I'd love to move on from the Air France crash, but the media insist on getting things wrong again
By Patrick Smith Jun 26, 2009
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Flight 447 shouldn't have gone down, but it did. Were normally non-dangerous phenomena the culprits?
By Patrick Smith
June 2, 2009
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Do pilots have a "romper room"? Do they fly the same routes over and over? Those questions and more
By Patrick Smith
May 22, 2009
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It wasn't heroics that saved the passengers of Flight 1549. It was professionalism -- and luck.
By Patrick Smith
January 23, 2009
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It would be easy to miss those seven simple words next to the flush button in the airliner bathroom. Pay attention, or ruin your life!
By Garrison Keillor
December 17, 2008
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From swine flu to malaria, how jetliners can spread disease. Plus: Is the air on planes really as dirty as we think?
By Patrick Smith
May 8, 2009
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How did a suicidal passenger get the door of a pressurized plane open? Plus: Can't any pilot fly most planes? And: The autopilot was on during landing?
By Patrick Smith
May 1, 2009
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Is pilot fatigue a menace to airline safety?
By Patrick Smith
April 17, 2009
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The Buffalo crash revisited. Plus: Landing in the water, idolizing Sully and selling books.
By Patrick Smith
April 10, 2009
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Did a stupid, inexplicable mistake cause the crash near Buffalo, N.Y.? Plus: The weird hell of working for a regional airline.
By Patrick Smith
April 3, 2009
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Planes crash. The media descends. But why can't reporters get their facts straight? Plus: Kudos to an outstanding exception.
By Patrick Smith
March 27, 2009
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If you're a pilot, no matter how much skill you have, or how many lives you've heroically saved, the only thing that matters is seniority.
By Patrick Smith
March 20, 2009
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Will the airlines' current financial troubles affect safety? "Sully" Sullenberger thinks so, but I'm not so sure.
By Patrick Smith
March 6, 2009
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What makes a plane stay in the air, anyway? And what happened the night Flight 3407 fell from the sky near Buffalo, N.Y.?
By Patrick Smith
February 27, 2009
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JetBlue is touting its fancy new terminal, but it just makes me wonder: Why can't Americans build better airports?
By Patrick Smith
February 6, 2009
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There's more than one way to define "hero."
By Patrick Smith
January 30, 2009
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Most bird strikes don't cause damage, but they can be disastrous. Thursday's accident ended well because of good luck and brilliant flying.
By Patrick Smith
January 15, 2009
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The hazards of flying while Muslim. Plus: Africa's coolest airport, surly airport staff, dangerous T-shirts.
By Patrick Smith
January 9, 2009
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Bailout nation: Will the airlines follow Detroit to the government trough?
By Patrick Smith
December 19, 2008
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Can commercial jets fly upside down? Has terrorism forced a change in transoceanic flight paths? And other probing questions for our expert.
By Patrick Smith
December 12, 2008
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Malcolm Gladwell claims cultural issues can play a big role in plane crashes. The pilot begs to differ.
By Patrick Smith
December 5, 2008
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Leave the claw hammer at home, don't hog the overhead bins, keep cellphone chatter to a minimum and other tips to help smooth out your holiday travel experience.
By Patrick Smith
November 26, 2008
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Tedium in the age of terror: 9/11, Martin Amis and the real legacy of Mohamed Atta.
By Patrick Smith
November 14, 2008
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To President-elect Obama: From air traffic control to security, here are six things we should do to improve the state of our skies.
By Patrick Smith
November 7, 2008
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We're about to elect a new president. Will he have the will to take on the serious issues affecting air travel?
By Patrick Smith
October 31, 2008
Some stories just won't fly
Why the Air France plane crashed
Ask the pilot
Ask the pilot
"Do not flush while seated on toilet"
GigaOM Network
Joan Walsh
Broadsheet