C-Span tv: University of Texas Panel Discussion on 9/11 and Aviation

[BigAl]

University of Texas Panel Discussion on 9/11 and Aviation

Pilots and air controllers responsible for clearing U.S. airspace in the hours following the 9/11 attacks gather at the University of Texas at Dallas Saturday to share their behind-the-scenes experiences and explain how their decisions helped to mitigate loss of life through the day’s chaos. (2 hrs 50 min)

http://c-span.com/Watch/Media/2010/09/11/HP/A/37944/University+of+Texas+Panel+Discussion+on+911+and+Av iation.aspx

[T.A.M.]

funny how Captain Bob is not there...no mention of him or his insane theories.

TAM:)

[BigAl]

The Q&A session is very good.

[LashL]

Just watching now. How cool that CheapShot is on the panel! Excellent.

[Cheap Shot]

I had a great time, it was interesting, of course I have worked with Ben Sliney before, it was good to see him again. I had not mean't Dan Creedon before. I had run into one of the other pilots before at a Range Council meeting before. At the 15 minute break point I needed some water and when I went outside the auditorium three individuals came up to me, one with a camera and they kept trying to put words in my mouth, one continuing to ask me I knew more than I say, which I responded with, no I don't, and the other asking me twenty questions before I could respond. It was kind of agitating, but I kept my cool, told them to write me an e-mail, and I would respond to thier questions. Some 15 minute break, anyway I found the symposium interesting, and I thought it went fairly well. Thanks for those who watched it. I guess now you can put a picture with the words.

[KDLarsen]

I've only seen the first 45 minutes, but so far it has been highly informative. It was also nice to put a face on a JREF poster - and I loved the story of the (almost) deserted control building, and the 6 (I think) military planes that had been left behind and were talking to an empty control room :)

[ScottyMate]

Absolutely fascinating, thank you for the link. It's always interesting to hear these individual perspectives behind the events. There were some very powerful, and at times humorous accounts

Please forgive my ignorance, but who was CheapShot on the panel?

[ElMondoHummus]

... At the 15 minute break point I needed some water and when I went outside the auditorium three individuals came up to me, one with a camera and they kept trying to put words in my mouth, one continuing to ask me I knew more than I say, which I responded with, no I don't, and the other asking me twenty questions before I could respond. It was kind of agitating, but I kept my cool, told them to write me an e-mail, and I would respond to thier questions. Some 15 minute break...

Oh, really?

Huh... I wonder if someone should post pictures of Craig, Aldo, and Capt. Bob and see if any of them resemble who Cheap Shot here saw. Then again, it could simply be just a local group of truther nutters.

[DGM]

Please forgive my ignorance, but who was CheapShot on the panel?

Collin from Boston center.


I didn't intend to watch to whole show but found myself unable to turn it off. Now I have to read Lynn's book.

[Walter Ego]

University of Texas Panel Discussion on 9/11 and Aviation

Pilots and air controllers responsible for clearing U.S. airspace in the hours following the 9/11 attacks gather at the University of Texas at Dallas Saturday to share their behind-the-scenes experiences and explain how their decisions helped to mitigate loss of life through the day’s chaos. (2 hrs 50 min)

http://c-span.com/Watch/Media/2010/09/11/HP/A/37944/University+of+Texas+Panel+Discussion+on+911+and+Av iation.aspx

Not embeddable, however. :(

I'll confess my main reason for reading this forum nowadays it to find good videos for my blog.

[Walter Ego]

I had a great time, it was interesting, of course I have worked with Ben Sliney before, it was good to see him again. I had not mean't Dan Creedon before. I had run into one of the other pilots before at a Range Council meeting before. At the 15 minute break point I needed some water and when I went outside the auditorium three individuals came up to me, one with a camera and they kept trying to put words in my mouth, one continuing to ask me I knew more than I say, which I responded with, no I don't, and the other asking me twenty questions before I could respond. It was kind of agitating, but I kept my cool, told them to write me an e-mail, and I would respond to thier questions. Some 15 minute break, anyway I found the symposium interesting, and I thought it went fairly well. Thanks for those who watched it. I guess now you can put a picture with the words.

Ah, if you don't mind telling us, exactly which panel member were you? I didn't see anyone identified as "Cheap Shot." ;)

Great to see Ben Sliney again who played himself in the theatrical movie United 93 (9/11/01 was his first day on the job as an FAA National Operation Manager).

Another video (embeddable) about the traffic controllers was an NBC Dateline show hosted by Tom Brokaw which aired on the first anniversary of 9/11.

http://911vids.blogspot.com/2008/03/air-traffic-controllers-of-911.html

[fess]

Another video (embeddable) about the traffic controllers was an NBC Dateline show hosted by Tom Brokaw which aired on the first anniversary of 9/11.

http://911vids.blogspot.com/2008/03/air-traffic-controllers-of-911.html

Thank you Walter, I hadn't seen that before. Sure answered a lot of questions. I , and probably others, have spoken to controllers in a different manner since 9/11. I don't know, maybe with more respect. This video may explain the reason why.

[patchbunny]

In the CSPAN video, fighter pilot Lt Col Joe McGrady remarked, in answer to the question "why didn't you talk to the pilots over the radio," remarked that his fighters only had UHF frequency radios, and civilian aircraft used VHF, preventing communication. Why the difference, and which is better?

[Reheat]

In the CSPAN video, fighter pilot Lt Col Joe McGrady remarked, in answer to the question "why didn't you talk to the pilots over the radio," remarked that his fighters only had UHF frequency radios, and civilian aircraft used VHF, preventing communication. Why the difference, and which is better?

Since WWII the military (USAF and Navy) have used primarily UHF while the Civilian Community have used VHF. Both are line of sight, so I don't think one is superior to the other.

Actually, the F-15's have UHF only while the F-16's have both UHF/VHF and some also FM. That's because some F-16's are tasked for Close Air Support and F-15's are not tasked for that role. Also, Transport/Cargo/Tankers have both. It's only some fighters and trainers who have UHF only.

It sometimes makes Commercial Captains nervous to hear a controller talking to someone while they can not hear the other aircraft and they inquire about who the controller is talking to. While some ATC facilities have the capability to allow both frequency spectrums to be heard by everyone, all of them don't have that capability.

I suspect the original reason for the difference was to keep the military conversations proprietary and it has continued. The military has a lot of $$ invested in UHF anti-jamming technology, so I don't think a change is imminent.

UHF radios can pickup VHF Guard frequency because 243.0 UHF is the first harmonic of VHF 121.5, but I don't think the reverse is true.

[Cheap Shot]

The F-15's now have a li,ited VHF capability on 121.5 doesn't work for than a couple miles though, maybe it is what you said about the wave length.

[Cheap Shot]

Ah, if you don't mind telling us, exactly which panel member were you? I didn't see anyone identified as "Cheap Shot." ;)

Great to see Ben Sliney again who played himself in the theatrical movie United 93 (9/11/01 was his first day on the job as an FAA National Operation Manager).

I was the rather ;arge man on the right, I worked with Ben on UAL93 as well, though my part which was playing myself just as Ben did, hit the edit room floor. I did do a fair amount of work on the film, so my credit ends up at the end as an ATC Consultant.

[jammonius]

University of Texas Panel Discussion on 9/11 and Aviation

Pilots and air controllers responsible for clearing U.S. airspace in the hours following the 9/11 attacks gather at the University of Texas at Dallas Saturday to share their behind-the-scenes experiences and explain how their decisions helped to mitigate loss of life through the day’s chaos. (2 hrs 50 min)

http://c-span.com/Watch/Media/2010/09/11/HP/A/37944/University+of+Texas+Panel+Discussion+on+911+and+Av iation.aspx

BigAl,

The "ALL43" thread was closed by a mod just as I was starting to turn attention to Lynn Spencer's book, Touching History as it relates to Flight 175. Too bad.

I see, however, that you've got this thread going that deals with a recent airing by C-Span of a panel discussion hosted by University of Texas at Dallas that features Lynn Spencer and some of the air traffic controllers she interviewed for her book.

I think it's a good idea to place where Lynn Spencer is coming from in proper perspective as we proceed. Here's one of the first things she said:

http://i1008.photobucket.com/albums/af205/jfibonacci/album3/lynnspencercspan.jpg?t=1284674535

That is unfortunate. Her book does a lot to call into question whether what was seen on teevee was true or not. However, she, herself, does not have that perspective, irrespective of all of the contradictions, conundrums and inconsistencies that she, herself, reveals.

OK, BigAl, I'm prepared to engage on this topic if others are interested in doing so. The video is a long one and the book needs to be read in order to have a meaningful discussion.

I would imagine this thread will develop slowly, but I think it might end up being a worthwhile endeavor.

Thanks for starting the thread.