Remembering 9/11 at the Flight School Level

Meg Godlewski

Friday, September 09, 2022 at 06:28 PM ET

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The events of 9/11 had an indelible effect on pilot training. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The 9/11 attacks led to an unprecedented immediate grounding of all U.S. general aviation flights and introduced widespread, restrictive temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) across the country.
Flight schools faced intense FBI investigations into student records and connections to hijackers, leading to a period of uncertainty and rumors about drastic changes to general aviation regulations.
Airspace slowly reopened with confusing new rules (e.g., required CFIs, IFR flight plans for VFR), eventually resulting in permanent security enhancements at airports, new national security areas, and mandatory TSA training and background checks for aviation professionals and students.

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If you are old enough to remember September 11, 2001, you probably recall with some clarity where you were when you heard about the airliners deliberately flown into the World Trade Center. I was working at an aviation newspaper at the time. On the drive into the office I heard about the first aircraft hitting one of the towers. Like most people, I assumed it was a general aviation aircraft, and I figured I would be writing about it that day. I went into the break room and turned on the television. There was live coverage of the burning tower. I got there just in time to see the second airliner strike the south tower.

Though the author lived on the other side of the country from New York City, the airspace closures following the attacks had immediate effect. [Courtesy of Beverley Bass]

The announcer came on saying that all flying in the United States was grounded—anything in the air could be shot down. I immediately called my father to let him know I was safe on the ground. I was a few days away from my commercial check ride and had been flying every day. Dad knew this, and was relieved to hear my voice. He warned me not to fly over any military establishments—Dad was an aerospace engineer and a military man. Before I was born, he built missiles for Uncle Sam.