“Come From Away” is at the Lied Center from April 27 through May 1
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – When 9/11 happened, all non-military aircraft were ordered out of the sky.
That included Beverly Bass’ aircraft.
Bass was the first female captain for American Airlines and had the first all-female crew as well.
On Sept. 11, 2001, she and her crew were flying from Paris to Dallas, a route she was used to flying, when suddenly she was alerted of the terror attacks and ordered to land.
She along with 37 other pilots had to land their aircraft at the small airport of Gander, Newfoundland, in Canada.
Her crew and passengers were not allowed to leave the plane for 28 hours.
When they finally deplaned, they were welcomed with open arms.
Bass recalled what the morning of Sept. 12 was like.
“I knew as soon as we got off the airplane at 7:30 in the morning on September 12th, we walked into the terminal, and it was just lined with tables with enormous amounts of food, and because it was so early in the morning, it told me every stove in Gander had been on all night long,” Bass said.
The people of Gander made enough food to feed the more than 7,000 people that arrived at the airport.
Not only did the Ganderites feed them when the “plane people” arrived, they set up housing for them in spots all across the town.
Bass explained that the people of Gander wouldn’t let the guests walk anywhere; they had to help them to their destination. It’s just how the townspeople were and still are.
This whole experience, for the town of Gander and all of those who had to land there, was so incredible that playwrights Irene Sankoff and David Hein felt the need to share this story with the world.
So they created the musical “Come From Away.”
Bass said this show is important for people to see, not only because it is a story not many people know of, but because there is a powerful lesson to be learned as well.
“It is the best lesson in the world as to how you…