**the complete absence of commercial air traffic in the skies**
Watched the History Channel last night showing how the air traffic controllers landed commercial jets carrying 500,000 passengers within 2-3 hours. It was a masterful undertaking; especially for airliners over the Atlantic where communication was old technology.
I was also working in DC and could see the Pentagon fire from my office window. Trembling as I type.
There was a segment done on one of the news magazine shows (don’t remember which one) about the planes coming in over the Atlantic that were detoured to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11 and how the local town folks all came together to care for the passengers, making food, opening up their homes, etc., until they were allowed to leave several days later. The scenes showing the jets lined up along the runway were amazing (I’m thinking there were 40-50+?...don’t remember for sure.) It was a beautiful testament to the honor and decency of a great people - the Newfoundlanders (of which I’m proud to say I am one on my mother’s side) - and the way they opened up - not just their homes, churches and community centers, but especially their hearts in love and support for all affected by what happened that day.