Just Jesse being Jesse. Wow!
Admittedly, the chance of taking down an airplane is small, but I do seem to remember having an Army Field Manual that had instruction as to how to aim at passing aircraft with your M16.
Any other Army guys remember that?
You're not going to shoot down a transport-category, multi-turbine powered aircraft (like an airliner) with an intermediate cartridge rifle. You might cause damage, and that damage might lead to an emergency landing...but the airplane isn't going to blow up, and its not going to fall out of the sky.
Unless your "assault weapon" is shooting Canadian Geese directly into both powerplants, a "shootdown" of an airliner with a shoulder-fired rifle is a 10^-9 scenario.
Intellectual Jesse Jackson self proclainmed Gun Expert, self proclaimed Black Leader claims that James Holmes could have shot down airplanes at Denver's airport. This is a natonal security issue and should be addressed by Homeland Security!
http://youtu.be/lAoKdm8tjzI
Short Video
Insurgency Tactics Test Helicopters' Staying Power
Of the last three helicopters downed in Iraq, one, a Kiowa Warrior reconnaissance aircraft, was shot down by small-arms fire.
The numbers for Vietnam were over 400 for fixed wing.
The last thing I would do is agree with just about anything the guy says, but however unlikely, a proven battle tactic. These weren't airliners at 30000 ft. but they were planes. the numbers for helos were over 2000. In Vietnam.