History Center to host U.S. Air Force pilot who flew mission on Sept. 11, 2001

That fateful day 20 years ago when planes were grounded, Heather Penney took flight.

The U.S. Air Force fighter pilot flew a mission on Sept. 11, 2001 prepared to shoot down the enemy – even with the chance her father might be flying one of the other aircraft, although she didn’t realize it at the time.

With three planes crashed – two into the World Trade Center in New York City and a third into the Pentagon in Washington D.C., United Flight 93, was unaccounted for so Lt. Penney climbed into the cockpit of her F-16 and took off.

Her father was a commercial pilot and could have been in the cockpit of Flight 93. Penney said didn’t make that connection until her mother mentioned it after the mission.

“I did not want to be left on the ground,” said Penney, of Old Town Alexandria, Va., a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in Washington D.C. “We knew we needed to be airborne to protect and defend. We built up live missiles, loaded them on jets, and once we received authorization to launch. we did. “There was chaos and conflict and confusion on that day because of previous cuts in funding to the Air Force.”

As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, join us this Saturday, Aug. 7 for a special program with Air Force fighter pilot Heather Penney, who will share her remarkable story of hunting Flight 93. Partners: @MilitaryCSP and @vetbreakfast. More info: https://t.co/m8kqKZzRld

— Heinz History Center (@HistoryCenter) August 4, 2021

Penney, who has been flying since 1993, will share her thoughts at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District.

The event is free. Pre-registration is required here. It is being presented in partnership with the Military Community Support Project and the Veterans Breakfast Club.

“Heather has so much integrity, and she practiced every day for that day,” said Daniel Steighner of Cranberry, president of the Military Community Support Project. “I would hope that I would have the same fortitude to carry out that mission. She had courage. Because of the brave men and women of Flight 93 and people like Heather we are inspired to do the right thing.”

Penney’s story is among those of 9/11 that are important to remember, according to David Skomo, secretary, board of directors for the Military Community Support Project.

“Heather Penney is one of many courageous heroes who emerged that day to protect our nation,” Skomo said. “That day Heather honored her duty to country and scrambled in her aircraft prepared to sacrifice her life. We are honored to bring her to Pittsburgh so that she can continue to share her message about honor and integrity.”

After receiving word that Flight 93 had crashed near Shanksville, Penney’s job turned to patrolling the skies a second time and protecting then-President George W. Bush on his Air Force One flight back to Washington, D.C., from Florida. In addition to her role on 9/11, she will discuss additional military experience, which included two combat tours in Iraq.

When asked about the upcoming anniversary, Penney said that when people say never forget they think of the trauma and the terror and the grief and the anger. She said it wasn’t until the 10th anniversary of 9/11 that she realized her life had been changed by that day.

She said she remembers all who lost their lives, including those on Flight 93. She said they were ordinary Americans on business trips, enjoying vacations and visits with grandma.

But, on that day, they answered the call.

“What I remember is that was a day we came together as a nation through small acts of kindness and took care of each other,” Penney said. “Our connections are more important than our differences. We saw acts of heroism that day. In times of crisis your best selves come out. We need to continue to take care of each other. We are a strong people. We are brave and our spirit cannot be broken.”