Where were you on September 11th 2001?

KAG · Post by **KAG** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 2:56 pm

Was in YXL on the phone at work when the first plane hit, watched the second plane hit on tv as it happened. Thought WW3 was starting. Nasty day.

raff · Post by **raff** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 3:17 pm

I was nearing the end of my training for my private pilots license. My old instructor had moved on and I was with a new instructor getting ready for the test.

Just after the planes struck I was on my way back to city center when the tower asked us to orbit the CN tower. This was not unheard of but was unusual. We orbitted for quite a while (at least it felt that way) while larger planes landed. At the time I said to my instructor that it must be cool for the people in the cn tower to see a plane so close... I had no idea what had happened until we got on the ground and a ramp guy told us.

I spent the rest of the day watching the tv.

Blue Streak · Post by **Blue Streak** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 8:16 am

I was looking for a flying job........the first place I hit,the Chief Pilot told me what had just happened.

DD

lost up north · Post by **lost up north** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 8:30 pm

I was some where over the eastern u.s.a. On a A/C flight that got turned around and got sent to Halifax with 27 other aircraft. What a a sight. Planes lined up on all the taxi ways, it was something to see.

really green · Post by **really green** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 9:58 pm

zellers, buying a new sweater, and i overheard someone say something about a plane crash into a building. i didn't think anything of it until i got back home and turned on the tv...

righthandman · Post by **righthandman** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:37 am

20 minutes away from pushback at Pearson on my way to Newark New Jersay for the 1st time. Just studying up on airport procedures at that airport the night before was stressful enough; I was relatively new at Royal (I guess we were C3 by then) and didn't want to screw up.

Then the flight attendants would come in to the cabin every few minutes telling us that the passengers were getting cell calls from their friends and relatives that planes were flying into buildings. We (the flight crew) didn't really comprehend what they meant by that (flying into buildings).

We tried to get a clearance at the usual point in our checklists and were told to hold off on that but at one point we needed to know for performance calculations and when we next checked in we were told all airspace was closed! "What the hell is going on?" was all we could think about.

The "funny thing" is that I sold my house in Montreal 2 days before because I was based in TO and was paying a mortgage and a rent. I had just done my first sim renewal the month before and my new "jet career" seemed well on it's way finally. Then everything unraveled for C3 2 months later.

I did get to Newark 2 weeks later and the Captain was pointing out where the WTC buildings would have been.

Cool Rythms! · Post by **Cool Rythms!** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:21 pm

In YYZ, attending an ALPA seminar. I jumpseated there with Air Canada from YUL, but ended up having to take the bus back home.

350TT · Post by **350TT** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:30 pm

Chatting online with my best friend who lived on the West Coast. I was flying full-time to finish up my commercial licence and obviously had to wait 3 days. When she typed the news to me I thought she was joking. It was a very surreal feeling when she told me to go turn on the TV and I found out she wasn't.

As a sidenote:
I flew out to BC to see her exactly one month after 9/11 and I had forgotten that I had some .22 calibre bullets in my carry-on. I don't travel very often and I had just shoved them in there after a weekend of target shooting. I got all the way to my friends house and was unpacking when ... I froze just thinking about what could have happened if they had found those bullets at YYZ. Security was obviously a joke, even one month after such a horrifying event. I even e-mailed CBC to tell them but no one ever got back to me.

Cool Rythms! · Post by **Cool Rythms!** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:32 am

Mabye it's a good thing they did'nt get back to you 350TT. You know how the media is. They probably would have turned it around on you, in a bad way. It was an honest mistake though about the bullets. Just be glad you were not coming from the U.S. and having to clear customs upon arrival!! Man would you have had some explaining to do!

Lowjack · Post by **Lowjack** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:31 am

I had a flight that morning for my instructor rating. But was first woken up by my mother telling me "a plane hit the world trade centre", and like many of you I assumed it was a cessna in bad weather or something. So I dragged myself upstairs and put it on CNN. Well after a few seconds of seeing the one tower burning I was pretty sure that was no cessna that did it. I even remember the next shot, it was from one of the helicopter feeds and the other tower was in view when out of the right side of the screen the second plane came in and hit.

Even thinking about it now I get the same feeling in my veins, everything just went cold. Having nothing else to do I went to YYC to the school and stood around with everyone else watching what was happening and seeing the heavies diverting in. I still have the fax copies of the airspace closure.

It was also my buddies birthday, so later we went to the Kilkenny and had a drink for him and sat there watching the tv's all night.

I kept training though, and instructed for two years before finally deciding to persue my other options and keep flying privately.

Canmoron · Post by **Canmoron** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:50 am

I had a group af Japanese Tourists on my bus. We were going for a tour from Lake Louise up the Icefiled Parkway, and back to Banff. While loading the luggage at Lake Louise, I overheard some other drivers talking about a plane hitting the WTC (assumed it was a Cessna). The rest of the day we were out of communication (the group was on a budget and skipped the Icefield Centre, so we didn't get to see the only sattelite TV along that road). The tour was excelent, bright sun reflecting off the glaciers, and while stopping to photograph the mountain goats, I spotted a bear. We finished fairly late in Banff, and by the time I put my bus to bed I had missed the 6 o'clock news. Still curious about the "Cessna" I turned on Newsworld, while I prepared dinner. I was quickly shocked into reality and out of the blissful Rocky Mountains. Funny, I can't remember more than just starting to prepare dinner, I think that I may have forgoten to eat it.

The next two days were very busy, as our guests were trying frantically to find ways home. On Sept. 12, I had the same group. After loading the luggage, I tried my best to convince the Japanese tour escort that the Calgary airport was closed. We went to the airport anyway, I think that the escort realized something was wrong when we turned onto Barlow Trail and saw all the planes parked along every taxiway. Not really knowing what to do they all unloaded at the airport and found places to sit. It was very odd to see no check-in lines and every check-in counter closed. My next assisgnment was back in Banff, so I started back to the mountains with my empty bus. Just leaving the Calgary city limits, I got the emergency radio call to return to the airport, and pick up the group that I had just dropped off. When I got back to the airport they were all sitting in the same place that I had left them, and the escort informed me that she wanted to drive to Vancouver. I called my dispatcher and informed him of the new plan, he said that my second assignment had been given to someone else, and that I was to stop in Banff for a bus and driver swap. In Banff a bus with BC plates and a fresh driver met me, my group continued to Vancouver.

I had one more day of work, and then with most of the fleet in Vancouver, those of us without BC plates were given pink slips. I moved back to Edmonton and started working on my CPL. During the winter, I got a ground job with Smart Sky, just to watch them go bankrupt. I have since returned to Banff for three more seasons of bus driving and continued flight training in the winters.

I understand how 9/11 really hurt aviation, but I can also tell you that it has been hard for the Rocky Mountains. Although, I have moved up the senority roster with the bus company, I have also moved closer to the bottom. In 2001 I was 107 of 119, in 2004 I was 74 of 76. In 2003 they did actually hire a class of trainees, but just when training finished SARs arrived, and they were given pink slips.

This year is the first year that we have seen the same number of bookings from the United States, as we had in 2001, although the revenue projections are still lower. This is also the year that I have given up the road, having finally financed my multi/IFR, I am here with the rest of you looking for that important first job.

leftyxl · Post by **leftyxl** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 9:09 pm

Landed in YSB just after the first impact. Watched the second on TV took off flew to YAM. Saw the pentagon got whacked. Then took off for YQT.
half way over the lake we heard on CKPR that all airspace was closed. At that point not a peep out of ATC. 15 min out of YQT we heard on ATC.
we were the second last plane to land there for the next two days.

peeelot · Post by **peeelot** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:58 pm

I went to the Beer Store because I needed a drink

ei ei owe · Post by **ei ei owe** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 12:22 am

I was on my way for my first job interview in YC from VR. Was on the first flight out that day and when I walked by a tv screen, one of the towers was on fire. I though "fuking yanks and their problems" and just kept on waiting for the sunrise. Ten minutes into the air, still during climb, the pilots inform us that the second tower was hit. Then they said the Pentagon was hit, then that airspace was shut down. Finally got to YC and the interview didn't go as well as planned. Worse, I was going to catch a return flight that evening and didn't even have a toothbrush. Ended up crashing at a buddy's place (CMA pilot that ended up with a couple days off) and took the 14hr bus ride home two days later.

A Roman would have turned back.

grounded · Post by **grounded** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 6:11 am

I was supposed to be in Washington on a trip, but it got cancelled the week before. I ended up flying to YQT as a passenger on Calm Air. They made it out of Dryden and into YQT, and ended up sitting there for three days. I got the phone call from my wife just as I was waiting for my luggage, and ran from the terminal to get a hotel room. Even Thunder Bay filled up, and there were lots of people stuck without a place to sleep.I was only needed there for two days and took the 11 hour bus ride back to YWG. Spent most of the 11th in the hotel trying to track down my friends at AC to see where they were. Surreal couple of days. As an extra weird bonus, when I got to YWG and was waiting outside the bus station for my wife, some guy came up to me and tried to sell me some shoes!

Traveler · Post by **Traveler** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 11:53 am

Enroute HNL to Vancouver...I don't rememeber the points, but we had just started our Northern course around OAK. It was our company that got the ball rolling first, got us going out of US Airspace, once out, set a course direct Porth Hardy and Vancouver brought us into YVR. Nothing was said about the attacks, I think we were told something on the line that there was a security breach in US airspace and military aircraft not on ATC frq's in the area. They also asked us to follow a sub checklist, pertaining to sterile flight deck ops. It wasn't till we got on the ground did we find anything out

LH · Post by LH » Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:15 pm

Sitting on my bed in a motel in Kenora, Ont on standby for fires. Watched all the crashes unbelieving and then received knock on door. Found an RCMP S/Sgt and a US Border Patrol Officer standing there......me and my Huey had been commandeered by Ottawa and we were going hunting. Spent the rest of that day and the next two running a border patrol with FBI, RCMP and US Border Patrol teams between Thunder Bay to the NW Angle.......and everybody "loaded to the nines" for action......and just ready for somebody to "fu*k with them".

727200er · Post by **727200er** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 2:48 am

I was driving truck for a Nursery out of Surrey BC. I had crossed the border in the wee hours and made a drop in Snohomish Wa. I pulled into a rest area for quick nap. Woke up about 8:00 am and was cursing myself as I knew I would hit Seattle traffic since I had slept through my alarm. Tom Lykus of all people was on the radio talking about the attacks. I just figured it was a "War of the Worlds" type thing, until; I realised that there was almost no traffic on I5. That's when I passed under one of the overhead electronic signs and it said that Sea-Tac was closed. It was the most surreal day of my life. It took me two days to do a one day run, but that was OK since the border was closed anyway.

Every time I think about it like this I get the same cold chill I did then when I realised it was real.

Radial · Post by **Radial** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 5:50 am

Flying...back to base in a Beaver after an overnight stay at an outpost camp. Had no idea what was going on but thought the radio was REALLY quiet! Called tower at a nearby land airport and was told to telephone them once on the water at my base. First thought was that WWIII had started...funny now, but was a little freaked out that afternoon.

NovaBoy · Post by **NovaBoy** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 6:31 am

Getting ready to start a 4 day pairing out of CYHZ. Eventually did YHZ-YQY-YHZ on day 4.

Yoyoma · Post by **Yoyoma** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 7:13 am

Flying

CAV-OK? · Post by **CAV-OK?** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 11:30 pm

Hadn't started flight training yet. Sitting in a strip club. Downtown YYC

CAV-OK? · Post by **CAV-OK?** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 11:30 pm

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:59 am

Just sat down in my Geography class, Grade 10, Had a flying lesson that afternoon but knew it was gonna be cancelled.

b767jetmec · Post by **b767jetmec** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 9:15 am

Having sex with my ex-girlfriend in the lower galley of an L1011. Snuk her past security and showed her the big jets.