The day the airplanes stopped flying

September 11: FAA Closure of US Airspace Video

The day that the airplanes stopped flying I was based in Roanoke, VA.  It was about 45 minutes from the time the first tower was hit when the inbound diversions started.  In another 45 minutes, our ramp was converted into a parking lot.  The tails from UA (IAD), US (DCA/PHL/PIT) and DL (CVG/ATL) were stacked two to three deep.  None of the flights had ROA in the itinerary.  The passengers and crew members were notified of what happened by the CNN airport TV.  After seeing the news, there was no chaos and demands for accommodations.  The hundreds of passengers simply paired up, rented cars and headed home.  Some were hundreds of miles from their destination.  It did not matter, they came together and kept moving.