Air Force One pilot recounts the mission to protect the President on September 11, 2001
Former Air Force One pilot remembers 9/11
Friday marks 25 years since September 11th changed countless lives forever. As the attack on American unfolded, Sarasota became the backdrop where President Bush informed the nation of what was happening. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon spoke with his Air Force One pilot about what it was like to protect the president.
SARASOTA, Fla. - A former Air Force One pilot will recount his experience protecting President George W. Bush at a Sarasota airport breakfast Friday, marking 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks transformed a routine school visit into a high-stakes security mission.
Protecting Air Force One
What we know:
President George W. Bush was visiting Emma E. Booker Elementary School to celebrate student reading test scores as part of his No Child Left Behind Act when the terrorist attack on America unfolded.
Officials rushed the president back to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, where now-retired Col. Mark Tillman executed a steep climb to get the aircraft off the ground within minutes.
"We had to assume immediately that okay, maybe we are a target," he said.
Rushing the President out
The backstory:
Tillman, who served as the pilot of Air Force One for 18 years, said local firefighters, police officers and airport personnel immediately came together to support the presidential mission.
Courtesy: George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Tower controllers cleared the plane to climb to any needed altitude, leaving Air Force One as the only aircraft in the sky while Tillman navigated through potential threats and false alarms.
"It was quick, once we learned what was going on, we started putting the plan together and everything was revolving around the plane sitting on the ramp out here," he said.
Other trips with the President
Dig deeper:
Colonel Tillman took President Bush from place to place, making stops to support and uplift the nation.
Courtesy: George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
That included a trip through a war zone during Thanksgiving in 2003, for the President to have dinner with the troops in Iraq.
"We all came together, we supported each other and I saw it literally from every place I took President Bush," he recalled.
Remembering 9/11 from Sarasota
What they're saying:
"There’s a lot of memories of September 11th and one of them is leaving out of this airport," Tillman said.
He noted that the team had to assume immediately that the aircraft might be a target.
"The moment we realized what was going on, everybody on this airport came alive," Tillman added, praising the local infrastructure and logistical support provided during the crisis.
Recounting history
What's next:
Tillman will recount his story Thursday morning during a private breakfast at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
Attendees will include Kay Daniels, the teacher whose classroom President Bush was visiting during the attack, alongside many of the first responders who helped clear the way for him.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13 reporter Kimberly Kuizon, who interviewed retired Col. Mark Tillman at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.