Was anyone flying on 9-11-2001? - Page 2

RV7Guy · #11 06-18-2009, 05:57 PM

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.

RV6-O540 · #12 06-18-2009, 08:29 PM

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.

brianwallis · #13 06-18-2009, 08:39 PM

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

Scott Hersha · #14 06-18-2009, 08:45 PM

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

rvn817j · #15 06-19-2009, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Hersha

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.

jferraro17 · #16 06-19-2009, 08:52 AM

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

Brent Colvin · #17 06-19-2009, 09:49 AM

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.

ddurakovich · #18 06-19-2009, 10:32 AM

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.....

VETE76 · #19 06-25-2009, 02:33 PM

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!

Sticky1 · #20 06-25-2009, 03:54 PM

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.