By Megan Dwyre, Special Access and FOIA Program Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. September 11, 2001, began as an ordinary day in the United States’ air traffic control system. A Federal Aviation Executive Summary (NAID 7601772) describes the day as “severe clear,” a perfect day for flying. Pilots exchanged “good days'' … Continue reading Shutting Down the Sky: The Federal Aviation Administration on 9/11
This post was written by Chris Naylor, Director of the Textual Records Division. The devastating Germanwings plane crash on March 24, 2015 has reinvigorated the dialogue surrounding airplane cockpit doors, an issue of paramount concern both in 1970 as well as in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. I recently wrote a blog post about … Continue reading The Best Prophet of the Future is the Past, Part II: Cockpit Doors
Today's post is written by Chris Naylor, Director of the Textual Records Division. I recently opened a fortune cookie that contained a saying with special significance to me. This phrase, “The best prophet of the future is the past,” originally attributed to Lord Byron, returned to me a few days later as I reviewed a … Continue reading The Best Prophet of the Future is the Past: September 11 – 1970, 1981, and 2001
