This entire interview was absolutely awesome! I especially was impressed when "Lucky" praised the ATCs for helping sort out the bogeys / targets. i.e. the Med-flights, etc.
I saw the video of the ATC participation in 911 challenge. They were so helpful. They grounded all planes in & out of airports to clear airspace. We never thought of that. They never emphasized how ATC was involved. How emotional it was. UA-cam has the video.
Loved her perspective. I was a new mom when 9/11 happened and was so afraid when I heard the news and saw the footage of the twin towers. I didn’t know if we would survive the day. As events developed , I came to realize that people were in place that made sure we would absolutely survive as a country and a stay a major influencer on our precious Earth. Who knew Major Penney was one of those people who was strategically placed to ensure that. Just one more example of how a Boiler Up, Hammer Down work ethic is a blessing. Thank you Heather for your service and for sharing your time and experience with us!!! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
"on a Suicide Mission to save 9/11" Ta-da! That's just fucking goofy. Silly, silly stuff. Also: Lies! 93 was not crashed by the passengers. There was quite, quite a stretch of debris, which is how we know it came apart in the air. We know it was shot down just like we know that a plane did not hit the pentagon. Genius false narrative/fodder for dumb people of all kinds, and simple sensibility folks with a misguided, uninformed, perverted sense of patriotism (like Trump supporters & fanatics). So, now we go torture people, and kill 500,000 Iraqi's? Amerrrrrrrrica--Fuck, yeah! Our intelligence failures on that day and in the preceding few years alone, are just a small piece of why we deserved it.
I can relate to how she was talking about the country was in 2 parts, a pre 9-11 and post... I was in pre group for hours later. I was just entering my 3rd class when I walked into the classroom seeing the air liners hit the towers. I think it was about 11:30am central time so would have been 12:30pm est...I came in as my mind couldn't grasp why we had a movie playing on a tv that only had school news slideshow on normally. The when I realizes it was real and wasn't a movie, I remember thinking of a friend saying he was going to give his sister her lunch in the TWC complex from a chat online with him before school... So when the towers came down, I was sitting there wondering "Did I just see my friend die?"....... I do not remember the time persay as I was more in shock of I know someone in NYC that is seeing this in real life, are they ok. Will are small talk about weather and music be the last words we will ever speak to each other?... Meanwhile the kids sitting around me was in shock that something happened to in the nation. I remember feeling so alone as it was strangers to them, but it was personal to me... ... Then next day or so we had to find out what the local coal power plant was going to do as me and my dad delivered news papers to them, and if we would be allowed to get near it...... Sep 11th was truly a day that changed the world.. As I listen I can relate to the guys asking what do you mean do we have bombs kinda thing..
The Pilot in the other Interview was higher in Rank letting him talk was probably respect- nothing bad. She also switched between his call sign and his Rank and Name. I bet they are on good terms it was just a strange situation.
Stunning recollections of a truly heroic lady. Explained so clearly of that truly horrific day. I was at work in the UK, and when the news broke on the radio. We had a television set in the workshop. After the first airliner had hit the World Trade Center. We were a gasp to see live the 2 Passenger Aircraft hit the 2 World Trade Centre. To listen to this lady. Who was prepared to go on a one way mission. Both pilots are true heroes. They may not think that they are, but to go up in an unarmed F16 and know. That they might not come back. Really. I am in awe of her. Not taking away from all who perished on that day. Police, Fire & Paramedics. Who did not go home. As too all of the people who lost their lives. Not forgetting the passengers on Flight 93. My thoughts are still with you all to this day. One day I hope to come back to your beautiful country, but due to my disability. The travel insurance is very expensive, but I do want to return. Soon before I am unable to. I would be so honoured if I could get the chance to meet this lady. Would be a wonderful just to thank her. For what she was prepared to do. “Lucky” You are a true definition of a hero.
People are unaware of the incredible response of the national guard response. We had only 5 F-16 on alert and the NGs took charge and got airborne. Civilian air controllers also, took charge and took command. Incredible.
Lucky we are thankful for your skills and what you did. I am really sad that our military was not set up for any kind of incursion of our country. I hope the military learned his lesson and has ready groups now.
Lol I had a f4 squad fly by me couple hundred feet maybe. Jumped a bit you don't hear them till passing. Overseas. This lady is quite the liar crazy. Hard to believe our government got away with 9/11
What she says is very alarming considering what the military budget was.The military completely failed the country on that day! How in the world can it take so long for fighters to respond when a friggin plane hits the pentagon , one heading towards the White House and knowing about the towers. The passengers of flight 93 are the real heroes and imo don’t get enough credit. We were willing to ram the plane …this is the American military…think about that.
Cheney issued the stand down order. An active drill was occurring “coincidentally” at the same time as the attack.. the scenario of the drill was identical to the actual attack.. This caused quite a bit of confusion that day..
I am a retired US Air Force F-16 pilot. I have a lot of problems with what is being said in this interview as well with the associated narrative that for some 20+ years has painted these 2 pilots as heros for what they "would have done" on Sept 11, 2001. There were no military heros on 9/11 except for those that worked to rescue the injured and trapped at the Pentagon. Beyond those, the military saved no lives that day. Absolutely none. The primary game plan to take down any aircraft coming into DC that day by ramming the nose and tail with F-16's was utter nonsense and completely unnecessary except as a very, very, very last resort. Why? Let me explain. The F-16 normally carries up to 511 rounds of live 20mm Target Practice (TP) ammunition on every flight for weight and balance purposes. The F-16's M61A1 Vulcan cannon firing a 20mm 1500+ grain TP round down its barrels at 3400 feet per second is hardly a "BB gun"...despite what was said in this interview. In the interview it was also said these pilots only had 110 rounds each. That is extremely doubtful. The only reason 110 rounds would have been the limit was if that was exactly how many rounds were loaded or what was left over from previous air-ground training missions (unlikely in both cases). There is, however, an external rounds limiter switch which is typically set to 110 when shooting the gun during air-ground training to facilitate hit percentage calculations(e.g., 40 hits = 40%.) The pilot or crew chief can easily flip the rounds limit switch off before engine start allowing all rounds that are loaded to be fired. So it seems they took off with the rounds limiter switch on and set to the standard 110. As far as engaging an airliner, it would have been simple to intercept and cruise up behind it and put 25 to 50 rounds through the engines, tail, or cockpit. This would have almost certainly taken the airliner down. If all the ammunition was expended, the next thing to have tried would have been a supersonic, very close pass over the engines as this would likely cause the engines to stall and/or flameout. Only after these and possibly other options were tried should a suicide ram have been considered. Sadly, the suicide ram is the FIRST and ONLY option brought up when these these two pilots talk about what they would have done that day. The Pentagon was hit 34 minutes after the SECOND airliner hit the Twin Towers in New York City. 34 minutes! F-16's were sitting on the ground 10 miles away when the Pentagon was attacked. It was an abject failure of our civilian and military leadership that left the nation unprepared to respond and prevent an attack on our nation's capitol with a 34 minute warning. Again, no military heroes that day. The continued blaring for 20+ years about a suicide mission that these pilots WOULD HAVE DONE that day needs to stop. They saved no one. Exit the stage. Enough.
This whole story was 100% scripted for the civilians to hear and believe. Bush was occupied in a schools at the time so the TRUE original order was given by our 2nd in command to shoot the plane down but they knew if the word got out that we ordered a takedown on a plane full of our own people it wouldn’t have gone over well. So it was made to sound like 2 of our own people were going to give there life to save who knew how many. They didn’t want it to sound a government life is more important than civilian life so let’s shoot the plane down before it gets to the White House. That’s the real honest story behind it.
I appreciate your service and expertise. However there were at least 2 Marines at ground zero rescuing people from the rubble. Please don't overlook their actions.
So her suggesting the whole notion that she knew that may be the last time she flew and basically her whole story is false? She's lying? Thank you for your service
I totally respect your service and I was surprised at your comments, but I appreiate the detail and effort you made to explain yourself. I have never been involved in the military, so it was fun for me to listen to this interview. I have always supported a stong military, Americans in general are brain dead when it come to the world wide threats we face and now internal threats. It is also sickly possible we as in our government planned 911 to justify war with Iraq with the purpose of maintaining our supply of oil. That is probably a discussion for a different channel. I always thought I would like to be a fighter pilot.. but I am too tall to fit in those small cockpits. I am a total American Patriot, but the older I get the more disappointed I get because I see more of the corruption and ugly side of our government. So you are right they are probably making too much of this event, but on the other side of the coin a good story about good people that serve cannot be in general bad. I think at the end she did emphasize the lack of preparation that existed at that time and that is a very serious problem that still needs to be addressed. Look at the travesity of Biden and what he did in Afganistan!! I do relate to what you are saying, but maybe not be so hard on this situation and work to get us all collectively to seriously address the bigger problems, as in how the democrates and deep state have ruined our economy.. by printing bills and spending us into bancrupcy, and our insane inflation, and our crashing stock market, and the voter fraud and corruption in our voting system, and they are all guilty of election interference!! And the Covid Hoax... the list is long.. Let's work to expose the lies! I appreciate your comments!
I was working for a tv news channel in the UK on 9/11 and had to scramble a team of reporters, anchors, editors etc. to cover the story as it unfiolded on that day. "Lucky" Penney's account of what what happening at that same time on the other side of the pond was fascinating to hear. Thenk you! R (Australia)
Hi excellent interview may I ask a question as I've watched another tube on here from Fighter pilot podcast where a aviator was protecting cheyanne mountain in a F15 Eagle and he's says he was also loaded with 510 rounds of training rounds but says he had enough rounds to cut a plane in half are different types calibre rounds used in different planes?again really enjoyed your inside story,everyone involved in that terrible day are heroes including yourself Thank you
she is what makes America great .... there are thousands of stories just like this! most of them unsung.... i can listen to her all day long ...she talks about it as if she is lecturing, modest and straight forward! edit she gives everybody credit!!!!!!
9-11 caught the USA and the US military totally flat footed. What she is describing here is while the chain of command was still confused, she described how the basic military and civilian infrastructure that was living and operating at the lower levels simply went about the business of getting their heads in the game and getting to work to deal with the events of the attack. I actually read the published 9-11 report and she is pretty accurately describing what was written about in that report. I worked at Boeing when 9-11 happened and I saw how fast the military personnel I worked with and was acquainted with and Boeing security responded to the attack. I also lived right under the approach pattern to Seattle airport and woke up to the sounds of airliners landing one right after another. It was definitely not normal landing activity. There was virtually no separation between planes landing. They were getting them on the ground as quick as possible. My alarm was a clock radio, and the station I normally listened too did not have the expected programming on. It was a news cast of the 1st plane to crash into the towers. I was thinking why were they so excited about a small Cessna or Piper hitting the building. So I turned on the TV. At that time the news was still calling it a small plane that hit the tower. As soon as I saw the 1st images of the tower with the giant hole in it burning hard, I knew that was definitely not a Cessna that hit it. While I was getting ready for work, I saw live on TV the second plane hit tower 2. A shiny United Boeing 767 hit it at high speed. The video was so sharp, I could see clearly the whole airplane and virtually every detail. It’s still very vivid in my memory. That video has been taken down and you don’t see it any more. You only see low resolution copies that have all been doctored up for any number of reasons. At the moment of impact, I knew we were in the post 9-11 world (although that term had not been coined yet.) and we were going to war. But I did not know with who or what yet. A day or two later, I drove around the SeaTac airport. I started counting planes. Of the ones I could see I counted 325 of them. That is a whole lot of airplanes! Almost all airliners. Except for the runways, they were parked everywhere where there was a piece of pavement to put them. And they were stuffed together like sardines in a can. I then drove down to King County airport and was surprised to see almost no airplanes there. Turns out there was a reason for that I did not know about at the time.
Calling a 20mm round as ineffective as a “bb gun” is disingenuous at best. Let’s not forget airliners are not armored tanks either. I think there was a more glaring moral dilemma they were facing which I’m sure we can all understand.
She said lead nose bullets were not as effective as high intensity incendiary bullets. I get your point though. Lead bullets aimed at fully fueled large wings could take it down. How aircraft survive lightening strikes without say blowing the wings up escapes me.
@@ReviewsChannel-e4r they survive lightning strikes because they are designed to do so. They are insulated specifically for lightning strikes and static electric build up from friction. And civilian aircraft that are built out of aluminum are as strong as a beer can, and a 20mm bullet (significantly bigger than a 50cal) is going to rip right thru it like it’s passing thru paper. And the fuel tanks aren’t military grade built for taking bullets either so they’re likely going to burst into flames upon impact with a large 20mm lead projectile. That is why it is ridiculous to say that their guns were useless and their only option was to ram it which is a stupid plan to begin with yet alone to do that without even trying your guns first. That’s why I believe it was a moral decision and not a logical one.
@@Coledebord2 I thought their suicide missions were bizarre. There's no reason fighter jets can't have machine guns that don't require excess procedure.
1. They we loaded with TRAINING rounds. 2. Glaringky obvious you have NO clue how dumbass hard it is to get jetbfuel to burn!!! I can throw my lit cigarette into a pail of diesel and its about 10X harder than that! So how do you expect a training round to ignite anything!? 3. You can shoot that plane into swiss cheese and the aircraft can still fly!!! Unless you luck out and hit an actual structural intersection. They arent built the way you think they are in your head! 4. The rounds arent just going to stop in the aircraft!!! So are you willing to potentialy pelt populated areas with 1500 rpm!?
Its because anything that CAN blow up... Does not touch the frame of the aircraft that the electricity of the lightening travels through the plane. Thats why wiring is wrapped in plastic.
GREAT INTERVIEW.,!!!!!...AND ALSO , THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE MISS PENNEY ,AND ALSO FOR FLYING OUT ON THAT HORRIBLY HORRIFIC DAY , ON SEPTEMBER 11th , PROTECTING US FROM FURTHER CHAOS. GOD BLESS HER AND KEEP HER AND HER BABIES SAFELY.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💯🎀.
12:56 Did she really say that the 511 "lead nosed bullets" from the Vulcan 20 mm cannon… which she said she had on board… are like "fast, big BB guns" and that "they are not going to have any kind of big effect?" Really? Come on. Someone please explain this to me because I really want to believe that's true … somehow.
I believe the combination of it all wouldn't have been enough. Wind mass velocity all that stuff 😊 (I think). On the F-16 when I worked with them usually held fast big bullets
What is that duck billed Astro jet she mentioned? The only Astro jets I can find are old American Airlines airliners like Boeings McDonald Douglas and the like.
Great episode. Thanks much. Heather, I have the Syd Mead Learfan print that hung in Bills office at Stead. I'm heading to Tahiti with my sailboat in August to work for a couple NGO's. The print is the last thing I'm selling, as I don't want it ruined at sea. Syd signed it for me in the late eighties. Admire you greatly.
With the highest respect to the Major, I find it hard to believe that 500 rounds of M50 ammo, even if they were just target ball rounds, couldnt take down a commercial jet liner. Sorry but I disagree.
i realize 9/11 shook us up but shes talking about the military/ My dad was a cop and his job was never a shock to him. He worked murders and robberies every day and had weapons ready to use at any moment. Maybe the military should do some police work to keep them sharp like cops.
Twenty years before 9/11, Tom Clancy wrote a best seller, which also ran as a best selling movie, putting out the scenario that one hijacked plane could be crashed into the State of the Union address, removing all of Congress and three levels of the executive branch all at once. The scenario was out there. What did our government do? They ignored it. The handful of armed scrambled aircraft we have today is still a joke. Especially when you consider range and duration when they're using afterburners.
That book didn't become a movie. I read it too. I had a fire instructor who was asked the question about the survivability of modern buildings if a plane crashed into it vs. older buildings built in the early 20th century. He told the class that the older buildings had a different style to them unlike the newer ones. He was talking about the buildings like Terminal Tower here in Cleveland vs. the newer building which was the Society building (Key Tower today). This was back in the mid 90's.
Now that is a smart Lady! I maintained F-16 C/D for four years out of Misawa AB, Japan. I also maintained other airframes and systems throughout my 21 year career. I retired because I to burned out with all the downsizing and "do more with less" attitude. I ended my career on the IG team where from January to June of 1996, I think I was home 17 days and they weren't in a row. LOL My oldest son went to a different high school every year of high school. Look at today, our armed forces cannot support one major commitment, how the hell are we going to support anymore? If we are going to properly protect our country and peoples, then we had better start rebuilding our military, smartly and efficiently so that 911 doesn't ever happen again and especially while we are away helping others!
Wasn't much of a story though, was it? As far as stories from that day go. Even from a former member of the disgusting resource-hogging, rape laden U.S. military. Take that, guy from 3 months ago! Hi-ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How could Captain Penny have been on a "Suicide Mission"? I guess her plane was unarmed and a shoot down was out of the question? Having a fighter plane without weapons is like having a gun with no bullets. It just does not make common sense. 🤠
She would have to use her aircraft as her weapon. In the interview, she states that her partner would take the cockpit and she would take the wings. Yes, suicide mission for sure.
Did you listen to this interview???? "I guess her plane"???? She tells you in the interview EXACTLY what happened AND what she did, so WHY are you guessing?
At that time only certain units have armed jets ready to go and i don't think I was on that coast 🤔 so they had something but nothing that would have done any good.
I'd like to ask viewers to question in their own minds the extended assumption of single people's lives being worth less. This is not right at all. Plus dogs are absolute angels that feel deeply, far more than humans most of the time. Enough. A life is a life. And none are worth less than others.
The point isn’t that someone’s life is “worth less,” it’s that people are situated differently and have less dependents. More hardship arises from more people with the death of someone with an immediate family depending on them. As an aside, it’s comical the silliness people tell themselves about their dogs. They’ll forget about you in two weeks if they move into a home where someone offers them a little bit more food.
The passengers at Shanksville PA helped to down their own plane. Now THAT'S heroes. I believe the Shanksville, PA airplane was intended to crash into the White House.
I was surprised that all USAF F16's did not have GPS in 2001. All F16s delivered after 1988 had GPS. Even we had had it for years in our boat (cost around $200). Yes, we had cell phones back then. I was probably on my second Motorola or my first Nokia then. I flew from Europe to Boston and we were directed to Halifax. The crew didn't tell us anything. The woman sitting next to me was using her cell phone to call a friend. She told us what had happened and started crying. Thank you Halifax for hosting us. Killing people in Iraq was so much fun for her. Did she believe the lies that Colin Powell presented to the UN? Unfortunately our government did and joined in the unprovoked attack on Iraq. USA got their oil and she got her fun. Other died for for it.
Because most of it is extremely exaggerated at best and a few bold face lies. As an example, Col. Tim "Conk" Conklin of the Colorado Air National Guard who was also airborne, in an F-16 Viper over Denver and Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. He also was only armed with 20mm practice rounds. According to him in an interview when asked if he would of had to do a suicide mission. "No those 20mm practice rounds would be more then enough to cut an airliner in half", no problem. Major Penney is lying.
Amazing skill and courage! Armchair non-military mere observer question- 20mm practice rounds can't bring an unarmored airliner down? Most now are just two engines, 20mm is still a bunch of lead..... F111's were supposedly brought down with a 7.62 x 39; even 20 mm practice rounds carry an exponential increase in energy and lethality. Just curious.
Col. Tim "Conk" Conklin of the Colorado Air National Guard who was also airborne, only in an F-16 Viper and over Denver and Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. He also was only armed with 20mm practice rounds. According to him if needed "they would cut an airliner in half", no problem. Major Penney is lying.
One would think after all this on 9/11 there would be more 1st Air Force dedicate air sovereignty alert units nation wide or more aircraft on alert… nope it’s an as needed thing usually during special events
There is something called a "book", read some as soon as possible. Also, it's not her fault you are only basement pilot. It's eating you up that she succeeded where you didn't. Again, not her fault
The service SF offers the pilot community can't be had at any other single place. However, I sure wish you would improve the user interface to the SF App. It discourages App use. At least it's easy to watch the videos on UA-cam.
Thanks for the feedback. If you’d like to send specific things you’d like to see improved in the app, please email us at info@socialflight.com. We are always looking to improve. Having specifics makes it easier to make that happen.
@@billfajack2303 I’ll be around. Check with Aspen, Tempest, Continental, uAvionix, Avidyne, Bose, Lightspeed and Wipaire. I’ll be frequently at those booths.
this is crazy, that it takes this much to launch airplanes to protect us. I hope they have upgraded to one red button they push to scramble the troops.
Actually this probably of one the truths for 9/11. The US military had no clue and was not ready trust me it hit us like it hit everyone else. Even if the higher ups like the president knew the rest of us didn't. That part was "is the biggest load of crap EVER!!" 😒
awesome i'view 👍🏽 - I've been an aviation-freak ever since I was 10 yo and that day I heard of the WTC-crash from my car radio. To me it was immediately clear that this must have been on purpose and was really annoyed by the radio reporters who for at least half an hour tried to make their audience think that it was an 'accident' >.
This entire interview was absolutely awesome! I especially was impressed when "Lucky" praised the ATCs for helping sort out the bogeys / targets. i.e. the Med-flights, etc.
I saw the video of the ATC participation in 911 challenge. They were so helpful. They grounded all planes in & out of airports to clear airspace. We never thought of that. They never emphasized how ATC was involved. How emotional it was. UA-cam has the video.
Loved her perspective. I was a new mom when 9/11 happened and was so afraid when I heard the news and saw the footage of the twin towers. I didn’t know if we would survive the day. As events developed , I came to realize that people were in place that made sure we would absolutely survive as a country and a stay a major influencer on our precious Earth. Who knew Major Penney was one of those people who was strategically placed to ensure that. Just one more example of how a Boiler Up, Hammer Down work ethic is a blessing. Thank you Heather for your service and for sharing your time and experience with us!!! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
"on a Suicide Mission to save 9/11" Ta-da! That's just fucking goofy. Silly, silly stuff. Also: Lies! 93 was not crashed by the passengers. There was quite, quite a stretch of debris, which is how we know it came apart in the air. We know it was shot down just like we know that a plane did not hit the pentagon. Genius false narrative/fodder for dumb people of all kinds, and simple sensibility folks with a misguided, uninformed, perverted sense of patriotism (like Trump supporters & fanatics). So, now we go torture people, and kill 500,000 Iraqi's? Amerrrrrrrrica--Fuck, yeah! Our intelligence failures on that day and in the preceding few years alone, are just a small piece of why we deserved it.
I can relate to how she was talking about the country was in 2 parts, a pre 9-11 and post... I was in pre group for hours later. I was just entering my 3rd class when I walked into the classroom seeing the air liners hit the towers. I think it was about 11:30am central time so would have been 12:30pm est...I came in as my mind couldn't grasp why we had a movie playing on a tv that only had school news slideshow on normally. The when I realizes it was real and wasn't a movie, I remember thinking of a friend saying he was going to give his sister her lunch in the TWC complex from a chat online with him before school... So when the towers came down, I was sitting there wondering "Did I just see my friend die?"....... I do not remember the time persay as I was more in shock of I know someone in NYC that is seeing this in real life, are they ok. Will are small talk about weather and music be the last words we will ever speak to each other?... Meanwhile the kids sitting around me was in shock that something happened to in the nation. I remember feeling so alone as it was strangers to them, but it was personal to me... ... Then next day or so we had to find out what the local coal power plant was going to do as me and my dad delivered news papers to them, and if we would be allowed to get near it...... Sep 11th was truly a day that changed the world.. As I listen I can relate to the guys asking what do you mean do we have bombs kinda thing..
Heather is a lot more comfortable than when her and the other ; male F-16 pilot did the CBS Evening News Interview. Great job Heather.
The Pilot in the other Interview was higher in Rank letting him talk was probably respect- nothing bad. She also switched between his call sign and his Rank and Name. I bet they are on good terms it was just a strange situation.
This show is fantastic!! Loved that interview!!! Awesome!! A world that I would never experience without these interviews!!
Stunning recollections of a truly heroic lady. Explained so clearly of that truly horrific day. I was at work in the UK, and when the news broke on the radio. We had a television set in the workshop. After the first airliner had hit the World Trade Center. We were a gasp to see live the 2 Passenger Aircraft hit the 2 World Trade Centre. To listen to this lady. Who was prepared to go on a one way mission. Both pilots are true heroes. They may not think that they are, but to go up in an unarmed F16 and know. That they might not come back. Really. I am in awe of her. Not taking away from all who perished on that day. Police, Fire & Paramedics. Who did not go home. As too all of the people who lost their lives. Not forgetting the passengers on Flight 93. My thoughts are still with you all to this day. One day I hope to come back to your beautiful country, but due to my disability. The travel insurance is very expensive, but I do want to return. Soon before I am unable to. I would be so honoured if I could get the chance to meet this lady. Would be a wonderful just to thank her. For what she was prepared to do. “Lucky” You are a true definition of a hero.
A fake "suicide mission" that was not close to suicidal.
This woman is incredibly humble. Even when he pulled up old photos of her, she ignored herself and instead talked about the airplane
People are unaware of the incredible response of the national guard response. We had only 5 F-16 on alert and the NGs took charge and got airborne. Civilian air controllers also, took charge and took command. Incredible.
I wanted to be a fighter pilot just like this lady!! Great great person! Thank you Lucky.
😊
Lucky we are thankful for your skills and what you did. I am really sad that our military was not set up for any kind of incursion of our country. I hope the military learned his lesson and has ready groups now.
What an amazing woman, person and pilot she is.
Pilot training in the USAF is pure meritocracy. That means she finished at the top of her class. Not easy.
I had just evacuated the Pentagon and just south of the building when they burned past us as low level. I had to smile!
you were SMILING? get real
@@mariposamoreno yes, because we were responding.
Lol I had a f4 squad fly by me couple hundred feet maybe. Jumped a bit you don't hear them till passing. Overseas. This lady is quite the liar crazy. Hard to believe our government got away with 9/11
@@lyndonwillms9668I would have been cheering them on! I remember the righteous anger I felt when we realized it was a deliberate attack.
such a great interview, the host were able to ask the right questions to get a full story.
Best interview yet. Thank you, bc
Thank you for this interview. Girls and young women need female aviator role models.
What she says is very alarming considering what the military budget was.The military completely failed the country on that day! How in the world can it take so long for fighters to respond when a friggin plane hits the pentagon , one heading towards the White House and knowing about the towers. The passengers of flight 93 are the real heroes and imo don’t get enough credit. We were willing to ram the plane …this is the American military…think about that.
Cheney issued the stand down order.
An active drill was occurring “coincidentally” at the same time as the attack.. the scenario of the drill was identical to the actual attack.. This caused quite a bit of confusion that day..
There is no fighter pilot who would have difficulty understanding or switching between a drill and a real world event. Nonsense.
I am a retired US Air Force F-16 pilot. I have a lot of problems with what is being said in this interview as well with the associated narrative that for some 20+ years has painted these 2 pilots as heros for what they "would have done" on Sept 11, 2001. There were no military heros on 9/11 except for those that worked to rescue the injured and trapped at the Pentagon. Beyond those, the military saved no lives that day. Absolutely none.
The primary game plan to take down any aircraft coming into DC that day by ramming the nose and tail with F-16's was utter nonsense and completely unnecessary except as a very, very, very last resort. Why? Let me explain. The F-16 normally carries up to 511 rounds of live 20mm Target Practice (TP) ammunition on every flight for weight and balance purposes. The F-16's M61A1 Vulcan cannon firing a 20mm 1500+ grain TP round down its barrels at 3400 feet per second is hardly a "BB gun"...despite what was said in this interview. In the interview it was also said these pilots only had 110 rounds each. That is extremely doubtful. The only reason 110 rounds would have been the limit was if that was exactly how many rounds were loaded or what was left over from previous air-ground training missions (unlikely in both cases). There is, however, an external rounds limiter switch which is typically set to 110 when shooting the gun during air-ground training to facilitate hit percentage calculations(e.g., 40 hits = 40%.) The pilot or crew chief can easily flip the rounds limit switch off before engine start allowing all rounds that are loaded to be fired. So it seems they took off with the rounds limiter switch on and set to the standard 110.
As far as engaging an airliner, it would have been simple to intercept and cruise up behind it and put 25 to 50 rounds through the engines, tail, or cockpit. This would have almost certainly taken the airliner down. If all the ammunition was expended, the next thing to have tried would have been a supersonic, very close pass over the engines as this would likely cause the engines to stall and/or flameout. Only after these and possibly other options were tried should a suicide ram have been considered. Sadly, the suicide ram is the FIRST and ONLY option brought up when these these two pilots talk about what they would have done that day.
The Pentagon was hit 34 minutes after the SECOND airliner hit the Twin Towers in New York City. 34 minutes! F-16's were sitting on the ground 10 miles away when the Pentagon was attacked. It was an abject failure of our civilian and military leadership that left the nation unprepared to respond and prevent an attack on our nation's capitol with a 34 minute warning. Again, no military heroes that day.
The continued blaring for 20+ years about a suicide mission that these pilots WOULD HAVE DONE that day needs to stop. They saved no one. Exit the stage. Enough.
This whole story was 100% scripted for the civilians to hear and believe. Bush was occupied in a schools at the time so the TRUE original order was given by our 2nd in command to shoot the plane down but they knew if the word got out that we ordered a takedown on a plane full of our own people it wouldn’t have gone over well. So it was made to sound like 2 of our own people were going to give there life to save who knew how many. They didn’t want it to sound a government life is more important than civilian life so let’s shoot the plane down before it gets to the White House. That’s the real honest story behind it.
I appreciate your service and expertise. However there were at least 2 Marines at ground zero rescuing people from the rubble. Please don't overlook their actions.
Exactly my thoughts
So her suggesting the whole notion that she knew that may be the last time she flew and basically her whole story is false? She's lying? Thank you for your service
I totally respect your service and I was surprised at your comments, but I appreiate the detail and effort you made to explain yourself. I have never been involved in the military, so it was fun for me to listen to this interview. I have always supported a stong military, Americans in general are brain dead when it come to the world wide threats we face and now internal threats. It is also sickly possible we as in our government planned 911 to justify war with Iraq with the purpose of maintaining our supply of oil. That is probably a discussion for a different channel. I always thought I would like to be a fighter pilot.. but I am too tall to fit in those small cockpits. I am a total American Patriot, but the older I get the more disappointed I get because I see more of the corruption and ugly side of our government. So you are right they are probably making too much of this event, but on the other side of the coin a good story about good people that serve cannot be in general bad. I think at the end she did emphasize the lack of preparation that existed at that time and that is a very serious problem that still needs to be addressed. Look at the travesity of Biden and what he did in Afganistan!! I do relate to what you are saying, but maybe not be so hard on this situation and work to get us all collectively to seriously address the bigger problems, as in how the democrates and deep state have ruined our economy.. by printing bills and spending us into bancrupcy, and our insane inflation, and our crashing stock market, and the voter fraud and corruption in our voting system, and they are all guilty of election interference!! And the Covid Hoax... the list is long.. Let's work to expose the lies! I appreciate your comments!
Could not think of anyone else to be my wingman ! Thank you for your service ! God bless ! Peace ✌️ ! 😎👍
Best interview yet!!!
I was working for a tv news channel in the UK on 9/11 and had to scramble a team of reporters, anchors, editors etc. to cover the story as it unfiolded on that day. "Lucky" Penney's account of what what happening at that same time on the other side of the pond was fascinating to hear. Thenk you! R (Australia)
What an impressive lady!! Even before 911
Such a great interview, keep it up Jeff!
Hi excellent interview may I ask a question as I've watched another tube on here from Fighter pilot podcast where a aviator was protecting cheyanne mountain in a F15 Eagle and he's says he was also loaded with 510 rounds of training rounds but says he had enough rounds to cut a plane in half are different types calibre rounds used in different planes?again really enjoyed your inside story,everyone involved in that terrible day are heroes including yourself Thank you
she is what makes America great .... there are thousands of stories just like this! most of them unsung....
i can listen to her all day long ...she talks about it as if she is lecturing, modest and straight forward! edit she gives everybody credit!!!!!!
9-11 caught the USA and the US military totally flat footed. What she is describing here is while the chain of command was still confused, she described how the basic military and civilian infrastructure that was living and operating at the lower levels simply went about the business of getting their heads in the game and getting to work to deal with the events of the attack. I actually read the published 9-11 report and she is pretty accurately describing what was written about in that report.
I worked at Boeing when 9-11 happened and I saw how fast the military personnel I worked with and was acquainted with and Boeing security responded to the attack. I also lived right under the approach pattern to Seattle airport and woke up to the sounds of airliners landing one right after another. It was definitely not normal landing activity. There was virtually no separation between planes landing. They were getting them on the ground as quick as possible.
My alarm was a clock radio, and the station I normally listened too did not have the expected programming on. It was a news cast of the 1st plane to crash into the towers. I was thinking why were they so excited about a small Cessna or Piper hitting the building. So I turned on the TV. At that time the news was still calling it a small plane that hit the tower. As soon as I saw the 1st images of the tower with the giant hole in it burning hard, I knew that was definitely not a Cessna that hit it. While I was getting ready for work, I saw live on TV the second plane hit tower 2. A shiny United Boeing 767 hit it at high speed. The video was so sharp, I could see clearly the whole airplane and virtually every detail. It’s still very vivid in my memory. That video has been taken down and you don’t see it any more. You only see low resolution copies that have all been doctored up for any number of reasons.
At the moment of impact, I knew we were in the post 9-11 world (although that term had not been coined yet.) and we were going to war. But I did not know with who or what yet.
A day or two later, I drove around the SeaTac airport. I started counting planes. Of the ones I could see I counted 325 of them. That is a whole lot of airplanes! Almost all airliners. Except for the runways, they were parked everywhere where there was a piece of pavement to put them. And they were stuffed together like sardines in a can. I then drove down to King County airport and was surprised to see almost no airplanes there. Turns out there was a reason for that I did not know about at the time.
Well written, thanks.
Great lady!
Calling a 20mm round as ineffective as a “bb gun” is disingenuous at best. Let’s not forget airliners are not armored tanks either. I think there was a more glaring moral dilemma they were facing which I’m sure we can all understand.
She said lead nose bullets were not as effective as high intensity incendiary bullets. I get your point though. Lead bullets aimed at fully fueled large wings could take it down. How aircraft survive lightening strikes without say blowing the wings up escapes me.
@@ReviewsChannel-e4r they survive lightning strikes because they are designed to do so. They are insulated specifically for lightning strikes and static electric build up from friction. And civilian aircraft that are built out of aluminum are as strong as a beer can, and a 20mm bullet (significantly bigger than a 50cal) is going to rip right thru it like it’s passing thru paper. And the fuel tanks aren’t military grade built for taking bullets either so they’re likely going to burst into flames upon impact with a large 20mm lead projectile. That is why it is ridiculous to say that their guns were useless and their only option was to ram it which is a stupid plan to begin with yet alone to do that without even trying your guns first. That’s why I believe it was a moral decision and not a logical one.
@@Coledebord2 I thought their suicide missions were bizarre. There's no reason fighter jets can't have machine guns that don't require excess procedure.
1. They we loaded with TRAINING rounds.
2. Glaringky obvious you have NO clue how dumbass hard it is to get jetbfuel to burn!!! I can throw my lit cigarette into a pail of diesel and its about 10X harder than that! So how do you expect a training round to ignite anything!?
3. You can shoot that plane into swiss cheese and the aircraft can still fly!!! Unless you luck out and hit an actual structural intersection. They arent built the way you think they are in your head!
4. The rounds arent just going to stop in the aircraft!!! So are you willing to potentialy pelt populated areas with 1500 rpm!?
Its because anything that CAN blow up...
Does not touch the frame of the aircraft that the electricity of the lightening travels through the plane. Thats why wiring is wrapped in plastic.
Thank you for sharing. 🇺🇸✈️.
I saw a National Geographic documentary about her. Very impressive!
GREAT INTERVIEW.,!!!!!...AND ALSO , THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE MISS PENNEY ,AND ALSO FOR FLYING OUT ON THAT HORRIBLY HORRIFIC DAY , ON SEPTEMBER 11th , PROTECTING US FROM FURTHER CHAOS. GOD BLESS HER AND KEEP HER AND HER BABIES SAFELY.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💯🎀.
Absolutely chilling.
Would there have been a chance to eject before impact on an unarmed intercept?
Yes, they do it in the cartoons…..
Of course not eedjieyot
She was supposedly flying a f16 the are weaponized. They don't assemble bombs on an assembly line if need. This lady is crazy
12:56 Did she really say that the 511 "lead nosed bullets" from the Vulcan 20 mm cannon… which she said she had on board… are like "fast, big BB guns" and that "they are not going to have any kind of big effect?" Really? Come on. Someone please explain this to me because I really want to believe that's true … somehow.
I believe the combination of it all wouldn't have been enough. Wind mass velocity all that stuff 😊 (I think). On the F-16 when I worked with them usually held fast big bullets
What is that duck billed Astro jet she mentioned? The only Astro jets I can find are old American Airlines airliners like Boeings McDonald Douglas and the like.
KC 135 for air refuel was used?
The first woman fighter pilot crashed and died in 1994
Great episode. Thanks much.
Heather, I have the Syd Mead Learfan print that hung in Bills office at Stead.
I'm heading to Tahiti with my sailboat in August to work for a couple NGO's. The print is the last thing I'm selling, as I don't want it ruined at sea.
Syd signed it for me in the late eighties.
Admire you greatly.
Great interview. Reminds me of my missions with Civil Air Patrol on 9/11 and 9/12...
With the highest respect to the Major, I find it hard to believe that 500 rounds of M50 ammo, even if they were just target ball rounds, couldnt take down a commercial jet liner. Sorry but I disagree.
Shot into the engines could take it down.
i realize 9/11 shook us up but shes talking about the military/ My dad was a cop and his job was never a shock to him. He worked murders and robberies every day and had weapons ready to use at any moment. Maybe the military should do some police work to keep them sharp like cops.
good work
Twenty years before 9/11, Tom Clancy wrote a best seller, which also ran as a best selling movie, putting out the scenario that one hijacked plane could be crashed into the State of the Union address, removing all of Congress and three levels of the executive branch all at once. The scenario was out there. What did our government do? They ignored it. The handful of armed scrambled aircraft we have today is still a joke. Especially when you consider range and duration when they're using afterburners.
That book didn't become a movie. I read it too.
I had a fire instructor who was asked the question about the survivability of modern buildings if a plane crashed into it vs. older buildings built in the early 20th century. He told the class that the older buildings had a different style to them unlike the newer ones. He was talking about the buildings like Terminal Tower here in Cleveland vs. the newer building which was the Society building (Key Tower today). This was back in the mid 90's.
Now that is a smart Lady! I maintained F-16 C/D for four years out of Misawa AB, Japan. I also maintained other airframes and systems throughout my 21 year career. I retired because I to burned out with all the downsizing and "do more with less" attitude. I ended my career on the IG team where from January to June of 1996, I think I was home 17 days and they weren't in a row. LOL My oldest son went to a different high school every year of high school. Look at today, our armed forces cannot support one major commitment, how the hell are we going to support anymore? If we are going to properly protect our country and peoples, then we had better start rebuilding our military, smartly and efficiently so that 911 doesn't ever happen again and especially while we are away helping others!
Great story and Thank You for sharing it. I’m was at KCEF on 9/11. It changed my life forever.
Wasn't much of a story though, was it? As far as stories from that day go. Even from a former member of the disgusting resource-hogging, rape laden U.S. military. Take that, guy from 3 months ago! Hi-ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what about wtc 7 ?
What a fascinating woman!! Very interesting!! 😀
36:40 "Into the Pennsylvania Countryside but... we never saw anything."
😢 too late
@@shaneldaharris94 strange that the hole on the ground was there the previos day, on google earth?
This is one girl with balls.
Perfect quick checklist... spell Gift..CCR. Gas, instruments, flaps, trim, ,,CCR, controls, canopy, runup
How could Captain Penny have been on a "Suicide Mission"? I guess her plane was unarmed and a shoot down was out of the question? Having a fighter plane without weapons is like having a gun with no bullets. It just does not make common sense. 🤠
She would have to use her aircraft as her weapon. In the interview, she states that her partner would take the cockpit and she would take the wings. Yes, suicide mission for sure.
Did you listen to this interview???? "I guess her plane"???? She tells you in the interview EXACTLY what happened AND what she did, so WHY are you guessing?
At that time only certain units have armed jets ready to go and i don't think I was on that coast 🤔 so they had something but nothing that would have done any good.
35:44 "Over the Pentagon, and... we never found anything."
I'd like to ask viewers to question in their own minds the extended assumption of single people's lives being worth less. This is not right at all. Plus dogs are absolute angels that feel deeply, far more than humans most of the time. Enough. A life is a life. And none are worth less than others.
The point isn’t that someone’s life is “worth less,” it’s that people are situated differently and have less dependents.
More hardship arises from more people with the death of someone with an immediate family depending on them.
As an aside, it’s comical the silliness people tell themselves about their dogs. They’ll forget about you in two weeks if they move into a home where someone offers them a little bit more food.
@@mikemck4796 you have no clue about dogs. Dogs are better than people, especially you.
@@mikemck4796you’re not that smart, you realize that right? unreal
@@mariposamoreno Are you judging people’s intelligence based upon their blind devotion to dogs? If so, I’m perfectly fine with being stupid.
The passengers at Shanksville PA helped to down their own plane. Now THAT'S heroes. I believe the Shanksville, PA airplane was intended to crash into the White House.
I think fighter polots should be allowed to scramble as soon as they see something wrong.
I was surprised that all USAF F16's did not have GPS in 2001. All F16s delivered after 1988 had GPS. Even we had had it for years in our boat (cost around $200). Yes, we had cell phones back then. I was probably on my second Motorola or my first Nokia then. I flew from Europe to Boston and we were directed to Halifax. The crew didn't tell us anything. The woman sitting next to me was using her cell phone to call a friend. She told us what had happened and started crying. Thank you Halifax for hosting us.
Killing people in Iraq was so much fun for her. Did she believe the lies that Colin Powell presented to the UN? Unfortunately our government did and joined in the unprovoked attack on Iraq. USA got their oil and she got her fun. Other died for for it.
How is this not a book, or series of books !
Because most of it is extremely exaggerated at best and a few bold face lies. As an example, Col. Tim "Conk" Conklin of the Colorado Air National Guard who was also airborne, in an F-16 Viper over Denver and Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. He also was only armed with 20mm practice rounds. According to him in an interview when asked if he would of had to do a suicide mission. "No those 20mm practice rounds would be more then enough to cut an airliner in half", no problem. Major Penney is lying.
Just watched again, and you are right. Can't believe I didn't pick up on it the first time.
Amazing skill and courage!
Armchair non-military mere observer question- 20mm practice rounds can't bring an unarmored airliner down? Most now are just two engines, 20mm is still a bunch of lead..... F111's were supposedly brought down with a 7.62 x 39; even 20 mm practice rounds carry an exponential increase in energy and lethality. Just curious.
Some people have disagreed with this story, but are drowned out by the hype of heroism.
Col. Tim "Conk" Conklin of the Colorado Air National Guard who was also airborne, only in an F-16 Viper and over Denver and Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. He also was only armed with 20mm practice rounds. According to him if needed "they would cut an airliner in half", no problem. Major Penney is lying.
Penny said she was not trained on scrambling aircraft and preparing in advance certain settings to protect anyone or anything.
One would think after all this on 9/11 there would be more 1st Air Force dedicate air sovereignty alert units nation wide or more aircraft on alert… nope it’s an as needed thing usually during special events
Lucky god bless you!
This story gets longer each time she tells it
lol
The only explanation is that it's false and there are no other possible factors in context or human psychology that can explain why
More detail… don’t be disrespectful
Wow! She’s a hero.
1. Bedroom
2. Kitchen
Definitely not in a cockpit. 🤦🏻♂️
Has @KingZofDA9 been living under a rock for the last decade or two?
@@TyronebabydaddyI hope you’re reincarnated as a black female with a propensity for being overweight.
Does she not remember Bush never found the weapons. And supposedly the did launch scuds or more like duds
There is something called a "book", read some as soon as possible. Also, it's not her fault you are only basement pilot. It's eating you up that she succeeded where you didn't. Again, not her fault
The service SF offers the pilot community can't be had at any other single place. However, I sure wish you would improve the user interface to the SF App. It discourages App use. At least it's easy to watch the videos on UA-cam.
Thanks for the feedback. If you’d like to send specific things you’d like to see improved in the app, please email us at info@socialflight.com. We are always looking to improve. Having specifics makes it easier to make that happen.
@@SocialFlight Will you be at SnF? Thanks for acknowledging me.
@@billfajack2303 I’ll be around. Check with Aspen, Tempest, Continental, uAvionix, Avidyne, Bose, Lightspeed and Wipaire. I’ll be frequently at those booths.
@@SocialFlight We were only at S'nF on Wed afternoon for a quick run through. Unfortunately, I didn't get to look you up. Perhaps at AirVenture.
I was in high school
To save 9/11 he would have had to take out Cheney.
this is crazy, that it takes this much to launch airplanes to protect us. I hope they have upgraded to one red button they push to scramble the troops.
None of the shit she is saying is true!
@@larryarmstrong6266 And you have the truth? Get over yourself.
@larryarmstrong6266 where the lie? I was there. Shit was not ready 😕
I've met male pilots who left because of their kids. Dont hate.
They never found wreckage or bodies from flight 93. Thats impossible
Which is completely untrue. Thy found both an th black box information is available on the NTSB website
✈💫✈
This is the biggest load of crap EVER!! lies lies lies.
Right listening and I really want to puke at her bull shit
Actually this probably of one the truths for 9/11. The US military had no clue and was not ready trust me it hit us like it hit everyone else. Even if the higher ups like the president knew the rest of us didn't. That part was "is the biggest load of crap EVER!!" 😒
🤡
awesome i'view 👍🏽 - I've been an aviation-freak ever since I was 10 yo and that day I heard of the WTC-crash from my car radio. To me it was immediately clear that this must have been on purpose and was really annoyed by the radio reporters who for at least half an hour tried to make their audience think that it was an 'accident' >.
This is pure psyops. Its a cockpit for a reason.
Armchair pilots have mean opinions due to jealousy. I was a jet mechanic.
00p
too much gabbing. get to it! Send those who need the education stuff to a different site. One dislike for this....
Wow! Here it is a little corner of the world. That is actually a very BIG corner. Beautiful fighter pilot - amazing smile - amazing career. 🫡
Why were the jets not armed? Next she will tell you that they had to put gas in the plane first. A joke.