13 Years ago this day -
In the Ops Room at Skopje airport Fyrom on Op Essential Harvest. OC Task Force Harvest just said 'I know where we're going next then'
Next day some wag had put a quote from Kipling on the notice board
'When you're wounded and left on Afghanistans Plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains,
And go to your gawd like a soldier'
Next day some wag had put a quote from Kipling on the notice board
'When you're wounded and left on Afghanistans Plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains,
And go to your gawd like a soldier'
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On Standby for Airtours DC10 at Manchester when a colleague who shared my house (and that crew standby) called me through to watch TV.
Twenty minutes in, the second aircraft hit. Like so many, I was absolutely stunned, it did seem so surreal.
**** happens, but that day was one that truly 'changed the world'.
Twenty minutes in, the second aircraft hit. Like so many, I was absolutely stunned, it did seem so surreal.
**** happens, but that day was one that truly 'changed the world'.
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Worked in opposite side of Pentagon from impact. Only felt a rumble in the chest as in a movie-theater type explosion, no noise from the impact, or concussion that far away in that large and solid a structure.
Ran bravely away some hours later and I had a first hand look at how a modern city will collapse - Mad Max-like traffic free for all, overwhelmed infrastructure, etc.
Incredibly quiet in the DC suburbs; not a sound of air traffic when that is normally a non-stop background noise.
Poignant in later days to see the normally ceremonial Old Guard outfitted in biohazard suits and going through the piles of rubbish looking for DNA material.
Ran bravely away some hours later and I had a first hand look at how a modern city will collapse - Mad Max-like traffic free for all, overwhelmed infrastructure, etc.
Incredibly quiet in the DC suburbs; not a sound of air traffic when that is normally a non-stop background noise.
Poignant in later days to see the normally ceremonial Old Guard outfitted in biohazard suits and going through the piles of rubbish looking for DNA material.
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My Longest Day
Thirteen years ago today was my longest day since I had to set up and manage the American Airlines emergency media facility. My good friends in AA Corporate Communications were in shock and mourning but still incredibly professional.
The thing is, they were not allowed to say anything to the media. No statements, no press conferences - nothing. As much as anything, what affected them most was they could not show their grief and anger at the events that unfolded. I know it hurt them a lot.
One other thing. For the most part, the media I dealt with was uncharacteristically reserved and polite. They generally did not try and ambush AA employees as they came and went for meaningless soundbites. It was plain what everyone was feeling at AA's headquarters and for once, the reporters let it be.
Still, thirteen years later, I will be stopping by the memorial to the crew that lost their lives on that faithful morning to pay my respects to them and the passengers and bystanders that perished that day.
TB
The thing is, they were not allowed to say anything to the media. No statements, no press conferences - nothing. As much as anything, what affected them most was they could not show their grief and anger at the events that unfolded. I know it hurt them a lot.
One other thing. For the most part, the media I dealt with was uncharacteristically reserved and polite. They generally did not try and ambush AA employees as they came and went for meaningless soundbites. It was plain what everyone was feeling at AA's headquarters and for once, the reporters let it be.
Still, thirteen years later, I will be stopping by the memorial to the crew that lost their lives on that faithful morning to pay my respects to them and the passengers and bystanders that perished that day.
TB
we were on a 10 day exercise at SENTA - about half firing the 105's and half infantry work, i was on the gun line doing nothing and one of the blokes had Radio 1 on. we heard a newsflash and told the OC - he rang range control, HQ29 and HQ160 for instructions, of which there were none. we ceased our ex and went to stand-to for a couple of hours.
the OC and BSM legged it down to Sennybridge, they saw the pictures on the tv down there and when they came back they were grey. BSM reckoned the US was going to go nuclear, OC held the same view.
that week we fired about 8 times as much 105 ammunition as we'd planned to, and untold quantities of 5.56...
the OC and BSM legged it down to Sennybridge, they saw the pictures on the tv down there and when they came back they were grey. BSM reckoned the US was going to go nuclear, OC held the same view.
that week we fired about 8 times as much 105 ammunition as we'd planned to, and untold quantities of 5.56...
I worked as a technical adviser to a company supplying electrical and electronic spares to Sellafield. In one corner we had a TV doing Sky TV, I watched, horrified as the day developed. Much noise from the ladies who processed orders (who I shared the office with). About whether "they" might close the bars early in Whitehaven. For myself a serious dose of "crikey, this could be trouble" ! Little realising how Bliar would hijack it to justify invading Iraq. I know the terrorists achieved their aim that day, they terrorised a lot of people. Until we take the gloves off these people will always have the upper hand.
Smudge
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I was one of a team that had just helped disembark an Air Group from a Naval Vessel, we were preparing for Swift Sword 2, were in the Eastern Med and getting ready for a run ashore alongside in an allied country. Like most I watched it on the nearest TV, was then called up to do a weapons handling test (L85A1, British rubbish-quality weapon at the time I thought then and still do now) to keep in date for the SPO, went back to the mess and drank quite a lot of beer (with no aircraft embarked I felt relatively safe in doing that). I argued with my friends long into the night about how we had got here, where the world was going wrong. I knew even then that night it (the future) was going to be disastrous for many people in the world, and so it proved. I had a sad, very cold feeling about it all, despite the alcohol taking effect.
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Manning a stand at the London International Defence Exhibition. The US guys on our stand and the US companies were getting sitreps on their mobiles. Amazing how quickly things went from 'its just a light aircraft accident' to a realisation of the real situation. Over the following days there was naturally great consternation on the US stands - the guys couldnt fly home and had no idea when the airspace would reopen. The Lockheed stand was particularly affected as they had lost a group of their collegues on the aircraft that flew into the Pentagon.
One of my most abiding memories was after the Al-Qaeda connection had been made. Our Egyptian agent, an excellent and honourable man, took me aside and was close to tears as he said things will never be the same again, the West will never forgive the Arab world.
One of my most abiding memories was after the Al-Qaeda connection had been made. Our Egyptian agent, an excellent and honourable man, took me aside and was close to tears as he said things will never be the same again, the West will never forgive the Arab world.
Had landed at Lisbon having flown back from yep NY and was standing in front of the towers the day before it happened, knew nothing about it till I went round to a mates for lunch, think that was one of my lives used up
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I was off work that morning because Canadian federal government employees were on strike. I was flipping down the channels on the television when I passed CNN, saw the building smoking and then an airliner fly into it, or so it seemed. I thought at first it was a replay, then realized that it was the second tower being hit. I watched in horror for a few minutes, then ran out of my house. My next door neighbour ran out of his at the same time. I remember we just looked at each other, speechless.
Our union told the government that as we would be needed, we would go back into work.
The next few days were very eerie indeed.
I also remember the plane crash in New York City in November 2001, and some people being almost happy that that event hadn't been a terrorist attack.
Our union told the government that as we would be needed, we would go back into work.
The next few days were very eerie indeed.
I also remember the plane crash in New York City in November 2001, and some people being almost happy that that event hadn't been a terrorist attack.
Secretary of a large yacht club on the south coast, I had a very strained phone call from one of the boatmen in the workshop -"would I come and look at something". Went to the workshop and the TV was on and they were just showing the second Tower being hit. Totally speechless, but now cannot hear Star Spangled Banner without tears in my eyes, and it being played at the Changing of the Guard at Buck House - that was an inspired decision.
I did not believe in "six degrees of separation" until I heard that a fellow member of the RNLI committee on which I served had lost his son in law of 3 months in one of the Towers.
I did not believe in "six degrees of separation" until I heard that a fellow member of the RNLI committee on which I served had lost his son in law of 3 months in one of the Towers.
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In stn ops dealing with a complete w-anchor SLOps. TV in the corner looked a bit more interesting so I ignored him even more. Trogged back over the airfield and started to pack my kit, thinking that the Norwegian shirts and thermal long johns wouldn't be necessary (how wrong was I!). Managed a swift few in the bar that night where some of us really thought that Bush Junior would probably press the Nuke Button if he could quickly find someone to blame.
Not too long later having leapfrogged through Saif Sareea II and 'forward deploying' with a lot of their kit
I found myself on Op Veritas in Afghanistan almost exactly ten years after I had done something similar on the way to GW1. Happy Xmas. 
Not too long later having leapfrogged through Saif Sareea II and 'forward deploying' with a lot of their kit
I found myself on Op Veritas in Afghanistan almost exactly ten years after I had done something similar on the way to GW1. Happy Xmas.
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Was working on a queens flight 125 on a trial next to the airfield fire station when the firemen shouted over " you had better come see this" watched it all unfold on their big TV then had to leave so they could have an emergency brief. Pushed the 125 into a HAS and awaited an influx of airliners which luckily didn't arrive.
Returned the evening before from a Sim check in Vancouver so was sleeping in when a mate climbed the wall of my apartment block (I was on the first floor) and banged on the Window outside my bedroom waking me up with (I'll never forget) the phrase "World War III's just started buddy".
Foe the first time ever saw a police car that evening driving at the back of my apartments... that was really unusual.... the Vic Police Dept were I imagine in *full* overdrive.. well done lads... was appreciated.
Foe the first time ever saw a police car that evening driving at the back of my apartments... that was really unusual.... the Vic Police Dept were I imagine in *full* overdrive.. well done lads... was appreciated.
I was an AD OCU instructor having just walked into the crewroom from a 2v1 ACT sortie to get a coke from the fridge. Some guys were watching the gogglebox and said 'hey, come and see this!'. As I wandered over I could see that an airliner had hit the WTC. My immediate thought was 'I wonder if that is anything to do with FM immunity and an ILS approach' (if I recall correctly the FM immune ILS recievers were mandated by 1 Jan 01?). Anyway, as I was thinking about it, a second airliner flew into the other tower. 'I guess not', I thought!
Halfway through debriefing my student I was summoned from the debrief as the only crypto borrower and custodian on the OCU staff that day. As I went to collect the crypto the engineers were collecting Skyflash and Sidewinder from the bomb dump. So began 'UK Southern Q' again without a Q shed and we slept on the floor in the 5(AC) Sqn crewroom (what no PS2 or XBox!
)
Having moaned about the Death Star in the Falklands, the Hotel Svevo in Gioia and the air conditioned splendour of the new-builds in Al's Garage, little did I know what luxury they were compared to the next 13 years!
It certainly changed my life and also the direction my career took following that day.
LJ
Halfway through debriefing my student I was summoned from the debrief as the only crypto borrower and custodian on the OCU staff that day. As I went to collect the crypto the engineers were collecting Skyflash and Sidewinder from the bomb dump. So began 'UK Southern Q' again without a Q shed and we slept on the floor in the 5(AC) Sqn crewroom (what no PS2 or XBox!
)Having moaned about the Death Star in the Falklands, the Hotel Svevo in Gioia and the air conditioned splendour of the new-builds in Al's Garage, little did I know what luxury they were compared to the next 13 years!
It certainly changed my life and also the direction my career took following that day.
LJ
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Had just come in from mowing the lawn, Mrs D. said "Look at this !" It was unbelievable - I thought: " This can't be happening, it must be a spoof (like the famous pre-war "War of the Worlds" radio programme in the US". Not so.
Unrelated subject: I wonder, if you went out tomorrow and asked the first fifty people in the street "What's special about Monday's date", how many would answer correctly ? (or even more to the point, fifty schoolchildren).
D.
Unrelated subject: I wonder, if you went out tomorrow and asked the first fifty people in the street "What's special about Monday's date", how many would answer correctly ? (or even more to the point, fifty schoolchildren).
D.
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Was working on a queens flight 125
Please could we also count the number of innocent civilians killed in Northern Ireland with sponsorship from Noraid. But when it happens on your own door step guys it is a completely different matter
I was sat on a Jumbo at Heathrow (en route to Reno Air Races) - we had just felt the slight jolt of the Tug attaching when we were told about a delay but fortunately somebody had a personal radio on so we did hear a little about the attack.
We also visualised an accident at first - eventually we were offloaded into a chaotic Airport and I just got a taxi home - couldn't face the huge queues for public transport !
Felt absolutely gutted for the victims/families - the footage really was bizarre/surreal !
I went back to work for a few days and flew out on the sunday to a very different holiday than originally planned - even managed to get a ride with the late Larry Stoffel in his 1928 Travel Air Biplane out over Tillamook Bay (the Lord only knows how he kept flying when [almost ?] all civvy a/c had been grounded).
We also visualised an accident at first - eventually we were offloaded into a chaotic Airport and I just got a taxi home - couldn't face the huge queues for public transport !
Felt absolutely gutted for the victims/families - the footage really was bizarre/surreal !
I went back to work for a few days and flew out on the sunday to a very different holiday than originally planned - even managed to get a ride with the late Larry Stoffel in his 1928 Travel Air Biplane out over Tillamook Bay (the Lord only knows how he kept flying when [almost ?] all civvy a/c had been grounded).
