Thank you Canada

[Dean Billing]

I would like to add to the thanks that Rick DeCierro extended to our
Canadian neighbors. This is a message that I received from a friend of
mine and fellow pilot, a 747-400 Captain for United:

Dear Friends,

I want to thank all of you that called or sent messages to the house
expressing concern for my safety during the recent terrorist attacks on

our country.

I was enroute from Tokyo's Narita Airport to Los Angeles International
about 6 hours into a 10 hour flight when we received the following

message

over our data link system:

UA890 NRTLAX
- MESSAGE FROM CHIDD -
THERE HAS BEEN
A TERRORIST ATTACK
AGAINST UAL AND AAL
AIRCRAFT. WE ARE
ADVD THERE MAY BE ADDTL
HIJACKINGS IN PROGRESS.

SHUT DOWN ALL ACCESS
TO FLIGHT DECK.

UNABLE TO ELABORATE FURTHER.

CHIDD A BAUMBARDT

This was the first indication we had of problem, but it was followed by

many communications from United dispatch and we also received a lot of
information from the pilot to pilot communication frequency as other
airlines received information from their companies. Among the messages

we

received, we were notified that all US airspace was closed and we would

be

landing somewhere other than the United States.

In about an hour we received word that we were to divert our flight to
Vancouver, BC. We requested a clearance "Present position, direct
Vancouver." We received a clearance over the data link to "Climb and
maintain FL380, when level FL380, cleared direct Vancouver", via

several

lat/long fixes and a gateway fix into Vancouver airspace. We were
requested to send a position report directly to dispatch every 15

minutes

for search and rescue co-ordination.

The clearance we received cut across about a 50 mile little corner of

US

airspace, but as we approached the US boundary we were given headings

so

as not to enter US airspace. We were the 5th international jumbo jet

to

arrive in Vancouver, and they kept coming and coming until there were
about a couple dozen jumbos on the ground in Vancouver.

We did not tell the passengers or the flight attendants what we were

doing

or where we were going until we were on the ground in Vancouver. The
flight attendants were told about an hour out that we were going to

land

in a place other than the US. We had to assume we had terrorists

aboard

our airplane and did not want to tip them off that our destination had

changed.

It took us about 2 hours to get a gate and about 3 hours to get off the

airplane. When they began to deplane the passengers, they took 20 at a

time into the jetway, where they were sniffed by dogs, patted down, and

all their carry on baggage was hand searched. Then they had to go

through

immigration and customs. The same for all the crew, I had two

co-pilots

and 17 flight attendants.

The passengers were told of the terrorist attacks once we got the

aircraft

parked well away from the terminal and I put the local broadcast

station

on the entertainment system so they could listen to the news reports

first

hand. The passengers were great!

We were very fortunate that United had taken the initiative to book

hotel

rooms for all of the crews, but there was so much confusion we went to
three hotels where these reservations had been made before we were able

to

get rooms. I was up 30 hours before I went to bed on the 11th.

None of us saw any of the video until we got to the hotel. I guess I
don't have to tell you the emotion we felt as we saw one of our own
planes, one like I flew for 5 years, slamming into the World Trade

Center.

I want to tell all of you how wonderful the Canadian people were to
us. They are just as devastated as you and I are about these acts and
they were so concerned and compassionate for our country and our

personal

loss of colleagues. There were many more people in Vancouver than

hotel

rooms available require many strangers to double up and over 4,000
wonderful Canadians opened their homes to complete strangers.

Leaving Canada, only the inbound crew was allowed on the airplane, no
deadheaders, no SA's, no jumpseaters, no cargo or baggage was
allowed. All of us went through the standard metal detectors, we
individually searched and all our baggage and flight bags were hand
searched. They even took away my plastic disposable razors. The

airplane

had been searched by 3 different organizations on three separate times
including dogs before it was cleared for flight. Once the security
requirements were met we received our clearance and departed for the
US. On crossing the US/Canadian border our airplane was intercepted

by a

US fighter aircraft and identified as friend or foe. Approaching the

Los

Angeles area we were intercepted another time and reidentified.

It is great to be home and it is great to be an American. I really
believe, if the Canadians are any example and from what I saw happening

in

Europe this morning on TV where the United States National Anthem was
played at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace for the first
time ever, we are definitely not in this alone. Our friends are there

for

us this time.
...

In hindsight I must say that I think our Canadian friends took a
tremendous risk allowing these jumbos to head towards Canada and land.
If one of them had been hijacked, they would have become the target.

Thanks again -- Dean #452-ReB




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