http://dir.salon.com/topics/ask_the_pilot/?source=rss&aim=ask_the_pilot en-us Copyright 2007 Salon.com. Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/05/16/askthepilot277/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/05/16/askthepilot277/index.html?source=rss With oil prices soaring, airlines are struggling as never before. What's in store for fliers? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/05/09/askthepilot276/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/05/09/askthepilot276/index.html?source=rss What's behind the recent rise in runway near misses? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/05/02/askthepilot275/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/05/02/askthepilot275/index.html?source=rss Dangerous airlines, deadly airports, foggy landings and other hazards of flying: Sorting out facts from fancy. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/25/askthepilot274/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/25/askthepilot274/index.html?source=rss Here's one way to exploit people's fear of flying: Tell them airlines are saving money by skimping on fuel. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/18/askthepilot273/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/18/askthepilot273/index.html?source=rss The bone-bending, ergonomic hell of economy class. Six easy ideas for making flying more comfortable. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/11/askthepilot272/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/11/askthepilot272/index.html?source=rss As hundreds of planes are grounded, the FAA faces an identity crisis. Plus: What does a rash of airline bankruptcies mean for the future? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/04/askthepilot271/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/04/askthepilot271/index.html?source=rss From cockpit check to walkaround to stocking the galley: The Zen of preparing the "Monster" to fly. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/03/28/askthepilot270/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/03/28/askthepilot270/index.html?source=rss When pilots carry guns. Plus: Airport security and yet more TSA brainteasers. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/03/21/askthepilots69/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/03/21/askthepilots69/index.html?source=rss Did Southwest put its passengers in danger when it recently ran afoul of the FAA? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/03/14/askthepilots268/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/03/14/askthepilots268/index.html?source=rss The rich, colorful, checkered history of flying in Latin America. Plus: In which cities is it best to just fly in and get the hell out? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/03/07/askthepilot267/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/03/07/askthepilot267/index.html?source=rss Much of what frustrates us about flying doesn't take place during flight at all. It's getting on and off that's really irritating. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/02/29/askthepilot266/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/02/29/askthepilot266/index.html?source=rss One airline is taking climate change very seriously. Will others follow suit? Plus: What to do with all that on-board trash? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/02/22/askthepilot265/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/02/22/askthepilot265/index.html?source=rss Are the airlines being bashed unfairly for their eco-unfriendliness? What's their real impact on the environment? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/02/15/askthepilot264/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/02/15/askthepilot264/index.html?source=rss Who benefits when airlines merge? Who gets hit the hardest? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/02/08/askthepilot263/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/02/08/askthepilot263/index.html?source=rss You call this traveling? Twenty-one days, 15 countries, 45,000 miles -- without setting foot outdoors. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/01/25/askthepilot262/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/01/25/askthepilot262/index.html?source=rss Pilots fear bombs and ground collisions, sure, but what are the other scenarios that fill them with dread? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/01/18/askthepilot261/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/01/18/askthepilot261/index.html?source=rss If I've flown into the Port-au-Prince airport, does that mean I've been to Haiti? What, exactly, constitutes a trip to another country? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/01/11/askthepilot260/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/01/11/askthepilot260/index.html?source=rss The Six Continent Club, lithium batteries, more defunct airlines: The pilot takes on a grab bag of topics. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/01/04/askthepilot259/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/01/04/askthepilot259/index.html?source=rss Are cellphones and laptops really dangerous to flight? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/12/21/askthepilot258/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/12/21/askthepilot258/index.html?source=rss Can someone with no flight training safely land an airliner? Plus: Pilotless planes, overpaid pilots and other aviation myths. By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/12/14/askthepilot257/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/12/14/askthepilot257/index.html?source=rss Do pilots jettison fuel before landing? Plus: JetBlue's troublesome nonstops, and the scoop on in-flight "shortcuts." By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/12/07/askthepilot256/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/12/07/askthepilot256/index.html?source=rss Facing a serious pilot shortage, airlines are hiring crew members with remarkably little experience. What does this mean for safety? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/11/22/askthepilot255/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/11/22/askthepilot255/index.html?source=rss As if long delays and security lines weren't enough to worry about during Thanksgiving travel, now we have to add running out of fuel to the list? By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/11/16/askthepilot254/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/11/16/askthepilot254/index.html?source=rss Not buying it when the pilot tells you weather is holding up your flight? iPhone to the rescue! By Patrick Smith Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/11/09/askthepilot253/index.html?source=rss http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/11/09/askthepilot253/index.html?source=rss Oversized and overhyped, the world's biggest plane is here. Is the Airbus A380 the "most hideous airliner ever conceived"?