Where were you?

I know that you have been asked that question more than once about your presence on September 11, 2001. I know where I was. I was in midtown Manhattan, on a corporate AV show. We were in the middle of listening to a lot of jabbering researchers talk when our projectionist from Local 1 comes on com and tells us that his wife (who worked at the World Trade Center) was out walking her dog and was running late when she saw the first plane hit the Trade Center. She was hysterical. I'll never forget the panic in his voice. I had a short break between speakers and told them I'd go up to my room and see what was on the TV. When I got there, I saw the first tower that was hit, burning. As the news casters were describing the scene, here came the second one. I had to get back down to my crew and let them know.

I will spare you all of the details that you have already heard by people who are much more qualified than I am. I can tell you that my pregnant wife was supposed to meet me the next day to begin our last vacation before our baby was born. That all ended with the first plane. At least she was supposed to meet me on the 12th instead of the 11th.

Fast forward 10 years. This September 11, 2011 was much different. We live in a world we would have never dreamed of 10 years earlier. We have to put any liquids we want to take on the airplane in a little quart sized bag. We have to take off our shoes and be scanned by x-rays before we can even enter the gate area of an airport. Even our small airports have more security than we ever imagined.

For these reasons, I am happy that I spent this September 11 taking my lovely wife for her first flight with me as a private pilot. We took off from McKinney on a beautiful morning headed south to Lancaster for breakfast at Runway Cafe. We took off behind a Legend Cub owned by a friend who departed to the east while we headed south. Soon after we landed, I heard the cub giving a position advisory as he was headed to land at Lancaster also. We got to spend a long morning waiting for our food but we had no agenda so time didn't matter. While we were waiting, a fellow pilot stood up to give a very nice talk about remembering what the world was like 10 years ago with empty skies and how we have regained control. It was a nice touch to an already memorable day (my excellent landing may have had something to do with it also).

So if I am asked again, where were you? I was with my beautiful wife in Lancaster enjoying a fantastic breakfast.

September 11, 2011 - Safely back at McKinney