# 398 9/11 from the Air: NYPD Chief Pilot Ken Solosky Remembers + GA News

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/398-9-11-from-the-air-nypd-chief-pilot-ken-solosky-remembers-ga-news
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/398-9-11-from-the-air-nypd-chief-pilot-ken-solosky-remembers-ga-news.md
Podcast: [Aviation News Talk – Pilot Stories, Safety Tips & General Aviation News](https://stenobird.com/podcast/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015)
Published: 2025-08-25T16:32:00+00:00
Episode link: https://aviationnewstalk.libsyn.com/398-911-from-the-air-nypd-chief-pilot-ken-solosky-remembers-ga-news
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/aviationnewstalk/Episode_398.mp3?dest-id=499762
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/aviation-news-talk-pilot-stories-safety-tips-general-aviation-news-582015/episodes/398-9-11-from-the-air-nypd-chief-pilot-ken-solosky-remembers-ga-news
Duration seconds: 4434

## Resource

Max Trescott talks with Ken Solosky, the NYPD's Chief Pilot on 9/11, about his experiences managing helicopter operations on one of the most catastrophic days in American history. Though Ken wasn't flying at the moment of the attacks, he was on the ground coordinating the NYPD's aviation response. He recounts how what began as a seemingly routine aircraft accident quickly escalated into a full-blown national emergency. The aviation unit scrambled a standard rescue package—Bell 412s with divers and crew chiefs, and patrol helicopters—only to face total communication breakdowns. Cell service and landlines failed, radio channels were overloaded, and misinformation, including reports of enemy fighter jets, created unprecedented confusion. Ken recalls the surreal moment of watching the second plane hit the South Tower live on TV and initially being unable to process the reality. He explains why rooftop rescues weren't feasible—smoke obscured visibility, doors were locked or inaccessible, and the risk of engine flameout in the intense heat made the mission too dangerous. Still, he and his team documented the scene extensively and continued daily aerial photography for nearly a year afterward. Ken describes how foreign and domestic aviation units offered immediate support, with helicopters arriving from other cities—even LAPD offering to send their fleet. Yet due to lack of coordination, many of these aircraft were unknown to NYPD at the time and went unused in the response. He speaks candidly about the emotional toll, having lost 10 close friends among the 23 NYPD officers killed, and how that pain continues with the rise in 9/11-related cancer deaths among first responders. Post-9/11, Ken was instrumental in implementing a "96-hour standalone" plan for the NYPD, designed to…

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