[Poohbah]

There were, in the United States of America, on 9/11/2001, a grand total of 14 fighters ready to go (i.e., manned, "cocked and locked" with missiles loaded, et cetera). These were concentrated in Alaska and Florida (where we have states with both some history of hostility and some capability to reach America with strike airrcaft in close proximity).

The delay in getting the interceptors airborne is attributable to the delay in getting the aircraft armed and getting radar tracking data from the FAA (the aircraft turned off their transponders and were flying at low altitude--civil ATC radars would not be able to track them reliably under such conditions).

[mindprism.com]

The delay in getting the interceptors airborne is attributable to the delay in getting the aircraft armed and getting radar tracking data from the FAA

Even after warnings of potential hijackings are fighters were not prepared?

I also want information on the speed of intercepts dispatched, there seems to be evidence that they were traveling at 1/2 cruise speed- let alone the fact they are capable of traveling at two times cruise speed safely.