9/11 Pilots
 

When I saw those planes hit that day I was sure of only one thing, there was no way that those pilots were still alive right before the crashes. I was certain that they would have fought to their death to try to prevent a loss of any one of the lives of their passengers. I will fly every flight of mine, remembering those eight men. Also remembering, that when their airmanship was tested, they proved what it was to be a pilot, willing to pay the ultimate price for all of those souls behind them. I am so unfortunate that I will never witness commercial aviation, the way it was before 9/11, but I am fortunate that I have witnessed how brave and honorable 8 men can be and I will strive for my entire career to become what those men were. I will never forget them.

American 11
Piloted by Captain John Ogonowski and First Officer Thomas McGuinness

United 175
Piloted by Captain Victor Saracini and First Officer Michael Horrocks

American Airlines Flight 77
Piloted by Captain Charles Burlingame and First Officer Dave Charlebois

United Airlines Flight 93
Piloted by Captain Jason M. Dahl and First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr.

"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth.
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings,
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there,
I've chased the shouting wind along and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind swept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."

,Ryan Cross

......Amen

You are right, and what really makes me upset sometimes is these conspiracy theories these losers with nothing else to do come up with about how the planes were remotely controlled by the US government, and how the plane that flew into the pentagon was actually a missle. It makes me mad for the families of the flight crews.

Tom McGuinness used the same AME that I do. He got a medical shortly before 9/11, and for some reason he and the AME snapped a photo together...which now hangs on the wall. That's close enough to home for me to serve as a reminder to not be one of those RJ guys who doesn't take cockpit security halfway seriously. For some reason the mainline guys never seem to take shortcuts there...

It's a numbers game, the more FFDO's the better the deterence, the better the odds that if something does happen someone can take a stance. It's not about packing heat, it's a tool. Think of it as prevention.

Fly safe everyone, they can't ruin our dream job. They tried and failed. My kid looks up at airplanes every time they pass overhead. It's his innocent fascination that reminds me why I got into this field.

.........Thoughts and Prayers to them and all their Families

Ditto... they are true heroes and will never be forgotten.