What happend in GA on Sept 11 2001?

[kzcvtm]

I was flying for my $100 hamburger run on Saturday, when my wife asked me what happened to Canadian GA aircraft in the air on the day of the attack.

I thought about it a while and wondered if pilots returned to their airport of origin or simply diverted to the nearest airport and made arrangements to be picked up.

For those who were flying in those days, can you post as to what happened on the day and how long did it take for GA to get back in the swing of things. What happened with flight schools as well would be interesting to know.

kzcvtm

[iflyforpie]

9/11 was two days after I got my PPL signed off. Needless to say, we were grounded. I can't remember how long but I think it was around a week.

[Stallspin]

Gander.

[C-GPFG]

Was taxiing out for my instructor renewal at Buttonville when the ground controller said we weren't going anywhere for "at least a few hours". I was flying a YTZ based plane. I think I ferried it back 5 days later when GA was allowed to fly again.

[Shiny Side Up]

I remember we were grounded for about five days which we spent fielding hundreds of phone calls. The RCMP phoned to check in on any time a non-white person was spotted near the aerodrome. They even had the gall to call and ask if they could see all the PTRs, to which of course we answered you can look at whatever you want if you bring the appropriate warrant, they never got back to us on that. I always remember one fellow who landed just when the news was breaking - we were listening to it on the radio. Seems like a long time ago now, actually sitting in the office listening to a radio, does anyone do that anymore? Anyways, I remember the fellow who had landed was clueless about everything, he asked to get some fuel so he could get going again. I told him we could give him gas but it would be unlikely that he'd be on his way afterwards. He was greatly offended that someone should impinge on his right to aviate, like I was the one responsible for the injustice. I remember a futile explanation about the SCATANA plan and how it was then known as ESCAT and he didn't have a clue what either of them were. He then had a heated talk with the poor fellow at flight services on the other end of the phone who finally managed to convince him of what was going on.

Shortly after he caught a land bound method of travel to his destination, another visitor arrived, this one recently from south of the border in a Cub. Like the previous arrival he also had no clue - probably because I think he also had no radio. If I remember he was one of several old fellows who used to sneak across the border, usually to visit a friend and get fuel. We don't have those type of visitors anymore since that day, most of who I suspect never used to clear customs or file flight plans, just used a low altitude airspace penetration plan much like someone used to land a Cessna in Red Square once.

I do remember that the flight training business certainly took a hit after the events on that eleventh. There are some who might applaud it as certainly numbers of CPL applicants have never recovered, for a long while I suspect that airline pilot was a job that parents steered their children from. On the other hand private flying has increased to fill the gap, and while before 9/11 there would have been a 50/50 split between. CPL students and PPL students, PPL students are now probably 70% or more of those numbers. Since airline travel has become so inconvinient, flying privately makes more sense to a larger portion of the possible client base.

[TopperHarley]

Day 1 of my PPL training. Never got off the ground. There were several planes diverting to YXU at the time too.

[W0XOF]

A very short time after the attacks, NORAD implemented what is called SCATANA (now called ESCAT) in the U.S. and Canada (not sure about Mexico) to all Air Traffic Services units. As far as GA, all aircraft were ordered to land at the nearest aerodrome immediately. This was achieved by direct communications with the aircraft as well as general broadcasts on all frequencies.

[Luscombe]

I was instructing when the APB went out. I was close to the ground with a student practicing forced landings and out of range of VHF from the UNICOM. I had no idea of what happened. Upon returning, I called the UNICOM for known traffic and got nobody, not all that unusual. The student made his normal calls, entered the circuit and I thought it odd that there was no radio traffic. I asked for a radio check... once again no reply. I thought our radio was kaput and we continued NORDO.

Upon landing, I found it rather hard to find a parking spot as pretty everything was on the ramp. We found a tiedown near the maintenance hangar. We parked, grabbed the flight bag and returned to the flight office. It wasn't until then that we found out what happened. Seemes like everyone was glued to the TV on CNN. Seems to me that we were grounded for about 5 days as well. That explained the lack of replies on the radio. Seems that dispatch had forgotten about me in all the confusion.

Within minutes, there was an OPP cruiser parked at the entrance to the field and the paranoia of anyone taking flight training from the middle east was in full swing. I honestly thought that by now things would have gotten a whole lot better, but it hasn't.

[yycflyguy]

A very short time after the attacks, NORAD implemented what is called SCATANA (now called ESCAT) in the U.S. and Canada (not sure about Mexico) to all Air Traffic Services units. As far as GA, all aircraft were ordered to land at the nearest aerodrome immediately. This was achieved by direct communications with the aircraft as well as general broadcasts on all frequencies.

It affected GA in Central America as well. My Panama - Mexico was cancelled... and that was for cargo!

[pez]

At the time I was a PPL, working on a CPL, had a 172 booked at the Ottawa Flying Club for that afternoon, to go flying with a friend.

Stopped by the airport that afternoon, and it was just...weird. Everyone sorta in stunned silence. Police car on the apron outside the door, couldn't even walk from dispatch to the hangar, about 15'.

I didn't go back to finish a CPL until a year and a half ago.

[oldtimer]

I was on the ground the day it happened but our company had 5 airplanes away from home on bag runs and they were not allowed to return. I do remember some foreign airline that was allowed to bypass Vancouver and land at destination CYYC. That was the last airplane in the sky for 5 days. The company had requests in for trips to pick up customers stranded in the USA and it was a real zoo with approvals and then denials and load,unload, yes, no. Eventually, the word came down. It was a definate NO!.

[Apollo]

A very short time after the attacks, NORAD implemented what is called SCATANA (now called ESCAT) in the U.S. and Canada (not sure about Mexico) to all Air Traffic Services units. As far as GA, all aircraft were ordered to land at the nearest aerodrome immediately. This was achieved by direct communications with the aircraft as well as general broadcasts on all frequencies.

Just curious, but what was said, are there any *gasp* recordings floating around?

[Expat]

...went for a spin, that afternoon. No transponder. below radar altitude...
radio was dead quiet...

[beaverbob]

I was in my airport office when, greeting a few passengers for a trip to Bute Inlet, my wife said to look at the TV.We watched the second Plane hit the trade towers. Then we left for Butte inlet in the Beaver. Flight Service told me, on the radio, that most IFR larger airports would be closed to allow for arrival of international flights being deverted from US airports. We went to Butte and on trhe way back Flight service asked me to land ASAP. I said yes, as soon as I was at home. That was my last flight for a week. My passengers had to take a water taxi back home later the same day. We were sent some forms in the mail to fill out to apply for compensation for lost revenue. I was reminded a couple of times to land on the way home but wasn't about to land short of home base.
Also a helicopter ignored the stand down order in the far north and paid a wopping fine.
Even heli loggers had to stand down in the bush.


Mexico never followed suit as they are not part of the SCATANA agreements.


Bob

[W0XOF]

A very short time after the attacks, NORAD implemented what is called SCATANA (now called ESCAT) in the U.S. and Canada (not sure about Mexico) to all Air Traffic Services units. As far as GA, all aircraft were ordered to land at the nearest aerodrome immediately. This was achieved by direct communications with the aircraft as well as general broadcasts on all frequencies.

Just curious, but what was said, are there any *gasp* recordings floating around?

Don't remember the exact wording of the SCATANA broadcasts, but it's successor is ESCAT and the jist was pretty much the same:

“ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT-AIR DEFENCE EMERGENCY-ALL AIRCRAFT WILL COMPLY WITH THE PROCEDURES FOR THE EMERGENCY SECURITY CONTROL OF AIR TRAFFIC. VFR TRAFFIC ON THIS FREQUENCY MUST LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRFIELD AND FILE AN IFR OR DVFR FLIGHT PLAN.”

There are two phases in the implementation process.

* Phase One: Requires all aircraft in designated areas to file IFR/DVFR flight plans in accordance with CARs 602.76(1) and (2), CAR 602.145, this Plan and the established procedures detailed in the CFS (GPH 205).
* Phase Two: The Commander, CANR, restricts aircraft movement within designated areas through the implementation of the EATPL and SCA process.

Within a couple of days I remember, special waivers were given to limited types of flight. Humanitarian (police, medevac etc.). Also, I remember locally, helicopters were getting authorized to pick up loggers stranded in camps etc.