Pilot was ready to die stopping Flight 93 on 9/11 - Tango Alpha Lima

On Sept. 11, 2001, Air Force 1st Lt. Heather "Lucky" Penney launched from Andrews Air Force Base in an unarmed F-16 with orders to stop United Flight 93 by ramming it, if that's what it took. Twenty-five years later, on the eve of the 25th 9/11 anniversary, the retired Air Force major joins Tango Alpha Lima to tell the full story: the plan she and her flight lead worked out in a briefing room, the peace she says she felt with it, and the passengers fought the terrorists and made the mission unnecessary. Plus, the rest of her story beyond the day of the terrorist attack: being told at Purdue University that "girls can't be fighter pilots," two combat deployments, night "Scud hunter" missions over Iraq, and a retirement advocating for the next generation of aviators with the Mitchell Institute. Also in this episode: Constitution Day, the history of women in aviation, and the Mitchell Institute's new report on the space frontier.SHOW LINKSLearn more about how to celebrate Constitution DayTreat lower back pain with restorative neurostimulation. Visit Reactiv8 Learn more about Heather "Lucky" PenneyEnter to win a Humvee with The American Legion Drive for Freedom SweepstakesLearn about the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies missionVisit The American Legion Grassroots Action Center and learn about our legislative priorities