Smoke in the cabin? Just open the window
After Ann Romney's plane made an emergency landing, the pilot explains to Mitt the mysteries of pressurization
Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 10:00 PM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ann Romney
Life Air Travel, Ann Romney
Ask the Pilot
Life Air Travel, Ann Romney
Behind the underwear bomb
The latest airplane terror plot wouldn't have been foiled without airport security -- but not the kind we all know
Friday, May 11, 2012 12:00 AM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ask the Pilot
Letter from Mumbai
Could this long-winded carpet merchant really mistake me for a wealthy customer, ready to whip out my credit card?
Friday, Mar 2, 2012 1:00 AM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot, India
Revere Beach reveries
It was my perfect beach: Sand, clean water to swim in, and situated right below the approach to Logan Airport
Friday, Feb 24, 2012 4:00 PM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot
Beware the “office” romance
Do pilots and flight attendants really stay in separate hotels on layover? Plus: Do pilots bring their own food?
Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012 4:00 PM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot
The things I carry
All those gadgets, chargers, adapters and cords are supposed to make my life easier. I'm not so sure
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012 1:15 AM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ask the Pilot
Mexico City does it right
Bleachers in the arrivals lobby -- brilliant. Plus: The funniest thing ever written
Friday, Feb 10, 2012 5:00 PM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot
Curious fliers want to know
What happens when air conditioning fails, engines won't start, planes get too heavy, and more
Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 6:00 PM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ask the Pilot
Defeated by TSA
Sometimes you just can't win. Plus: OK, not all the airport bookstores are bad
Friday, Feb 3, 2012 5:00 PM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ask the Pilot
Where are the books?
There's nothing like a good read to pass the time when flying. So let's get some proper bookstores at our airports
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012 7:30 PM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ask the Pilot
Escape to “hidden airport”
Find unexpected pleasures at a terminal near you. Plus, the best and worst airports
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012 9:25 PM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ask the Pilot
Who needs UFOs?
There are plenty of other spectacular views from the cockpit window, like the northern lights or shooting stars
Thursday, Jan 19, 2012 9:30 PM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot
You wouldn’t believe how long my flight was!
No, I wouldn't. And you probably didn't climb at 45 degrees or drop hundreds of feet either. We love to exaggerate
Monday, Jan 16, 2012 5:00 PM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot
Out of Africa
I love the flight into Dakar, but in Senegal I see how the world is falling to pieces, right in front of me
Wednesday, Jan 11, 2012 9:00 PM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot
The FAA gets it right — almost
New rules to combat pilot fatigue aren't perfect, but they address the need for longer rest periods between flights
Thursday, Jan 5, 2012 7:30 PM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot
What do cupcakes and lightsabers have in common?
Once again, embarrassing incidents on the concourse outshine useful things TSA is doing behind the scenes
Wednesday, Jan 4, 2012 1:00 AM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot
Hand over the fork, sir!
TSA confiscations reach new levels of absurdity -- and the Hysteria Hall of Shame goes international
Thursday, Dec 22, 2011 1:01 AM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ask the Pilot
What Alec Baldwin doesn’t know about air travel
Could Words With Friends really bring down a plane? The actor jokes, but cellphone interference can be serious
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 1:00 AM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Alec Baldwin
Sometimes a purse is just a purse
Try telling that to TSA. And introducing the American Hysteria Hall of Shame
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2011 8:45 PM UTC 0Life Air Travel, Ask the Pilot
Me and Hüsker Dü
I was the band's biggest fan, and even I'm not sure whom these two rock histories were written for
Friday, Dec 2, 2011 1:15 AM UTC 0Life Ask the Pilot, Music
Page 1 of 27 in Ask the Pilot
Patrick Smith's Ask the Pilot, a long-running feature on Salon, is the Web's most trenchant and insightful source for all things air travel, from safety and technology to airline culture and airport security. Send questions to patricksmith@askthepilot.com and look for answers in a future column.