a-hole terrorists
So I'm sitting here watching this movie about 9/11. It's not enough that I've been bombarded with it for the past couple of days, but it's hard to turn it off. I missed most of Chimpy McCrackspoon's lecture because I was on the phone, but I got back to the TV just in time to see ATC trying to contact the hijacked airplanes. This whole situation pisses me off. Those terrorists murdered pilots who were just doing their jobs. I don't presume to know anything about those pilots, but they at least did all the training I've done up to now -- the private and commercial certificates, the instrument and multiengine ratings. They were probably flight instructors. Maybe they built time doing air rides and flying 135 freight. They probably had fun along the way upgrading to bigger and faster airplanes. I imagine them working irregular reserve shifts at their airlines, spending lots of time away from home, and going through the regular recurrent training and checkrides. Maybe they've been through a furlough or two. So, here they are, flying their scheduled flight, not knowing that their passengers are about to break into the c*ckpit, slit their throats, and make a perversion of aviation that's become so ingrained that I've been asked more times than I can count if I'm learning to fly so that I can crash my airplane into a building.

And during the movie, there are no commercials, just like on the real 9/11.