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I have thought about that scenario, and I believe it would be relatively easy to find the White House from the air, all the while traveling in a large aircraft, and flying at a considerable rate of speed.

Directions would be strategic.

The mall is 2 miles long (approx.) when measuring from the Capitol bldg., to the Lincoln Memorial. The mall's longest length (2 miles) runs east and west. In the center of the mall is the perfect landmark, the Washington monument. To the north of the monument lies the White House. Guessing, perhaps 3/8-1/2 mile north.

If, while in flight, the hijackers/terrorists become directionally disoriented, all the hijackers/terrorists would need to do, is to reorient themselves, by spotting either the Wash. monument or the Capitol bldg. first, then eyeing the other landmark. A known fact is that the Capitol bldg. sits to the east of the Wash. monument and therefore the White House is always to the north of the Wash. monument.

Once the hijackers/terrorists understand their directions, and they are oriented with regards to the landmarks on the ground, all they would need to do is to line up south of the monument and head directly towards it as if they were going to strike the monument. However, the hijackers/terrorists would know that the monument is not the intended target. The hijackers/terrorists would miss the monument by steering the aircraft to the left or right of it.

The White House would likely be, only a few seconds by air (2-3 seconds, depending on air speed) past the monument, so, the hijackers/terrorists would have to immediately put the aircraft into a final approach/nose dive, ramming the aircraft straight into the White House, at the very moment they pass the monument.

This would be a low level approach and the trick for the terrorists/hijackers, would be for them to make sure and not clip the monument with a wingtip. The aircraft would have to be at an altitude somewhere well below the monument's peak. Say about 250' to 300' above ground level. By using a south to north approach, and by being just a couple degrees off center of the monument, the possibility of the hijackers/terrorists striking the White House with an aircraft would be favorable (to them of course.)

This is a very scary scenario and highly plausible. It is to the credit of the men and women aboard United Airlines Flight # 93, that this sickening scenario was foiled.

The tree of liberty was watered on that day by the blood of the brave patriots aboard flight # 93.

I am in no way advocating such a heinous act, which constitutes an act of war, as far as I am concerned. I am merely commenting that there are very bad people in the world trying to do very bad things to us, and these monsters could have struck the White House with the application of basic orienteering skills. Our White House could have been hit by an aircraft, and this discussion is a hypothetical as to how the hijackers/terrorists might have accomplished such an act.

Never Forget ! Let's Roll !