Producer Stuart Fero boards Air Force One for History’s 9/11 anniversary special

There may be no single day that has impacted modern history as much as September 11th, 2001. Everyone alive at the time remembers exactly what they were doing when they received the news of two planes flying into the Twin Towers in New York City that morning, feeling glued to their television screens for days as more news came forward regarding what occurred. Now, as the 18th anniversary of the day has just passed, the world looks to honor the sacrifices that were made, and the lives that were lost on that day and the subsequent events that followed.

Stuart Fero, a producer and executive-in-charge, recently worked to bring an impactful and moving documentary to screens across the nation and the world on the anniversary, delivering History Channel’s two-hour special presentation of 9/11: Inside Air Force One, which premiered Tuesday, September 11th at 9 pm ET/PT on the network. The documentary takes viewers aboard Air Force One and into the cockpits, command centers and underground bunkers across the country on one of the most challenging, confusing and terrifying days in American history. 9/11: Inside Air Force One features interviews with President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Chief of Staff Andy Card, the pilot of Air Force One, Secret Service agents, as well as intelligence and military aides on board. Viewers will see the tragic day through the eyes of the nation’s leaders and members of the civilian and military chain of command as well as recent footage captured aboard Air Force One.

The documentary also reveals an astonishing and untapped resource – the formerly top-secret and recently declassified transcript of the conversation among the nation’s military and civilian high command that took place that day, known as the Air Threat Conference Call. As no other record possibly could, this document shows the real-time struggles of our country’s leaders to make sense of the scale of the attack, to formulate a coherent response, and to keep the President safe from harm.

“9/11 is an event that will long live in people’s memories for generations around the world. As a Brit, I remember being in London and watching with horror as the events unfolded on that tragic day. London is often seen as a twin city to New York and that day all Londoners felt the pain. It’s important that we keep re-telling the story, in order to commemorate those who perished and to educate those too young to remember,” says Fero. “I was drawn to this project to bring new insight to a story I think we all know, but where was Air Force One on that fateful day? And, more crucially, where was the president? Being able to tell a story that many were not aware of was fascinating and profound.”

Fero is an esteemed filmmaker, known for his work on many documentaries, including some of similar stories, including Road to 9/11, making him the perfect producer to lead this new production to success. As executive-in-charge of the production, he had a key role in negotiating with the Department of Defense for access to shoot aboard Air Force One, something that is not often granted. He then engaged a hugely experienced crew to maximize the time they had with the craft at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The History Channel was so impressed with the dynamic and original footage that they immediately green lit a spin-off film, The Secret History of Air Force One, which aired in February 2019 and Fero produced.

“Hearing the stories of those closely involved as we interviewed them was both harrowing and educational. Spending a day shooting on Air Force One, arguably the most famous aircraft in the world, was a career highlight,” he says.

Fero and his team’s hard work more than paid off. History’s special presentation of 9/11: Inside Air Force One was #1 on cable for the night and marked History’s best special in over two years.

“It’s astoundingly fulfilling to be part of a project giving new life to a little known but incredibly important story that so many people still have direct links to, bringing a wider audience new information about recent history that could be the biggest event in many of our lives,” says Fero.

If you missed of 9/11: Inside Air Force One, be sure to watch it. It is available on various platforms for purchase and is a telling and moving documentary you won’t want to miss.

By Emma Woolfrey

Sept. 30th, 2019