"Attention all aircraft. The Department of Defense has ordered a ground hold for all aircraft. All aircraft are directed to land at the nearest airport and remain on the ground until further notice. N14TT (our call sign) you are cleared to the Lees Summit Airport."

For the first time, since I learned to fly in 1953, I heard the above words directing all aircraft in the United States to clear our airspace. The controller would not elaborate and suggested that after landing we would understand. He then directed the aircraft behind me to land at Downtown Airport.

I was flying a Beechcraft Baron, twin-engine aircraft, owned by Truck Town in Oberlin. We were delivering two drivers to Kansas City to return two semi-truck tractors to Oberlin. Also on board was the owner's wife, Holly. After letting off the two drivers we'd planned to fly to Columbia, Mo., so Holly could have lunch with her mom. Then back to Liberal, Kan., to pick up another driver who was delivering a rig to a new owner. We had planned on being back to Oberlin in time for Holly to pick up her kids from school.

When we walked into the operations office at Lees Summit airport we gathered around a TV set and witnessed the tragedy of the second airliner flying into Tower No. 2 and we understood. We were promised a seven-hour hold, which of course stretched into four days.

I personally experienced all the emotions that each of you did as we watched the horror unfold. Only diabolical minds could envision such an unthinkable scheme of hijacking an airliner full of innocent people and turning it into a weapon of war. I think that the country is on the right course to eliminate such a scourge from our world community.

Our delay was only a minor inconvenience when the United States has suffered such a monstrous catastrophe. The only thing that I can't understand is how they can fight a war without me. Oh but I would love to go back to my old job piloting an Air Force tanker. It would be great to deploy anywhere in the world to refuel our fighters and bombers helping eliminate this present enemy. Vain hope, war is yet a young persons game!

After a false start on Thursday, the FAA finally allowed us to file an instrument flight plan and return to McCook late Friday afternoon. On the way home the skies were eerily quiet because so few airplanes were flying.

Not everybody got the word however and my landing at the McCook airport caused considerable consternation. Teresa, Debbie and Steve had only been told that UPS and the Great Lakes Air airliner would be authorized to fly into McCook and they didn't know what to do with unscheduled me. A call to Marty Conroy the airport manager and the FAA cleared up the matter and all ended well. I was proud of our employees at the airport who were carrying out their orders for the security and well being of our community. Well done.

-- The writer is a McCook city councilman, a corporate pilot and a retired Air Force pilot.