all passingers were to throw everything that they had at the person and then rush them with blankets. It would work.
Hairspray is allowed on flights and could be used as a close quarters mace.

[wingnutx]

Hairspray is allowed on flights and could be used as a close quarters mace.

I was thinking more along the lines of an improvised flame-thrower.

[SamH]

Fires fuelled by aerosol cans aren't all that hot. I've been at the wrong end of those flames, and damage is usually only superficial, unless if it's a prolonged exposure.

Besides, you have to be careful that you don't:
1. Hold the lighter too close that the fire gets sucked into the can and explode.
2. Hold the lighter too far that you hurt your own hand.

Better to use it as a make-shift irritant.

BTW, fire extinguishers are an excellent idea. It won't stop someone, but it's a huge distraction, and can be very difficult to deal with when being sprayed in the face. Not to mention the fog it creates.
Someone could distract the Tango with it, then have a #2 guy run him down with a food-trolley, and then start stomping and bludgeoning.

[LASur5r+P]

I didn't see if anyone mentioned the really good stuff......all the bags stored in the overhead compartments....the carry on bags....good shields! (to rush the BG's forming a wall)
Otherwise, they could provide hours of fun distracting everyone by opening each bag to see what's inside.

Fly?
Depending on how thick the newspaper is? Get it about eight inches long then roll it as tight as possible. Hold it like you're going to hammer strike with long exposed side downward, strike at eyes, throat, soft points of the body....or hold it like a stabbing knife strike at chest level, then strike upwards at soft points.
If you didn't make the rolled up newspaper tight enough? Don't depend upon it as a striking tool after the first hard impact.
Saw it used effectively twice.

Other times, I saw it used? When it was used to fake out the BG...one time, there was a pipe inside the newspaper. Other time, the guy had taped razors on the rolled up newspaper...devastating weapons...completely caught the opponent off guard.

Long Path?
Can we explore that stewardess disrobing as a distraction again? Never looked at it from that angle before....self-defense tool, ey?