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Was anyone flying on 9-11-2001?

Webb

Well Known Member
Sponsor
With that other thread about the whoops TFR - it makes me wonder......Were any of you airbourne when 9-11 happened?

If so, did you immediately land? Were you forced to divert if on a flight? Were you allowed to destination? How long before you could fly again? How did ATC handle you? etc......
 
Not Quite

I had my engine running in my tiedown spot to go to work and I was advised that all air traffic was being grounded in the entire US. They did not know when the situation would change so I shut down and drove to work. When I got there they had closed the Lab but since we had a mission flying I was allowed in. As I recall it was around a week before I could start flying again.

Bob Axsom
 
In Leesburg, VA on 09/11/2001

There was NO FLYING at KJYO and a number of other Washington, DC area airports for about one year. Three (3) months after 09/11/2001 flights out of KJYO were permitted for a day or two (2) and I was able to re-locate my plane to KOKV (which was outside the "no fly" zone). Special procedures in this area still make it challenging to fly within this area. Don't fly in or around the DC SFRA unless you have taken the required FAA training.
 
My sister-in law just departed on a Continental flight at 9:15 AM that morning from Indy to Memphis. They continued on to Memphis as planned. Not sure when the order was issued but it's only a 45 minute flight.
 
I wasn't flying that day, but I do remember how QUIET the skies were.

At any given time, I can see/hear several planes or helicopters. I live close to 2 GA airports, McChord AFB, and we're on the flight path for Sea-Tac. Most people don't realize how many aircraft operate on a daily basis...I didn't, until it all shut down for a week after 9/11...total silence that week.
 
I was scheduled DFW-PDX on an AA MD80 2030 that evening... obviously didn't make it. I did fly out DFW-PDX on 9/13 ... DFW was a ghost town except for lots of LEOs. About 40 pax on the MD80. A very strange scene.

TODR
 
It was my leg on an ACA DO-328 from CMH to LGA that morning. The nose gear was being chocked as the plane hit the first tower. So I was flying up the Hudson as those SOBs were flying down it.
 
9-11-01

I was on a commercial flight from Tampa to Salt Lake City via Phoenix, half way across the the Gulf of Mexico, when the pilot got the word to land asap. We landed in Houston,and couldn't leave for three days. TPA didn't have proper security for over a week, so no flights back home. Not enjoying Houston, chose to go on to Phoenix, but all flights to SLC cancelled. Had only two choices from the airline; go to San Diego or Reno. Went to Reno. Town empty. Hotels and casinos open but empty. Reno air races cancelled. Everybody numb.

Finally, after 5 days, able to fly back to Tampa, on a plane with 11 people on board.

I hate being stranded, away from home, and can imagine having a problem with the RV (flat tire, engine problem, etc) at some remote strip (maybe Idaho) and no tools or help to be had. I would venture to say many VAF RV pilots would fly 100 miles to lend a hand and help.
 
ground stop

Here in TX. under the DFW Class B air space there were no flights at all for 2 weeks. The only way to fly was to file a flight plan out and file back in to class B.
There was one other way to fly and that was with an instructor.
So the students could fly any time. Made a lot of pilots very hot.
I did my first flight 2 weeks prior and was in my phase 1 testing.
I know of several RVer's that got stranded.
 
I was a student pilot doing some early morning flying over Yuma, AZ. Tower didn't usually open until 0800; they opened early that morning, told me the airspace was closed and asked me to land. Being as KYUM is also MCAS Yuma, I figured they had an early launch, so I landed and went into work. It wasn't until I drove through the front gate and the Marine on gate duty told me what was going on that I had any idea.

PJ Seipel
RV-10 #40032
 
Quiet day

I have several friends that are air line pilots. Three were in the air at the time. All were very shook up because it had to be significant to issue such an order. One believed it had to be a nuclear attack of some sort. Only one was flying near the East coast and said it was very chaotic for a couple of hours. They were stuck well away from home.

The silence was deafening. I never want to hear that again. For the next few days only the occasional F-16 could be heard patrolling the airspace over Phoenix.
 
Just in time

I had just flown back to southern Indiana from a northern Minnesota fishing trip the evening before 9-11. I was so thankful my plane wasnt stuck in a back country airport with no hangers. Sure was strange to not see anything flying in the following days.
On 9-12 a local guy actually did fly his Cessna on a local flight over a naval weapons depot no less, but some nice men in F-16s helped him find his way back home. :eek:
 
no

We were flying blackhawks the next day though... I had Boston Center tuned in and it was completely silent... I though I had the wrong freq.... I remembered standing out there on the ramp with all the birds.... wondering if we were next. Spooky....
Best
Brian
 
I was airborn when it happened. I had taken off from Hartford (BDL) early, enroute to Atlanta in a 757. It was a clear day and I saw the World Trade Center from FL350 before it was hit. I remember thinking it was such a clear beautiful day. I could see all up and down the eastern seaboard with an excellent view of Manhattan. ATC didn't say anything to us prior to landing - because I don't think they really knew what was happening yet. The rest of my 3-day trip was canceled, obviously, and I spent 3 days in Atlanta watching CNN all day at the hotel, then finally rented a van and several of us drove home to our base in Cincinnati. Things that day changed forever - both for aviation in general, and my career (former career as a result of this) in particular.

Scott
 
Things to Consider

Things that day changed forever - both for aviation in general, and my career (former career as a result of this) in particular.

Scott

I was in the airline / airplane business at that time also. "Sep. 11th" had (and this economic downturn continues to have) a severe adverse impact on that industry. I'm now a government contractor - what does that tell you?

On a more somber note. The Captain of the United 757 that went into one of the towers was a brother in arms and a friend - Vic Saracini. Vic and I served in VS-22 together in the late 70s. Say a prayer for Vic and his family and all those who were adversely impacted that day and as a result of that day.
 
We were pushing back at Memphis for our return leg to DFW. I had called my wife from the ground in Memphis, she said a plane had hit the WTC, but didn't know what kind. I figured it was a GA accident. Called for taxi and they said "pull back into the gate, ground stop in Dallas".

Well, 2 hours ago, we left DFW and it was beautiful, so either there was a crash or something bad was happening...the shutdown order came while we were pushing.

We were at the hotel within an hour, minus one flight attendant. When she realized what had happened, she resigned on the spot, rented a car and drove home to DFW.

MEM was turned into a parking lot, as a lot of traffic funnels through that airspace. I seem to remember they shut down one of the N/S runways and towed/parked jets out there wing to wing.

Long couple of days, that's for sure.

Joe
 
I was spraying cotton, listening to FM while it happened. DJ's stopped playing music, and only covered the attacks. When second plane crashed, I knew we were under attack. Sheriff's office called our office and they called me in to land. We were grounded within 15-20 min of first attack.
 
I was VFR in my Cherokee from Mesquite to Houston Hobby. Flight following all the way, until it got unusually quiet for that time of morning about the time I was abreast of College Station.

Getting closer in to Houston, I heard a string of words that I will never forget: "The national airspace system is being shut down due to terrorist activity on the East Coast." Still didn't register completely, as I asked if I should proceed to Hobby and was told to land IMMEDIATELY.

I put down at West Houston, and as I dragged my bags out of the plane, they had a tug already hooked up and were starting to "secure" it due to sheriff's orders. About the time I got to the FBO's desk, a nice young man who worked for the sheriff, packing two side arms and a riot shotgun showed up with instructions to help anyone trying to take off. However, he might have said hurt instead of help.....

Since I didn't have my IFR ticlket at the time, the plane sat there for a week until I could bring an instructor back and get some acual IFR time for the trip back.

Interestingly, on our arrival back in the DFW area, we heard a guy trying to get a pop up IFR clearance, and another trying to get flight following through the DFW area going West on a VFR flight. He ended up landing at Mesquite about the same time I did, and was still on the phone as I was driving out the gate to go home!

Strange times.....
 
you won't believe this one!

a friend of mine was over ohio in a luscome. no radio! he flies all over the US based in NY. he had a f16 (dirtied up) trying to fly with him. the 16 pilot motioned to him to land so he waved back!? the second pass by the 16 he took his picture, LOL, it now hangs in our hanger pilots room with the luscome in the photo. REAL KEWL!!!!
he eventually landed due to gas running low. went inside and saw the news, he thought that the f16 was just being playful, or maybe he flew into a moa etc, he didn't know he trying to get him to land!!!! LOL. then he saw on the news where f16's were trying to get a single engine ORANGE colored plae to land but it just flew on. LOL again. (can't make this stuff up!) so, being smart, he saw an opertunity to make some money so he called a few news places and asked if they knew about the mysterious orange plane and when they said yes, he asked how much r u willing to pay for the chance to interview the pilot who had photographic proof of a f16 off his wing tip! when he got the best offer, he then them back and sold them an interview!!!!! LOL got ta love this guy! oooh, he also made them pay to have his film developed!
 
Interesting Day....

I left KPOU (70 miles north of NYC) as it was happening. On my way to KEBW, MA. ;there was some chatter on 132.75. Over OXC I asked ATC what was going on. As he told us he also mentiond that their was a ground stop on. Ok What is that........When you land you will not be able to go back up!

Rental car home......3 weeks later I got my plane.:mad:
 
Janie and I were preparing to check out of our hotel in Anchorage, Alaska after a two week vacation. Our flight was scheduled to leave at around 10:30 am Alaska time. As I was getting out of the shower Janie asked that I take a look at what she thought must be great special effects in a movie--unfortunately the plane flying into the Twin Towers was for real. We spent an extra 4 days in Alaska. I will never forget that day!!!!

Cheers,

db
 
My father-in-law's funeral was that afternoon, so I had the day off work. In the morning I decided I was going to go fly for a bit, maybe do some loops and rolls to get myself in a better mood. When I got to the hangar the TV was on in the office, found out what happened and saw the second plane hit. About 15 minutes later Grissom AFB called the airport to let us know no airplanes were to depart. So I left to go back home a few hours later, and noticed there was a line of cars at every gas station, and the supermarket parking lot was packed. It was surreal.
 
Yes

I had flown to Laurel, MS the day before in my 182 for a business meeting and was to end up in Chicago at the end of the week. Watched everything from first report in the hotel room. Called a lot of friends and told them to turn on the TV. I was yelling at the screen for Peter Jennings to turn around and look at the monitor behind him as the 2nd plane approached Tower 2. I knew what was up before it hit.

Needless to say, I never made it to Chicago. Got a rental car and drove back to the Atlanta area. Not IFR rated so had an instructor and student return the rental car and fly the 182 back after the airspace was opened to IFR only traffic.

Let us hope America will be strong, preparred and resolute in her actions should another attack like this happen to us.

Mark
 
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