Ask the Pilot

More than ever, air travel is a focus of curiosity, intrigue and anxiety. This year, some half a billion passengers will ride aboard the ten largest US airlines alone. Fair to say each one has a question, a doubt, and a lingering fear in the back of his or her mind. We take to the air routinely, yet few of us understand the how and why of jetting from New York to London in six hours. Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author of Salon.com's popular air travel column, unravels the secrets and tells you all there is to know about the strange and fascinating world of commercial flight.

* Insights into safety, security, and the nuts and bolts of how planes fly

* Straight talk on turbulence, air traffic control, windshear and accidents

* The history, color and controversy of the world's airlines

* The awe and oddity of being a pilot

* The poetry and drama of airplanes, airports, and travelling abroad

Patrick speaks eloquently to our fears and curiosities, incorporating anecdotes, memoir, and a life's passion for flight. He tackles your toughest concerns, debunks conspiracies and urban myths, and in a rarely heard voice dares to return a dash of romance and glamour to air travel.