"What about #4? That any remaining or newly recruited terrorists in this country are just biding their time and planning something else? A plane might not be hijacked again, but other types of attacks could be in the works."

That is always a possibility, but I think that #3 lessens that chance dramatically. I think you can just about bet that they will try though. It will be on a small scale: one loser with an AK47 who starts firing into the crowd in some small town pavilion. Everybody worries about bio, chemical, or nuclear weapons, but I think that the FBI covers that. The next attack, when it comes, will be small scale. Arm yourselves.

" I just don't entrust my personal safety with an unreliable organization, I figure that it's up to me to stand up for myself since I'm the one who is going to be on the plane, not the TSA."

Good for you. Wear two pairs of socks and carry a lot of change when you fly...