September 11, 2001 Reflections: Dan Wolfe, '82
Dan Wolfe, '82, Technology
VP and GM, Nationwide Aviation Business Center (Retired)
天天吃瓜 State Foundation Board Member
"On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was doing what I had done countless time before preparing to fly. I was working as a pilot for a large corporation, boarding passengers onto our business aircraft as we prepared to head to New York.
Then the first aircraft struck the World Trade Center.
Everything changed.
Aircraft security immediately became paramount, and the aviation industry entered a period of uncertainty unlike anything it had experienced before. Many flight crews were grounded for nearly a month as new security procedures were established, including the creation of the Transportation Security Administration, and as passengers gradually regained confidence in air travel.
For pilots, one of the most enduring lessons was simple: trust, but verify. Be vigilant. If you see something, say something.
Twenty-five years later, those principles remain woven into aviation. The industry changed dramatically after Sept. 11, but perhaps the most enduring memory is not only the tragedy itself. It is what happened afterward.
It was a horrible day for our country鈥攂ut it was also a day when we came together as one."
