LIH Podcast: 9/11: Air National Guard Pilot Heather Penney Recalls Her Mission
Heather Penney, an Air National Guard pilot, recounts her experience on September 11th, 2001. Scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base in an F-16, she was part of the initial response to the terrorist attacks, with the possibility of intercepting United Airlines Flight 93.
Penney's account highlights the confusion and challenges faced by military personnel in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, including the lack of clear command structures and the logistical hurdles to getting aircraft armed and airborne.