The Civil Air Patrol aircraft that flew over Ground Zero in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks took its rightful place in American history Wednesday during a recognition event at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
The 9/11 Civil Air Patrol Recognition Ceremony dedicated one of the newest aircraft on display at the museum — a recently retired Cessna 172 Skyhawk flown on Sept. 12, 2001, the day after the attacks. The historic CAP flight by the aircraft, tail No. N9344L, was the only nonmilitary flight allowed over New York City after air traffic was grounded Sept. 11.
The CAP aircrew that day — mission pilot Lt. Col. Jacques Heinrich and then-Capts. Andrew Feldman and Warren Ratis — was among the first to witness from above the devastation wrought when hijacked airliners struck the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan near the banks of the Hudson River. The more than 40 aerial photos Feldman and Ratis took above the rubble helped shape the nation’s response to the attacks and demonstrated the capabilities of CAP, the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
“We had the right crew at the right time to fly N9344L on a historic flight that not only provided valuable information to responding agencies but changed Civil Air Patrol and its support to the nation, as the Department of Defense and other agencies recognized the added value our volunteers bring,” said Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s national commander/CEO.
“On 9/11, CAP’s aerial photography mission was in its infancy, with only 100 qualified members. Today, it is a core mission. Today, we take hundreds of thousands of pictures each year,” Aye said.
“More importantly, 9/11 and our meaningful work on 9/12 inspired a new generation to serve,” she said, noting that CAP’s membership grew from 58,000 in September 2001 to the volunteer force of more than 68,000 it is today.
Feldman and Ratis, now lieutenant colonels, were among the hundreds of visitors — many of them members of CAP’s Ohio Wing and the organization’s Great Lakes Region — who filed through the museum’s Cold War Gallery on Wednesday, the 23rd anniversary of 9/11.
They were there to see the historic CAP plane, delivered March 13 following a final flight full of symbolism and remembrance and piloted by Aye’s predecessor as national commander/CEO, Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka.
One of the CAP volunteers in attendance was Lt. Col. Paul Ault, the Ohio Wing’s historian and director of aerospace education.
“I am overwhelmed with how I feel about having this aircraft at the National Museum of the United States Air Force,” Ault said. “I personally have been coming to this place of history since my early childhood, and I have seen just how the United States Air Force has affected this country and the world.”
A frequent visitor to the museum, Ault fully understands the importance of the Air Force-Civil Air Patrol partnership. “When you walk through the museum, you will see a wall display that shows the Department of the U.S. Air Force and you will see the Civil Air Patrol seal displayed as we are part of the Total Force,” he said. “It always makes me proud to be a member of Civil Air Patrol.”
Quite a few CAP aircraft are displayed at the museum, but “to now have N9344L here on display is monumental,” Ault said. “This aircraft shows the importance of why Civil Air Patrol is needed and how we assist the Air Force. Everywhere you go in the Ohio Wing, you are surrounded by aviation in one respect or another, so this aircraft is truly home here in Ohio Wing at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.”
N9344L, commonly known as “44 Lima” or simply “44L,” served CAP for more than two decades before its retirement, carrying out a variety of other missions ranging from submarine escorts on the Hudson River to orientation flights for the organization’s cadets in New York.
And the aircraft will continue to serve CAP’s aerospace education mission through the museum’s “Introduction to Becoming a Pilot Program,” located in a classroom next to where it’s displayed. Museum instructors will use the nearby aircraft as a tool to educate students about parts of an aircraft and how planes fly.”
“Even though 44L is retired, the aircraft will continue to serve Civil Air Patrol’s missions in partnership with the National Museum of the United States Air Force,” said Lt. Col. Seth Hudson, CAP’s national historian. “So instead of simply pointing to a Sporty’s poster of a C172 cockpit or a picture of a plane, they’ll take the student out the door of the classroom and point/touch the parts on 44L.”
As an interactive exhibit, Aye said, 44L will “help visitors remember that fateful day in our nation’s history that is etched in the memories of all who experienced it while also inspiring the next generation of aviators to take flight and serve with distinction through the story she helps tell of service, dedication, preparedness, tragedy, and resilience.”
Ault intends to continue doing his part as well. “As the Ohio Wing director of aerospace education, I will be showcasing all Civil Air Patrol aircraft, especially 44L every time I am at the museum,” he said. “I am there at least three times a week to walk, and I always look for CAP members, of which there are quite a few at various times of the year, and I point out different items to look for.”
