Remembering 9/11 and Lessons Learned

Hopefully, the aviation industry will not lower its collective guard as we get further away from infamous terrorist attacks.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 11:48 AM ET

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On 9/11, temporary flight restrictions (similar to the one shown here) popped up over military bases and other potential targets. [FLYING file photo]

Key Takeaways:

The 9/11 attacks immediately halted all air traffic, instated unprecedented flight restrictions, and created a "new normal" for pilots and flight schools characterized by heightened security and uncertainty.
In response to the attacks, the U.S. aviation industry implemented new regulations for flight training, including mandatory TSA endorsements for U.S. citizens and specific approval processes for foreign nationals to verify identity and citizenship.
While some TSA flight training rules have recently been updated for efficiency, the author expresses concern that the aviation industry may be growing complacent, risking a lapse in critical security awareness learned from 9/11.

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Twenty-three years ago today, I was driving to work, listening to news radio when the announcer said that an airplane had struck one of the towers at the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City. I was a reporter at an aviation magazine and my first thought was, “I will be writing about this today.”

As I pulled into work the announcer came back on, sounding surprised as she said a second airplane had struck the other tower at the WTC.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.