Ask the Pilot

Review by Courtney S. Ries

Airplanes and how they operate have long remained something of a mystery, but thanks to Patrick Smith's book, Ask the Pilot, the veil of pilotese has been lifted. A pilot with both cargo and commercial flight experience, Smith offers answers to questions regarding airline safety, turbulence, take-offs, landings and everything in between.

Not for the technically inclined reader more interested in aerodynamics than air speed, Ask the Pilot is geared toward the "coach class". Smith’s candid opinions on everything from airline food to pilot’s salary provide a peek into the cockpit. Nervous flyers will take heart in knowing that regional planes are no more unsafe than large ones, that emergency exits cannot be opened mid-flight and that aborted landings are commonplace. Smith also includes information on the deadliest crashes, the longest flights, the oldest airline and a host of other perfect cocktail-party factoids.

Although the intros are a bit long-winded, the book's easy-to-follow Q&A format allows readers to jump quickly to and from topics that interest them. Ask the Pilot is perfect in-flight material for everyone from the first-time flyer to the seasoned business traveler.

Patick Smith also has a collection of articles published on BootsnAll. They can be found under the Air Travel Guide.

• Ask the Pilot: Everything You Needed to Know About Air Travel by Patrick Smith