They Lied!

[nationalize the fed]

3. Since remote control of 4 jet Boeings has been possible since at least 1984

the tech in 2001 must have been much much better - so good a remotely controlled Boeing could have probably hit the antenna on top of the tower.


There is no pilot in this aircraft. Date: 1984 (sic)

The Controlled Impact Demonstration

Over a series of 14 flights... the Boeing 720 aircraft made approximately 69 approaches, to about 150 feet (46 m) above the prepared crash site, under remote control...

...During those same flights, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center also developed the remote piloting techniques necessary for the Boeing 720 to fly as a drone aircraft. An initial attempt at the full-scale test was scrubbed in late 1983 due to problems with the uplink connection to the 720; if the uplink failed the ground based pilot would no longer have control of the aircraft...

...Test execution

On the morning of December 1, 1984, the test aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base, California, made a left-hand departure and climbed to an altitude of 2,300 feet (700 m). The aircraft was remotely flown by NASA research pilot Fitzhugh Fulton from the NASA Dryden Remotely Controlled Vehicle Facility...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_impact_demonstration

I'm guessing the remote flight capability was built in to all Boeings -probably other aircraft too- after maybe 1990.