# 9/11 Fighter Pilot Heather Penney on Leadership, Airpower, and the Future of Warfare

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-people-you-meet-in-old-town-7757824/9-11-fighter-pilot-heather-penney-on-leadership-airpower-and-the-future-of-warfare
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-people-you-meet-in-old-town-7757824/9-11-fighter-pilot-heather-penney-on-leadership-airpower-and-the-future-of-warfare.md
Podcast: [The People You Meet in Old Town](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-people-you-meet-in-old-town-7757824)
Published: 2026-04-15T17:24:19+00:00
Episode link: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/a6f2fd868ddc4d0acd940c8dda2afc9be5f05f31195480a8b0d9cf4ca294c048/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI3M2FiYzg3MS05YTJiLTRiMTgtYTM1Yy03NGU1ZWU0YmIyMjAiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiJlOGI3MWJjZi1iZWVlLTQxZDEtYWFlNS03NWZhY2Q4MGVhYzAiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OWE4OTM5ODgzOTA0OGQ3ZjY5ZDBiNzUiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlkZmM5YzQwNzBlZWZkYjcwZDRjNmI0L2phbmVzLXN0dWRpby1SRjRBSi1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTQtMTVfXzE5LTI0LTIwLm1wMyJ9.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3147

## Resource

Heather Penney, an Old Town Alexandria resident, former U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter pilot , and Director of Studies at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, joins The People You Meet in Old Town podcast to share the full arc of her remarkable career. Penney recounts growing up around aviation, becoming part of the first generation of women in combat aviation, and what it was like to train and serve as the only woman in many of her units. She reflects on her 9/11 mission to intercept United Flight 93 and the leadership lessons shaped by high-stakes decision-making. Penney also breaks down key national security and aerospace policy issues, including U.S. airpower, space as a warfighting domain, and conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. She discusses the future of warfare—from aging aircraft and military modernization to AI and autonomous systems—and what it all means for the next generation of airmen. 00:00 9/11 Mission Tease 01:05 Neighbors and Book Club 03:01 Early Dream to Fly 04:37 Women Enter Fighters 08:08 Being the Only Woman 10:45 Mentors and Nuance 12:02 Leadership and Culture 14:26 Vintage Planes Passion 17:14 Saving 9/11 Aircraft 19:03 F-16 Policy and Sales 20:57 Stealth Tech Fascination 22:47 Mitchell Institute Role 24:59 Middle East Nuclear Stakes 26:52 Air Power Against Iran 29:09 Space as Warfighting Domain 31:10 Funding the Space Force 32:19 Can We Control the Skies 34:04 F-35 Procurement Gap 35:03 Ukraine Drone Air War 37:48 Modernization and Readiness 38:59 AI and Autonomous Wingmen 43:47 Future of Fighter Autonomy 44:21 Next Generation Airmen 45:12 Old Town Lightning Round 49:24 Museums and Closing Thoughts Here’s a list of all the local establishments we discuss: The Majestic : 911 King St | majesticoldtown.com | IG: @majesticoldtown Josep…

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