Where were you on September 11th 2001?

[MichaelP]

'Sitting in the common space at Pro, CZBB, watching it on TV, and then seeing US jet fighters fly overhead escorting Chinese airliners into CYVR with my own eyes.

It's what has occured since that has affected us all and will continue to affect us more and more as the Americans are creating greater reductions in personal freedoms.
Something that was generated on American soil is being used to facilitate greater control of people while they are also being scared.

While anything like 9-11 is a tragedy it is the response thereafter that we should consider, we have to live with it.
While the Germans bombed London and English cities and the Allies in turn bombed German cities, the fight was for freedom from tyranny. The end of it was the life created in the 50's and the 60's... up until 2001.
Now the fight is against terrorism, a secret enemy, and freedom is to be reduced.

Here we are, 8 years later, in a much changed world...

In another world we'd be flying tourists in our little aeroplanes, showing them the beauty of BC.
In this terror frightened world we'll close our doors and park our aeroplanes because the Olympics are coming to Vancouver, and freedoms of movement are taken away in the name of anti terrorism.

[stmymdy]

I was sitting in my parent's kitchen eating toast. I saw the second plane hit.
It was a sad day, ended up having nightmares about the whole thing for the next couple days

[rjonno]

Well said, Michael.

-Jonathan G.
CYWG

[22R]

Having my medical at Dr Takahasi's,not sure what my BP was listening to the news but got the renewal.

[canwhitewolf]

dltd

[CelBatrin]

Grade 10, first period, shop class. An announcement came on over the PA system. I was checking the news online in second period (some computer lab or another). By the end of they day everyone was just listening to the radio chatting about the possibility of WWIII.

BTW MichaelP, a good chunk of the the 'Allies' were fighting for tyranny. Ask the other half of Europe what 50-89 was like. Tyranny has always exists is various degrees, places and times. Here in Canada, right now... is it really that bad?

[Alpha Crit]

I was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, working for British Aerospace. Interesting time there, to say the least.

[Hedley]

Ask the other half of Europe what 50-89 was like

According to the left-wing people here, they were enjoying the
fruits of socialism which were not available to us imperialist capitalist
running dog pigs of the west.

Isn't that why they had to put up the Berlin wall with barbed wire
and broken glass on the top - to stop us westerners from breaking
into East Germany and availing ourselves of the numerous benefits
of socialism?

[Zwartboy]

I was in my grade 8 class. I remember asking my teacher if the Empire State Building was hit because my aunt and uncle work close to it. It was a huge relief when my mom showed me an email from them saying they were alright and made it home safely.

[2R]

Is this why nobody has landed a Cessna on the lawn of the White House or in Red Square lately ?
Where has our sense of haha gone ?

[PAJ]

I was in the office (overlooking YYZ) early that day as someone came rushing in to tell the unbelievable story. Turned the TV on and saw the rest unfold. Shortly thereafter watched out the window as everything stopped and stayed frozen in place at YYZ. Very strange because as you can imagine Pearson is a pretty busy place with constant movement on the aprons/runways. There was some who thought we should evacuate the building because we are one of the tallest structures in the airport area. Didn't however. Speaking of tall structures, all eyes when not glued to the TV were on CN Tower watch, easily seen from here. Speculation was getting the better of us and no work was done that day. The world has definitely changed since that day!

[iflyforpie]

I remember heading to work that afternoon (I was kind of selfish and hoped the airport would be closed, but it wasn't). It was afternoon shift at KFC, working on a Jet Alaska Convair 580 in the old north hangar.

I was following this girl who worked up in engineering into the hangar. I didn't know her, but I certainly recognized her and she recognized me. I didn't bother to take out my key card to open the door that she had already opened. She turned around, stopped me, and asked to see some identification. I took out my key card, and after thoughtfully 'examining' it (it had a red and black stripe and said 'Honeywell'), she 'let' me in.


When our basic personal freedoms are taken away, the terrorists have already won.

Nobody seems to care that more people get killed each month in car accidents in the US than were killed on 9/11.

[AEROBAT]

I was at work. Someone set up a TV in the conference room and we watched the second jet hit. The first thing that crossed my mind was Pearl Harbour. The second was if I should re-enlist.

About two hours later we got an E-mail from headquarters in Ontario wanting to know why we hadn't evacuated the jobsite as a safety measure, we were in northern Alberta :rolleyes That's when I realized all the nutty rent a cop socialist big brother morons would turn the terrorist attack into an excuse to restrict freedom and swell their mickey mouse departments.

Just look at the waste of money on security for the winter Olympics. The terrorists won, that's for sure.

[flying4dollars]

I was registering for some classes and starting my 1st day at college. I came home after registering and my mom yelled at me to come upstairs to watch the news. Couldn't really explain what was going through my head at the time. Era changer for sure.

[futboler14]

I was in grade 8 and for the whole morning before class I knew something was wrong when our first period teacher was late. Next, our principle came on the PA like every morning for announcements. His voice was dull and quiet, no pitch at all. The words that he used to describe what was going on I can't remember. I knew it was bad though. At lunch, where grades 6 through 8 ate, was a big screen t.v and it was there, at that moment when I saw replays of the planes hitting the towers and the caption at the bottom of the screen on CNN "AMERICA UNDER ATTACK". I'll never forget it.

I wasn't very interested in aviation at the time and didn't realize how it would affect the industry and now, my life.

[yycflyguy]

My flight from MPTO (Panama City) to MMTZ (Tuxtla Mexico) with a load of empty ice coolers was cancelled... in fact no flights to Mexico happened for a week after 9/11. The Panamanians were certain that the next terror attack was planned for the Canal locks.

[Snagmaster E]

Working at a bus terminal. Wife (girlfriend at the time) was supposed to go out on a pairing with Canada 3000 that afternoon. She got to see all of the a/c on the ground in Halifax up close and personal in a ramp vehicle.

[Prairie Chicken]

I was driving into town for a haircut when I heard about the first a/c going into the WTC. By the time I got to the salon I walked in & told them the US was under attack. It was the longest haircut I've ever had! I went directly home & spent the remainder of the day watching TV.

[4hrstovegas]

Pre-solo check for my first solo. Called back to base in midflight.

[YoungPunk]

I was snoozin. My mom woke me up and told me to watch teh news. Watched the second hit sitting in bead in my undies in utter disbelief. Then I had to go to work at the Transwest desk in YVC. Telling people that they couldn't fly to Wallaston because of terrorist attacks in the US. I had angry people swearing at me all day like it was my fault. I kept getting update phone calls from my girlfriend and family because we had no FM radio or TV at the terminal. 2 weeks later I was flying to Europe, that was interesting.

[I WAS Birddog]

*BUMP*

Since I started this thread back in September 10, 2004 as "I am Birddog"...I thought it would be fitting to continue with it as we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Thanks for reading and contributing.

I WAS Birddog

[MZUNGO]

I was just getting up for my shift as a fueller at YWG. when I arrived at work around 10am there were several large airliners on the ramp and lots more ligned up to land. YWG doesn't get many planes bigger than A320's. it was a busy few days to say the least.

[bverwegen]

Was outside for recess in grade 5 when my friend came running out to the soccer field and said that a plane had crashed into the empire state building.

[toelessjoe]

We had just landed in Kingfisher Lake when my captain came out of the MTO building and said "we're not going anywhere for a while". Spent the next three days in a youth hostel with passengers Tom Crews and a lady named Pushma who as it turned out had been one of my wife's university professors at UCCB. Small world.

They say still waters run deep. There was much to reflect upon over those three days. Quietest flight home ever.
- Toeless.

[toelessjoe]

On a lighter note;

Did the kid above me say he was in the 5th freakin' grade?!?


Christ on a stick, when the hell did I get so f***ing old .

- Toeless.