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Ask the Pilot
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.202
EAN: 9781594480041
ISBN: 1594480044
Label: Riverhead Trade
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: June 01, 2004
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
Release Date: June 01, 2004
Studio: Riverhead Trade
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Editorial Review:
Salon.com's most popular columnist tells why airline travel is still the safest way to get from here to there-and lots of other flight facts. Even frequent fliers, probably don't have a clue how their plane gets from New York to Los Angeles in 5 hours. And many people probably think flying is more dangerous now than ever-even though it's still the safest means of transportation. In Ask the Pilot, Patrick Smith-a commercial airline pilot and author of Salon.com's popular column-explains in frank and very funny language what fears are grounded in reality and which ones are airborne urban myths. He stacks up the facts, anecdotes, and advice to every flying question imaginable: * Just how safe it is to fly?
* What is the safest airline?
* Do airlines reduce cabin oxygen flow to save fuel and keep passengers docile?
* Can turbulence cause a crash?
* What's windshear - and can it really rip the wings off a plane?
* How does a plane get off the ground?
* Why does the plane sometimes bump, jig, and turn at a high angle during climbout?
* Has anyone ever survived a water landing by donning a vest or using a raft?
* Why are tray tables stowed before landing? Frequent flier or neurotic aerophobe, this is the one book that will wise people up - and calm fliers down.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Entertaining and Informative
Patrick Smith has some great stories, and he gets the facts across in an interesting way. His writing style is so enjoyable to read, it'd probably be an enjoyable book even for someone with a pilot's license who knows about flying. He has a great weekly column [...] too (Fridays).
Rating:  - Takes the heat off
As an airline pilot, this book saves me explaining every detail of flying repeatedly to, what are often, the same people. Very accurate information presented in a simple manner. A real voice saver!!
Rating: - A Good Balance
When dealing with an area of expertise that is particularly technical or complicated, it is often difficult to know where to draw the lines of communication, as it were: how much jargon to use, how deep to go. Mr. Smith has done an excellent job of conveying to the nonprofessional a wealth of information about a highly complex subject in a manner that is easily understood. While I don't necessarily agree with his every point (particularly where it leans toward the political), and this is not a resource ... Read More
Rating: - FELT SAFER AT ONCE
This is a detailed but very understandable treatise on passenger aviation and aircraft used. I especially enjoyed the section on all the duplicate systems. Although aircraft wrecks make headlines, they are very rare. Having just read this book, I consented to fly 60 miles on an aircraft with only 1 out of 2 engines and felt perfectly content.
Rating:  - If you are the least bit nervous about flying, do not read this book
Though this is an informative book on air travel, it is not for those with a fear of flying. Mr. Brown illustrates almost every example of safety equipment on an airplane as the result of such and such crash. He details at least 10 seperate crashes in painstaiking detail. He obviously can't relate well to those nervous about flying as he even mocks the idea of being fearful a couple of times. After reading his book, I have very hesitant about getting back on a plane as all I can think about is all ... Read More
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