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A Year Ago - Remembering Flying on 09/11
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zonejumper
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- May 25, 2011
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As a resident of a borough of NY city, I can still smell that horrible smell that wafted over to my borough for days.......
I watched most of the shows on this week, which were very moving. Many of the survivors are not the same and have such an empty look in their eyes.
I know several people who were lost that day, some of whom left NO remains. My church has the most people lost in our borough and every day brought 3 or 4 funeral masses. Not only was it very difficult for me, but it was very hard to explain to my 3 young children. some of whom lost their dads. My sister in law worked in Tower 2, and by some stroke of good luck, she was late that day and her bus turned around and got the hell out of the WTC area when the driver saw what was unfolding. We couldn't reach her for hours, which was nerve-wracking....
I will NEVER forget (or forgive) the bastards who did this to MY city and MY country.
I watched most of the shows on this week, which were very moving. Many of the survivors are not the same and have such an empty look in their eyes.
I know several people who were lost that day, some of whom left NO remains. My church has the most people lost in our borough and every day brought 3 or 4 funeral masses. Not only was it very difficult for me, but it was very hard to explain to my 3 young children. some of whom lost their dads. My sister in law worked in Tower 2, and by some stroke of good luck, she was late that day and her bus turned around and got the hell out of the WTC area when the driver saw what was unfolding. We couldn't reach her for hours, which was nerve-wracking....
I will NEVER forget (or forgive) the bastards who did this to MY city and MY country.
I will never forget that morning. I was up early as I had an 0800 show for my final prep flight before taking my CFI checkride the next day. As I sat in the classroom a friend called and said an airplane hit the WTC. I asked him if it was in bad weather and what type of airplane. He said it was crystal clear and the news was reporting it was an Air Canada flight. Of course I was shocked to hear it was CAVU, but brushed it off to an accident as I had to focus my mind on the task at hand.
As my instructor and I were walking out to the airplane I told him what my friend had said, to which he replied "Are you OK to still go flying?" I responded with an emphatic "YES". I went through my exhaustive teaching of the pre-flight and we hopped in the little C-172RG for my last instructional flight before my check ride. After starting the engine, my instructor (acting as the student) called ground for taxi. I will never forget what happened next. This female controller responded with "Negative, you are to shut down and contact company." I thought, "well that's weird, I wonder if they need this plane for something else?" It wasn't until we shut down and I noticed two other sets of pilots/instructors doing the same thing that I started feeling uneasy.
As I walked back in the building I saw 10-12 people in front of an old 13" TV with rabbit ears and poor reception showing the Pentagon on fire. Still trying to wrap my head around what was going on, I asked someone. They said 2 large commercial airplanes had hit the WTC and another just hit the Pentagon. I remember thinking to myself immediately that sand turns to glass when exposed to intense heat...You get my drift there.
As school was cancelled, I called my roommate to see if he was awake. He wasn't, so I proceeded to tell him to turn on the TV and I'll be home in 10 minutes. When I walked through the door, it wasn't but another 5 minutes until the first tower collapsed. I was so saddened and furious all at the same time. I left the house in a daze because I couldn't watch anymore, let alone think clearly. I drove down to the local 7-11 to get a drink. As I entered the store I saw a woman swinging a baseball bat at the clerk behind the counter. Even though I was now pissed, I could tell the clerk was Hindu and that this lady needed to understand the differences between the "Arab looking people" because she got this one wrong. Before I got to her, some big Harley riding guy grabbed her from behind and pulled her to the ground.
From there I decided to drive out to KFLL to see what was going on. I went to the observation area like I had done so many times before. I was absolutely stunned at how quiet it was. You could actually hear a pin drop.
I knew right then and there that life would never be the same, and that my career was probably done. Yes, we all think about ourselves immediately. But then I just knelt down and thought about how many people died that day and how "MY" problem wasn't such a big deal compared to those who lost there lives or who were fighting for theirs that very moment. I went back home and was glued to the TV for the next 3 days straight.
Needless to say, I eventually got my CFI and now have a very good job. But I can't help remembering those who gave everything that fateful day.
I WILL NEVER FORGET!
As my instructor and I were walking out to the airplane I told him what my friend had said, to which he replied "Are you OK to still go flying?" I responded with an emphatic "YES". I went through my exhaustive teaching of the pre-flight and we hopped in the little C-172RG for my last instructional flight before my check ride. After starting the engine, my instructor (acting as the student) called ground for taxi. I will never forget what happened next. This female controller responded with "Negative, you are to shut down and contact company." I thought, "well that's weird, I wonder if they need this plane for something else?" It wasn't until we shut down and I noticed two other sets of pilots/instructors doing the same thing that I started feeling uneasy.
As I walked back in the building I saw 10-12 people in front of an old 13" TV with rabbit ears and poor reception showing the Pentagon on fire. Still trying to wrap my head around what was going on, I asked someone. They said 2 large commercial airplanes had hit the WTC and another just hit the Pentagon. I remember thinking to myself immediately that sand turns to glass when exposed to intense heat...You get my drift there.
As school was cancelled, I called my roommate to see if he was awake. He wasn't, so I proceeded to tell him to turn on the TV and I'll be home in 10 minutes. When I walked through the door, it wasn't but another 5 minutes until the first tower collapsed. I was so saddened and furious all at the same time. I left the house in a daze because I couldn't watch anymore, let alone think clearly. I drove down to the local 7-11 to get a drink. As I entered the store I saw a woman swinging a baseball bat at the clerk behind the counter. Even though I was now pissed, I could tell the clerk was Hindu and that this lady needed to understand the differences between the "Arab looking people" because she got this one wrong. Before I got to her, some big Harley riding guy grabbed her from behind and pulled her to the ground.
From there I decided to drive out to KFLL to see what was going on. I went to the observation area like I had done so many times before. I was absolutely stunned at how quiet it was. You could actually hear a pin drop.
I knew right then and there that life would never be the same, and that my career was probably done. Yes, we all think about ourselves immediately. But then I just knelt down and thought about how many people died that day and how "MY" problem wasn't such a big deal compared to those who lost there lives or who were fighting for theirs that very moment. I went back home and was glued to the TV for the next 3 days straight.
Needless to say, I eventually got my CFI and now have a very good job. But I can't help remembering those who gave everything that fateful day.
I WILL NEVER FORGET!
bafanguy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2004
- Posts
- 2,538
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