Tribute to September 11, 2001

[rbrong]

Here's another old audio clip I had on my hard drive.  Every now and again I listen to it just to remind myself of how lucky we are to be able to fly.  It's the ATIS from KRNO after the airspace was shut down on September 11, 2001.  I don't know what made me want to listen to the ATIS on that day.  The silence in the sky was creepy enough.       Never forget.

[tyketto]

Here's another old audio clip I had on my hard drive.  Every now and again I listen to it just to remind myself of how lucky we are to be able to fly.  It's the ATIS from KRNO after the airspace was shut down on September 11, 2001.  I don't know what made me want to listen to the ATIS on that day.  The silence in the sky was creepy enough.       Never forget.

The funny thing for me...

I was in Las Vegas at the time, before I moved up here to Sacramento. That day, I was actually on my way down to the airport to planespot and listen to ATC. I actually had no idea what was going on, because I had woken up late, didn't turn on the TV or radio until I got in the car. From where I lived, I could see the departure stream of the 25s, but more importantly see the GA guys overfly me on their base leg into 12L/R at KVGT. Not hearing the GA aircraft was okay, but not seeing that departure stream was spooky. I turned on NPR, and heard what happened. Then I realized that all the issues and problems I had really weren't that serious, and was, for the first time in a LONG time, lucky to be alive.

I turned that day of spotting into a short drive through Red Rock Canyon, enjoyed the scenery, then headed home, calling it a day.

Just remember, anyone who reads this.. sometimes your problems aren't as big as they are made out to be, especially when you compare them to bigger pictures...

BL.

[rbrong]

"Just remember, anyone who reads this.. sometimes your problems aren't as big as they are made out to be, especially when you compare them to bigger pictures..."

Isn't that the truth!  I remember driving to work and turning on NPR, too, not knowing what was going on.  I was still on a high from a great weekend at the Great Reno Balloon Races and getting geared up for the following weekend at the Reno Air Races.  Talk about submersing yourself in things that fly!  When I first heard the reports I was simply stunned and didn't know what to think. 

I'm a high school teacher and Sep. 11 has to have been one of the most difficult days I've ever had.  We were supposed to "keep things normal" and not focus on the reality.  That was so hard to do when every child kept asking questions about war and what was going to happen.  I still remember the face of Zach, one of my students, who came up to me with the most sullen look on his face.  He said nothing but held out his delayed enlistment card for the Marines.  He graduated that year and I don't know what ever happened to him but I often think about his "moment of truth" when life started to become real for him.

I often remind my students of Zach in the morning when we say the pledge.  It's especially important when I get the kid who is reluctant to stand or respect what is going on.  Taking our freedoms for granted is something we all do from time to time but please remember the costs of that which we hold as a birthright in our lives.

[snipper_cr]

Does anyone know how on earth you coordinate the grounding of every single civil aircraft in the national airspace system? What about just GA aircraft not in contact with anyone. Sure many are probably IFR or VFRFF, but what about the people just going out to burn holes in the skies?

It would be intersting to hear some ATC clips from them coordinating flights to the ground in such a freaking fast time.

[w0x0f]

Does anyone know how on earth you coordinate the grounding of every single civil aircraft in the national airspace system? What about just GA aircraft not in contact with anyone. Sure many are probably IFR or VFRFF, but what about the people just going out to burn holes in the skies?

It would be intersting to hear some ATC clips from them coordinating flights to the ground in such a freaking fast time.

VFR aircraft not in contact with ATC were forced to land by military fighter aircraft.  I saw 2 aircraft forced to land in that fashion.  One fellow actually argued with the F16 driver.  It was a very short argument.

There was no procedure to do what we did on that day.  We made it up as it happened.  It still amazes me too that all those aircraft landed without further incident.       

w0x0f     

[rbrong]

Isn't that the truth!  I'd be interested to hear the account from someone who was flying on that day.

[tyketto]

Unfortunately, I knew no-one who was flying at that time, but there was a good hour-long documentary on grounding every plane in US airspace either on the History Channel or Discovery Channel. I believe it was called "Grounded on 9/11" or something like that. Wikipedia should have the right title.

There was also an article (I'm trying to find it, because I reposted in a couple of USENET groups a few years ago) of a first hand account from a DAL pilot who was flying from RJAA to KLAX when the only thing they heard was that US Airspace was closed because of terrorists on planes and nothing more. They happened to have heard it while in KZAK airspace, and had no idea how they were going to land or if they could go back to RJAA or what. Eventually, while the FO wad the plane, the captain ripped out the cabling that shown the map of where they were headed on the passenger's screens, and diverted to CYVR.

The article ended with the Captain coming on the PA saying "For those of you who don't know where we are, this definitely is not Los Angeles..."

I'll post it when I find it.

BL.

[rbrong]

That would be great.  Come to think of it I vaguely remember a documentary on the subject.  I think it may have been a NOVA focussed around one of the airports in eastern Canada where several large jets were grounded for severals days.  The locals adopted the stranded travelers as family for the time they couldn't fly.  I'll see if I can't remember what that one was, too.