Major Heather Penney to speak at USAFA's NCLS today

Wishful

"Land of the free, because of the brave..."
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Major Heather “lucky” Penney is scheduled to speak at USAFA’s NCLS today. Most remembered for her actions on 9/11 when, (as a brand new 1st. Lt) along with her acting Air Operations Group Commander Maj. Marc H. Sasseville, they were ordered to destroy United’s Flight 93 (currently heading for Washington DC before being downed near Shanksville, PA) by ramming their unarmed F-16’s, a suicide mission.

Major Penney later flew combat missions in the initial campaign of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM as a night SCUD Hunter in the western deserts of Iraq. Major Penney holds Certified Flight Instructor and Airline Transport Pilot licenses. She is the Director of Advanced Pilot Training Programs for Lockheed Martin Government Affairs, co-founder of the District of Columbia Airpower Working Group, and serves as a Major in the Air Force Reserves as the National Chair for Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Rise Above Women Air force Service Pilot (WASP) Program.

Major Penney was interviewed about her thoughts/actions that day by C-SPAN as the 10th anniversary of those attacks neared. Below is the link to that; it’s about an hour.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?300959-1/major-heather-penney-september-11-2001
 
I watched the above, among other videos, clips, interviews, and so forth during the weekend of the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Great insights, but brought back a flood of memories from that day.

It is definitely an "order" that few pilots have been/will ever be given, and none want to hear.
 
Thank goodness, she and her commander did not need to complete that mission.

For all you aviators out there, I have a question.
Just what tactical approach would be used by an F-16 pilot to collide into another aircraft while maximizing the pilot's ability to eject and survive?
 
My DS heard her presentation at NCLS. By his reaction was truly moved and inspired by what she shared. I'll add that he called to talk about it instead of texting, which is why I say he was moved by it.
 
They make phones that children can call in on?:rolleyes:
 
For all you aviators out there, I have a question.
Just what tactical approach would be used by an F-16 pilot to collide into another aircraft while maximizing the pilot's ability to eject and survive?

There was a RAND paper back in the 80's that talked about the tactic of ramming a fighter into a nuclear bomber as a last-ditch effort to stop an attack. They used the example of the ramming done by Soviet fighters against German bombers at the beginning of WWII. You can probably find it online if you're interested.

Stealth_81
 
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