It's been ten years since the towers fell, and the world has never been the same. Just like the Challenger disaster, many of us will always remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard about the twin towers. It was my day off, and oddly enough, I had walked to a neighbor's funeral that morning, and didn't understand the preacher's comments until much later in the day, when I finally got in the car and heard the radio.
American and United each lost two aircraft that day. Two of the four were B757s; the other two were B767s. The three September 11th aircraft that hit the twin towers (AAL 11 & UAL 175) and the Pentagon (AAL 77) were all originally destined for LAX; the fourth that crashed in Pennsylvania (UAL 93) was supposed to land in San Francisco. Between the four aircraft, 246 passengers and crew lost their lives, while over 2,700 more died on the ground.
A few weeks ago, a pair of Boeing 757s, one American and one United, were towed out to the remote gates at the west end of the airport. There, a photo shoot to mark the anniversary was staged with crews and trucks from the LAX Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) department. I worked the aircraft to and from the photo shoot, but this was the best shot I could get.
Thank you. The shot is enough. Many of us remember and yes, it still hurts. That said, we have moved on - as we must. The world has changed. For those who fly, it has changed even more. For those like you, who guide and fly our airplanes, it remains a world beyond your worst dreams. I'm glad that you are comfortable in your profession, but we'll both jump with joy when you can retire. You've earned your stripes, Captain Vector! -Craig
ReplyDelete