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

E398 - 9/11 from the Air: NYPD Chief Pilot Ken Solosky Remembers + GA News

Published: August 25, 2025

Duration: 1:13:54

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 misi...