A CF-18 in Cold Lake, Alta., flying a high alpha with its tail hook extended.Mike Reyno/CANADIAN AIR FORCE/AFP/HO/Getty Images
Welcome to the maiden flight of Collected Wisdom Airlines. Now, if you look out the windows on the left side of the aircraft, you'll see three CF-18 fighters of the Canadian Forces. Hmm, maybe we should have filed a flight plan.
THE QUESTION
"When we read about an incident on a commercial passenger flight such as a bomb scare or a hijacking, there is often a reference to fighter jets being scrambled to escort the passenger plane," writes Stuart McRae of North York, Ont. "Why? What can the fighters do?"
THE ANSWER
"As a one-time jet-fighter pilot, I can say that the first priority is to visually identify the aircraft of concern," writes Peter Cranston of Victoria. Then, he says, the fighter pilot moves up beside the flight deck to let whoever is in control of the plane see that not following orders from the ground can be life-threatening.
Roger that, says Derek Wilson of Port Moody, B.C. If the hijacker is in control, he says, the sight of the fighter jet might enable the civilian aircraft's pilot to persuade the hijacker to surrender.
"Also, when radio communications are cut off, visual communications between the planes can be attempted," writes Garry Robbins of London, Ont.
The presence of jet fighters "can also reassure frightened passengers that they're not alone," says Michael Lennick of Bala, Ont. "But fighter jets are primarily scrambled to do the very thing they were designed to do, which is eliminate an airborne threat against the nation. Should the chain of command determine that a commercial airliner has been commandeered by individuals determined to use it as a weapon to attack ground targets (as happened on 9/11), and if all other options have been exhausted, they will not hesitate to order its destruction."
THE QUESTION
Still on the subject of air travel, Marie Beaudoin of Saltspring Island, B.C., wants to know what happens to all the items, such as pocket knives, that are confiscated by airport security personnel.
THE ANSWER
First of all, says Mathieu Larocque, a spokesman for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority in Ottawa, screening officers at airports don't actually confiscate these items; it's simply that they can't let passengers take them on the plane.
So travellers are given the option of surrendering the item or, if possible, taking it back to their car and leaving it there or handing the item to a friend or family member who is not travelling. Some airports offer travellers the option of mailing the item home or to some other location.
Once an item is surrendered, however, the passenger loses claim to it. "Items such as scissors and knives," he says, "may be given to charitable organizations if a written agreement is duly completed. Many airports have such agreements. The charities auction off the items periodically, with proceeds going to their cause. When not applicable, the items are disposed of."
HELP WANTED
Are the nuclear missiles of the major world powers pre-aimed at specific targets or are they in wait-and-see mode? Nick Sopinka of Kimberley, Ont., wants to know.
With the recent proliferation of TV channels and the corresponding drop in viewership for individual programs, has this changed the rates for commercials? asks Michael Hayman of London, Ont.
When Geeske Cruickshank was driving with his seven-year-old grandson the other day, they passed a sign that said they were entering Toronto and also gave the city's population. Mr. Cruickshank's grandson wonders how often the numbers on such signs are updated.
Send answers and questions to wisdom@globeandmail.com. Please include your name, location and a daytime phone number.