This Date in Aviation History Speed Round: September 9 - September 11

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 09/11/2015 at 11:35 • Filed to: planelopnik, planelopnik history

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This is today’s Aviation History Speed Round , getting you caught up on milestones and important historical events in aviation from September 9 through September 11.

September 11, 2001 – Terrorists hijack four American airliners and use them to attack the two towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A fourth attack on Washington, DC is thwarted by passengers.

September 11, 2001 dawned bright and clear on the East Coast as America started the routine of a normal Autumn day. Passengers boarding early morning flights in Boston, Washington, DC and Newark had no idea that they would be part of a brazen, highly coordinated and murderous attack on the United States by a well-trained group of terrorists. Never before had airplanes been used as a weapon of terror on such a scale, and even though there had been signs that an attack on the US was possible, even probable, nobody was prepared for what would transpire that day.

The attacks were carried out by teams of terrorists organized and funded by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! terror network. The hijackers entered the US in the months ahead of September 11, and some even took flying lessons at US flight schools. One member of the group already possessed a commercial pilot’s license. On the day of the attack, the terrorists boarded the planes in groups of 4 or 5. One member of each group was trained to fly the plane while the others provided the muscle to subdue the flight crew and handle the passengers. The four aircraft selected for the attack were all flying transcontinental routes that required large aircraft heavy with fuel. This combination would cause the greatest amount of damage to the intended targets.

The first airliner to be hijacked, American Airlines Flight 11 , was a Boeing 767 (N334AA) scheduled to fly from Boston’s Logan Airport to Los Angeles. It departed at 7:59 a.m. with a crew of 11 and carrying 76 passengers. There were 5 hijackers on the flight, including the overall head of the operation, Mohamed Atta. After the airliner reached cruising altitude, the attackers rose from their seats, stabbed two of the flight attendants, sprayed mace in the first class cabin and claimed they had a bomb. Then they began herding the passengers to the rear of the plane. It’s not clear how they gained access to the cockpit, as the door should have been locked, but they may have gotten a key from one of the flight attendants. Upon gaining control of the aircraft, Atta turned off the transponder, a device that allows controllers to track and identify the aircraft, and turned the 767 towards New York City. At 8:46 a.m. the aircraft struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, punching a gaping hole in the side of the building and erupting in a massive fireball that started a fuel-fed fire which eventually engulfed the upper stories of the skyscraper. Initial reactions were that a terrible accident had occurred. No one imagined that an aircraft would be flown deliberately into a building.

The second aircraft used in the attack was another Boeing 767 (N612UA), United Airlines Flight 175 . Also departing from Logan Airport in Boston, this flight was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles and carried a crew of 9 with 51 passengers. Like American Flight 11, this plane also carried 5 hijackers, and took off just as the hijacking of Flight 11 was beginning. Following a similar scenario as the earlier flight, the hijackers killed the pilots and took control of the aircraft, claiming to have a bomb on board the plane and moving the passengers and remaining crew to the rear of the plane. Passengers on board the flight made contact with loved ones and airline authorities on the ground via cell phones and phones built into the seats, and provided information that would be crucial to the eventual understanding of the coordinated attack that was unfolding. At 8:52 a.m., the hijackers turned the aircraft toward New York City and flew the 767 into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. with the same devastating effects as the first plane. Government officials and air traffic controllers were only just beginning to suspect that a coordinated attack was under way.

The third aircraft hijacked that day was American Airlines Flight 77 , a Boeing 757 (N644AA) that was scheduled to fly from Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia to Los Angeles. It departed at 8:20 a.m. with a crew of 6 and 58 passengers. Once the airliner reached its cruising altitude, the 5 hijackers moved against the flight crew, and while there were no reports of stabbings on this flight, the hijackers were similarly armed with knives and box cutters. Again, they herded the passengers and crew to the rear of the plane. It is not clear if the pilots were killed, or how the hijackers came to be in control of the aircraft, but at 8:54 a.m. the transponder was turned off and primary radar contact with the aircraft was lost as the plane turned south towards Washington DC. At 9:29 a.m. controllers reestablished radar contact with the plane and found that it was heading towards the city at high speed, and at 9:34 a.m. the hijacker flying the plane made a final turn towards the Pentagon and advanced the throttles to full power. The 757 smashed through the west side of the building at 9:37 a.m., traveling at 530 mph and taking just eight-tenths of a second to penetrate 310 feet through three of the Pentagon’s five rings.

The fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93 , another Boeing 757 (N591UA), was scheduled to depart from Newark International Airport at 8:00 a.m. for a flight to San Francisco. On board were 7 crew members and 33 passengers, but only 4 hijackers (the man suspected of being the fifth hijacker had been denied entry to the US a month before). Due to dense fog that morning, the flight did not take off until 8:42 a.m., just 4 minutes before the first 767 would strike the World Trade Center. Even though the earlier hijackings had already taken place, it took some time for the FAA, controllers and airline officials to realize that they were facing a scenario of multiple, simultaneous hijackings, and no warnings were sent out to other aircraft departing at the same time. The hijacking of Flight 93 began at 9:28 a.m. over eastern Ohio, and passengers and crew were again moved to the rear of the plane. However, the delay in departure meant that those on the plane who contacted loved ones and officials on the ground were able to learn of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and realized that their aircraft was part of an organized attack on the United States. They started discussing what, if anything, they could do. They chose to fight back.

“Let’s roll.”

The passengers huddled at the back of the plane decided to make an assault on the front of the aircraft in an attempt to regain control of the airliner or, at the very least, stop the hijackers from hitting their target, which was later believed to be the US Capitol or the White House. One of the passengers who helped organize the attempt to retake the plane, Todd Beamer, was overheard saying, “Are you ready? Okay. Let’s roll.” Another passenger ended her phone call to a loved one saying, “Everyone’s running up to first class. I’ve got to go. Bye.” At 9:57 a.m. the passengers’ assault on the terrorists began, and those still on the phone on the ground could hear sounds of a struggle. The hijacker flying the plane, Ziad Jarrah, realized that the passengers were fighting the other hijackers in the first class cabin and initiated a series of violent maneuvers to try to disrupt the assault, but muffled sounds of the battle were still captured on the cockpit voice recorder. When it became clear that the passengers would soon gain entry to the cockpit and that the terrorists’ mission to strike the nation’s capital would not succeed, Jarrah rolled the 757 onto its back and dove earthward, striking the ground near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m. at a speed of 580 mph. Flight 93 was only 20 minutes from Washington, DC.

The Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania.

Once the full scope of the attack was understood, officials implemented part of the plan for the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (SCATANA), “an emergency preparedness plan which prescribes the joint action to be taken by appropriate elements of the Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission in the interest of national security in order to effect control of air traffic and air navigation aids under emergency conditions.” The plan, devised to protect the nation in the event of a nuclear attack, limits the use of American airspace to military and other official flights. However, it was not fully implemented on September 11, as the DOD left the FAA in charge of the air traffic control system, and left radio navigational aids running to help the thousands of aircraft still flying to land safely or divert to alternate airports.

At 9:42 a.m., the call was made by FAA National Operations Manager Ben Sliney to immediately land all aircraft already in flight over the US and to place a ground stop on all aircraft awaiting takeoff. Incoming international flights were ordered to turn back if they had enough fuel, or to land at airports in Canada or Mexico. By approximately 12:15 p.m. American airspace was completely cleared of commercial and civilian air traffic. To the north, Canada issued its own order to control its airspace, the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (ESCAT), with the military taking control of the airspace over the country. Incoming airliners, and those diverted from the US, were directed to airports away from major Canadian cities such as Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Canada ultimately took in 225 aircraft at 17 different airports across the country. Some airports were overwhelmed with aircraft, as a certain percentage of all the aircraft in North America must be in the air at a given time. There is simply not enough room to put them all on the ground at once and still maintain operations.

The airport at Gander, Newfoundland following September 11.

In all, 2977 people were killed in the September 11 attacks (a number which does not include the 19 hijackers). Of that total, 246 were on board the four airliners hijacked that day. Civilian flights in the US resumed on September 13, but the inevitable changes to airline travel have made the flying experience much different than it was before 9/11. Cockpit doors were armored and secured. Airport security was federalized with the creation of the Transportation Security Agency. Passenger screening was greatly expanded, and the non-flying public was barred from entering the gate area of airports. But beyond the physical changes to our airports and the procedural changes to how we fly, the heroism and courage displayed by the passengers on Flight 93 in the face of almost certain death has changed the way we face the threat of terrorism. The actions of Todd Beamer and the rest of the passengers on September 11, 2001 have emboldened others to stand firm against terrorism, and fight back in any way possible. It is unlikely that hijackers will find an airplane full of meek victims in the future.

Short Take Off

While the events of September 11, 2001 dominate the Aviation History Speed Round for today, there are a few other events worthy of note, and those are given briefly below.

September 9, 2006 – The first flight of the Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter. Also known as the Dreamlifter, this specially modified 747-400 was developed to transport sections of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The 747 LCF is only flown by Boeing, and has no commercial customers. Four have been built. (Photo by Toshi Aoki via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

September 10, 1956 – The first flight of the North American YF-107. The YF-107 was the ultimate development of the F-100 Super Sabre in response to a call for a new fighter-bomber in the 1950s, and is notable for the placement of the air intake above and behind the cockpit. Three prototypes were built, but the YF-107 lost out to the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. (US Air Force photo)

September 11, 1983 – The first flight of the Agusta A129 Mangusta. The first dedicated attack helicopter developed entirely in Europe, the A129 entered service with the Italian Army in 1990, seeing action in Macedonia, Iraq and Afghanistan. (Photo by Aldo Bidini via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

September 11, 1970 – The first flight of the Britten-Norman Trislander. Most notable for the placement of a center engine on the tail, the Trislander is capable of operating from short and unimproved airstrips and carries 19 passengers.

September 11, 1946 – The first flight of the North American FJ-1 Fury . The FJ-1 was the first operational jet fighter to enter service with the US Navy using a design employed structures derived from the North American P-51 Mustang. Though rapid advances in jet design limited the production to just 30 aircraft, the FJ-1 earned the distinction of winning the Bendix Trophy Race for jets in 1948, and served as the basis for the North American F-86 Sabre. (US Navy photo)

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If you enjoy these Aviation History posts, please let me know in the comments. And if you missed any of the past articles, you can find them all at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

Photo credits : Flight 11 photo by Ken Fielding via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Flight 175 photo by Konstantin von Wedelstaedt via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Flight 77 photo by Sunil Gupta via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Flight 93 photo by MacMax via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . WTC photo by Michael Foran via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Pentagon photo by US Navy. Flight 93 Memorial photo ©Tim Shaffer. Gander photo author unknown. Sources : !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ; !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ; !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ; Wikipedia (various).

Patrick Nichols > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:44

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If you enjoy these Aviation History posts, please let me know in the comments.

I enjoyed this.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:44

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“Let’s roll.”

Talk about 2 words taking on unexpected significance... All I can say is, I hope I would have the balls to do something like that in that situation.

RIP 9/11 victims

EDIT: Second Patrick Nichols comment

ttyymmnn > Patrick Nichols 09/11/2015 at 11:47

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Thanks.

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:47

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another great read, I appreciate the factual delivery of the 9/11 content

“ as a certain percentage of all the aircraft in North America must be in the air at a given time. There is simply not enough room to put them all on the ground at once and still maintain operations.”

this always surprises me, but makes sense.

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:48

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“and unborn child”

Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:52

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Great job as usual.

Thoughts go out to all the victims of 9-11. Such a sad day.

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 09/11/2015 at 11:52

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As you point out, sometimes a simple phrase can carry so much meaning. When Admiral Farragut yelled, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” at the Battle of Mobile Bay, he could hardly have known that his exhortation to his would be remembered by history. Words so simple and direct as Beamer’s need to be remembered. This fight isn’t over yet.

ttyymmnn > Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car 09/11/2015 at 11:53

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Thank you. For some reason, this one was easier to write than all the others. And I had to fight back a few lumps in my throat as I worked.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:53

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Recommend.

ttyymmnn > MonkeePuzzle 09/11/2015 at 11:54

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That’s a kick in the gut, to be sure.

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:55

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I saw one during my visit to the Boeing factory, it is an astoundingly large aircraft in person

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:55

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wonder how a top mounted air intake would impact opening the cockpit with the engine running, or worse, ejecting

ttyymmnn > MonkeePuzzle 09/11/2015 at 11:56

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Thanks. The facts themselves are dramatic enough. No need to add to it.

I added the bit about “still maintain operations” because yes, you could put every plane in North America (or the world, for that matter) on the ground at once, but you would have to cover every tarmac and runway and parking lot in the world to do it. There would be nowhere left to fly from.

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 11:57

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and like so many utilitarian planes, it was clearly designed with a straight ruler and an ability to carry square cargo

ttyymmnn > MonkeePuzzle 09/11/2015 at 12:00

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It was believed that the ejection seat would clear the intake safely. And if you were punching out, who cares if the canopy gets ingested by the engine? Fortunately, they never had to find out of they were right about the seat. I’d be a little nervous if I were flying it.

Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:00

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I’m sure. Today always gets me. I was born in ‘99. My earliest memories are of the 9/11 attacks. Now I’m getting ready to solo (Flight training for a few years now) and today I can’t think of anything but the poor people who lost their lives in the attacks. It really shows that you cared to put the time in for this.

ttyymmnn > MonkeePuzzle 09/11/2015 at 12:01

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Boxes are square. And straight wings are better for STOL. See: C-130.

ttyymmnn > Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car 09/11/2015 at 12:03

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Thanks. I do care, perhaps more so since aviation is such an important thing for me, and using those planes as missiles demonstrates a depravity that I cannot fathom.

Good luck on your solo. I have never taken a lesson in my life, though I’ve had my turn at the yoke once or twice in my Uncle’s Cessna many years ago. I’m not sure I have the mentality to be a successful pilot. Not everybody does.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:04

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What’s not shown in this picture, is the 12 A-10s from my old squadron that were returning from the 2001 Operation Southern Watch deployment. They turned the jets (maintenance speak for getting them ready for another sortie) and were ready to head back over the pond. We’d have to wait almost a year before we hit the ground in Bagram, Afghanistan.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:06

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Could it possibly have been a downward ejection? I know they were used, I don't know how extensively. Downward ejection tends to make zero-altitude ejection tricky :)

Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:07

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Thanks. I do care, perhaps more so since aviation is such an important thing for me, and using those planes as missiles demonstrates a depravity that I cannot fathom.

Me too. The thing that really killed me is my first memory was seeing my twin brothers come home from the hospital in July of 01 and just 3 months later, this. I didn’t understand at the time, but now I truly do understand the scale of this tragedy.

Good luck on your solo. I have never taken a lesson in my life, though I’ve had my turn at the yoke once or twice in my Uncle’s Cessna many years ago. I’m not sure I have the mentality to be a successful pilot. Not everybody does.

I don’t think so. I took my first lesson a few weeks after I turned 10. It was a birthday present from my dad. I’ve worked part time since then (Washing cars and family business at first, real job now) to pay for it all. It’s really just a matter of deciding to do it and going for it. If you stick it out, you can get a certificate.

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:07

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yeah, the emergency situation you just cross your fingers. I was more thinking about sitting on the ground, you get things all warmed up and then here comes your operator with a new map and mission details, neat, just pop open the canopy and... WHOOOMP! sucked into the intake... UNENDING EXPLOSIONS as glass and metal are sucked through a jet

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 09/11/2015 at 12:09

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To be sure, there have been downward ejection seats (B-52, F-104). But yeah, that pretty much precludes ejecting on the ground, and I’m not sure when the first zero-zero ejection seat was used. But hey—the engineers said it would be fine, so I guess it must be okay.

Ash78, voting early and often > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:10

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It is unlikely that hijackers will find an airplane full of meek victims in the future.

And this has already been proven many times since then, most recently on that French train.

btw, since you asked, I love these posts!

One fact I never heard mentioned in earlier reports was the strategery of picking not just fully-fueled widebody jets with similar departure times, but also finding ones that would be so devoid of passengers. I’m guessing they were averaging about half capacity.

ttyymmnn > Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car 09/11/2015 at 12:11

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Though I’m not a pilot, I respect the responsibility that goes with it, and understand just how much there is to keep track of at once. Playing trumpet in an orchestra is hard enough. If I miss a note, nobody dies. I’ll just stick with that.

Ash78, voting early and often > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 09/11/2015 at 12:12

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Have you seen the United 93 film? I told myself I’d never watch it (it’s Oliver Stone, plus I know the ending...), but I finally did last year and I thought it did great justice to the entire 9/11 situation after years of just reading written reports and watching the same official videos over and over.

Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:12

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Alright then. If your in Denver after say October of ‘16, let me know, I’ll take you up.

ttyymmnn > Ash78, voting early and often 09/11/2015 at 12:15

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I am sure that the number of passengers figured into their calculations. At most, there were only 4 hijackers to deal with the pax, meaning they were outnumbered 10:1, even if they were armed. It’s hard not to decide to fight back given those odds, but you have to have the mentality to do so. That’s what Flight 93 taught us.

On one of the earlier flights, I don’t remember which, there was a former member of an Israeli security service. When one of the hijackers got up, he tried to stop him, but was killed by another hijacker who was sitting behind him. So F93 wasn’t the only one to fight, but they had the numbers.

ttyymmnn > Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car 09/11/2015 at 12:15

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Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the invite.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:16

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F-106 I believe.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Ash78, voting early and often 09/11/2015 at 12:17

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I haven't, actually. Now I need to look that up. Maybe. Films have a tendency to sacrifice the sobriety of an event.

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 09/11/2015 at 12:19

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The -106 had a series of different ejection seats, but I don’t believe any of them fired downward.

Ash78, voting early and often > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:20

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Don’t forget the context of the hijacking...most historical situations indicated that if you behaved and followed orders, you’d be fine. It was almost like a bank robbery, especially the bomb threat aspect. I truly think 93 only panned out the way it did because, as you mentioned, people know the bomb threat was a bluff.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:21

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I meant the first zero-zero seat.

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 09/11/2015 at 12:23

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Ah. Sorry.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:26

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NP

William Byrd > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:30

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Great write-up. It’s too bad the Flight 93 story didn’t end on a happier note, but they know what they were up against and saved a lot of lives on the ground.

Few days so long ago are so vivid in my memory and will forever be.

I didn’t leave my office in Tysons Corner until later in the afternoon, the beltway was completely empty. I saw the smoke still coming from the Pentagon. I lived along the Washington National flight path in Alexandria, it was eerie how quiet the skies were over the next couple of days. Worked an overnight shift that night assisting my client, the US Army Corps of Engineers. They were overwhelmed to say the least.

William Byrd > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 09/11/2015 at 12:31

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Agreed. Simple, yet poignant.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > William Byrd 09/11/2015 at 12:32

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Recommend.

ttyymmnn > William Byrd 09/11/2015 at 12:33

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Thanks.

Cé hé sin > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 12:39

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I didn’t know about that. It’s a pity he’s been forgotten.

ttyymmnn > Cé hé sin 09/11/2015 at 12:42

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From the National Commission report:

At the same time or shortly thereafter, Atta-the only terrorist on board trained to fly a jet-would have moved to the cockpit from his business-class seat, possibly accompanied by Omari. As this was happening, passenger Daniel Lewin, who was seated in the row just behind Atta and Omari, was stabbed by one of the hijackers-probably Satam al Suqami, who was seated directly behind Lewin. Lewin had served four years as an officer in the Israeli military. He may have made an attempt to stop the hijackers in front of him, not realizing that another was sitting behind him. 27

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 13:22

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Well, this is new to me. Bravo on a highly informative and well written article, as always!

Leon711 > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 13:23

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I too, enjoyed this. I enjoy all your planelopnik stuff.

ttyymmnn > The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) 09/11/2015 at 13:26

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Thanks! I always like it when somebody learns something new from what I’ve written.

ttyymmnn > Leon711 09/11/2015 at 13:27

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Thank you. I appreciate your taking the time to read them.

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 13:35

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I learn something new at least once a week from your posts. I have no idea how you keep coming up with new obscure material!

ttyymmnn > The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) 09/11/2015 at 14:08

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I will never reveal my sources...... Back in the spring, I had enough time to write an occasional column called “Planes you’ve (probably) never heard of.” I’ve got a ton of aircraft in the pipeline to write about, but this Aviation History column is taking most of my time. I still have to do a thing or two around the house so my wife doesn’t think I spend ALL my time in front of the computer.

Jayhawk Jake > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 20:46

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My perspective I think is similar to yours. I really detest that the ‘popular’ side of aviation is the one where airplanes are weapons, and as an engineer I have no intentions of ever working directly on a weapon. For someone to take a civilian aircraft and turn it into a weapon is disgusting beyond words.

Thanks for the post, it was a fantastic summary of the significant events without getting political or overly emotional, which is something I think we all need to maintain perspective.

The emergency response to clear the airspace is remarkable and often overlooked. Getting all those planes down safely amidst the chaos of the morning’s events in a mere 2.5 hours is truly a testament to the skill and professionalism of pilots and aircraft controllers alike.

Jayhawk Jake > ttyymmnn 09/11/2015 at 20:48

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My issue with it is high alpha maneuvers would starve the intake.

ttyymmnn > Jayhawk Jake 09/11/2015 at 21:05

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Thanks. I appreciate your words. I worked very hard on this post, and the tone was important to me. I rewrote the last few sentences numerous times to keep it from being maudlin or preachy. As I said to somebody else today, the facts themselves are dramatic and emotional enough. No need to create more drama. And I did try hard to limit it just to the aviation aspects of the day. And as you say, the FAA’s and DOD’s work to clear the air is nothing short of heroic in itself. And we can’t thank our northern neighbors (neighbours?) enough for their assistance.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > ttyymmnn 09/15/2015 at 15:39

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I finally got around to reading this one. Luckily I didn’t lose anyone close to me on 9/11, but there was a long 10 or so hours finding out where my parents and a bunch of family friends were that day. They had left that morning for a trade show in Europe and my parents, brother and several people that I had known my whole life were airborne when this happened.

I was standing in my advisors office and could hear a lot of conversation snippets when he said that there had been hijackings and the WTC and Pentagon had been attacked. I figured I’d walk over to the Student Union building and see if they had the news on. The monitors that show current events in the ME building lobby were showing the news and the WTC towers were there smoking. I stood watching in shock for a few minutes and then the first tower fell. That was when I remembered that I knew a bunch of people who were flying that day. So much of that day is a blur of trying to get in touch with people and waiting to hear back. There are some moments that stick out with strange clarity. Like seeing the police chief driving the other way while I was going 80 in a 35 to get to a phone, or the horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach when the towers fell.

ttyymmnn > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 09/15/2015 at 16:16

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My father was on a safari in Africa on 9.11. They heard about it on the BBC via satellite radio. He flew home on a jumbo (probably a 767 or 777) that had about twenty passengers on it.

I was working at one of UT’s computer labs that morning, and I opened up at 8:00 and got a call from my wife (who also works at UT) at 8:01. I didn’t have access to a TV, and the Internet was simply not working. Professors had pushed TVs into the hallway so students could watch the news, and I passed by one after the first tower fell. Hell of a day, to be sure.