Purdue alumna shares untold stories of 9/11
Two decades have passed since Sept. 11, 2001, and more people are still discovering the acts of bravery concealed within the chaos of that day. In a recent interview, Heather…
Purdue alumna recalls preparing to sacrifice her life as pilot during 9/11
A Purdue alumna continues to share her story after nearly sacrificing her life to save others during the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Heather Penney, a 1995 graduate of Purdue University,…
‘Kill Chain’ Fails Without More 5th, 6th-Gen Platforms, Experts Warn
The Air Force—along with the entire Pentagon—must make all the links of its “kill chain” more robust and resilient. But it all hinges on producing modern air platforms and weapons—specifically,…
Policy Paper Release: Scale, Scope, Speed, and Survivability: Winning the Kill Chain Competition
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to watch the rollout of our newest policy paper: Scale, Scope, Speed, and Survivability: Winning the Kill Chain Competition by Heather Penney.…
Which fighter jet is best for Ukraine as it fights off Russia?
When Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Kremlin had an air force that could draw on hundreds of MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets in reserve. Ukraine’s fighter fleet was, by some estimations, far…
Fighter pilot Heather Penney on Purdue journey and 9/11 mission
In this special episode of “This Is Purdue,” we’re talking to Boilermaker and former D.C. Air National Guard fighter pilot Heather Penney. Listen as Heather (BA English ’95, MA…
F-16 Fighter Pilot Heather Penney Presents at Museum Speaker Series
Maj. Heather “Lucky” Penney, known for her involvement in attempting to stop Flight 93 on 9/11, spoke about her experiences on that day as part of the EAA Aviation Museum…
Air Force must build trust to add drone wingmen, report says
WASHINGTON — The Air Force is all-in on the concept of drone wingmen teamed up with human piloted fighters as the future of air combat. But how exactly will the human pilots…
More real world input required for loyal wingman development: think tank
A US airpower think tank has listed a set of priorities for the US Air Force (USAF) to consider as it embarks on the development of unmanned combat aircraft. In…
Former Air Force pilot recounts nearly fatal mission on 9/11
A former United States Air Force pilot visited the EAA Aviation Museum to tell the story of how she was sent on what was supposed to be a suicide mission…