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How Did the 9-11 Hijackers Navigate?

  • Thread starter Thread starter User546
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Fearless,

What's morbid about it, it's a simple quirry as to how it happened by someone who doesn't fly in that area.

Your response is a bit on the emotional side, I don't see as to why you'd want to censure other pilots about something that could potentially happen again, and in their own industry?

Who cares if it's morbid, there is a whole agency called the NTSB that dedicates itself to disecting every accident this way, it's normal for pilots to glob onto every accident report in all of their morbid detail.

Wm,

I only chose that article becasue it had some info regarding the flight position after the takeover, the rest probably is bunk.
 
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User997 said:
It's not about how could they fly the 757, you're right, a cave man could probably do it - especially since landing wasn't an issue. From the sounds of that documentary they about lost control of the airplane on more then one occasion as well.

BUT, I am almost 100% confident, that when they busted in the cockpit, and took over control of the airplane, they weren't within eye sight of NYC... and was able to just point the nose towards it and go. There had to have been some sort of navigation to get within VFR view of the area.
Well, let's sort this out logically.

There were two planes that the WTC...where did they come from?

There was one plane that hit the Pentagon...where did it come from?

Then there was that one plane that kind of meandered around a bit, then it wound up in a field in PA...where did it come from?
 
handheld GPS.. direct to target.. disconnect autopilot (on the yoke usually, right?), then all you have to work are throttles, stick, rudder, and trim.....seriously, given their "starting point" of established cruise flight, is there anything more to it whether its a C172 or B747?
 
I would put my money on a handheld gps.
 
UnAnswerd said:
By the way, I never knew that there was actually a video of the FIRST plane hitting the WTC.
That was the only recorded video of the hit, and it was taken by French filmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet, who were filming a documentary on a new firefighter recruit. Of course, the movie takes a whole new twist after the attack, and it is one of the most riveting pieces of history ever filmed. It is called simply 9/11. After the first hit, they film from inside the North Tower with exclusive access to the firefighters involved until the bitter end. I own it and watch it every so often from start to finish. It's a must see.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312318/

I get teary eyed every time I see the inital hits. Never F'ing forget.

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/wtc-people-hanging-photo5-5d-right-800h.jpg
 
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MVSW said:
I would put my money on a handheld gps.
Looking at the maps that User 997 provided, you might be on to something.

Did you notice the lines? It almost looks as if someone was play acting at holding a straight line or holding a "course". Also, look at the one where they go south, but then hang a big turn back to New York. How could they do that? Hand held GPS would be easy...trying to figure out the PND and PFD would be hard...especially tuning them in and getting them to send you where you wanted to go?
 
Thats a good observation on the map.

Using a handheld wouldn't be that hard either, cause all you'd have to do is physically visit the site you wanted to hit, and create a custom waypoint. Then whenever your ready, go direct to that waypoint.

The only one that doesn't jive completely with that one is the Flight 175 one that took the sharp turn back towards NYX. Perhaps though well before they made that turn they could've had a visual on the building, and was then using the Hudson to line up on it.
 
User997 said:
Thats a good observation on the map.

Using a handheld wouldn't be that hard either, cause all you'd have to do is physically visit the site you wanted to hit, and create a custom waypoint. Then whenever your ready, go direct to that waypoint.

The only one that doesn't jive completely with that one is the Flight 175 one that took the sharp turn back towards NYX. Perhaps though well before they made that turn they could've had a visual on the building, and was then using the Hudson to line up on it.
With GPS units going for way less than 100 bucks at sporting goods stores, I guess I wouldn't put it past them.

There will be a lot of things that we'll never know about these flights.
 
FN FAL said:
I've seen IFR students bust their ride because they played with their trimble handheld

Seeing as Trimble never made a handheld, and hasn't made a GA GPS for years, I take it you're not exactly up on the latest technology.

Anyway, the hijackers were all trained pilots, they could find NYC on a clear day.
 
JimNtexas said:
Seeing as Trimble never made a handheld, and hasn't made a GA GPS for years, I take it you're not exactly up on the latest technology.

Anyway, the hijackers were all trained pilots, they could find NYC on a clear day.
Wrong...Trimble made a handheld called the Magellan.

From Trimble's own site: http://www.trimble.com/about_firsts.html

1994
Introduces first GPS receiver integrated on PC card
Introduces first GPS receiver to track oil spills
Introduces first GPS handheld for land navigation
Introduces first GPS receiver with built-in differential GPS beacon receiver
Introduces first true on-the-fly (OTF) initialization real-time GPS receiver with centimeter-level accuracy
Introduces world's first Window's-based earthwork estimating software
Introduces first military GPS receiver integrated with LORAN C
Introduces world's first miniature underwater military GPS receiver
 
JimNtexas said:
Seeing as Trimble never made a handheld, and hasn't made a GA GPS for years, I take it you're not exactly up on the latest technology.

Anyway, the hijackers were all trained pilots, they could find NYC on a clear day.
As for being up on the latest technology...I'm 135 certified for GPS approaches using the KLN-89B. It might not be hollywood, but it gets the job done.
 
I think you are all making it much more complicated than it is. FMS Direct DCA, LGA or EWR and follow the Flight Director.
 
Havent you guys ever seen the pic of Mohammed Atta standing outside the front of the trade towers three days before 9-11? The pic was taken from an ATM. Guess what he was holding? A handheld GPS, wonder what he was plugging in?
 

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