Ask the Pilot: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel

Rating:
Summary: If most of the pilots are like him, I'm safe
Review: Patrick Smith's book, strictly speaking, is not for everyone. The prerequisite is to have some interest in air travel. You don't need to be a nut or an obsessive airliner anorak, but if you live in London and don't know what LHR and LGW stand for, or if the number 747 means absolutely nothing to you, don't buy this book. You will probably be bored.

It is true that there are some repetitions (the content is based on regular website contributions) - but then there are so many erroneous stereotypes about air travel that maybe it's worth rubbing the correct information in.

Overall, the book is a helpful reminder that someone who is flying your plane is more competent than a passenger and that slightly rougher landing does not mean that the pilot is drunk or had too little training; if you are stuck for an hour waiting for the gate this is not because the pilot is too dim to spot one or is enjoying himself sending text messages from his cellphone.



Rating:
Summary: I'd fly with this guy
Review: The price/information ratio for this book is just right. I found myself plowing through it in two sittings. Some things I knew, many I didn't. As a private pilot who can no longer afford the hobby, I found his insider information to be just the kind of things I wanted to know. I especially recommend his essay on the present security system, which is a typically politically correct American approach to a complex problem.

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: The subtitle of this book is apt. Patrick Smith gives careful consideration to many types of questions that flee through one's mind while aboard a commercial airplane. From the dumb (will those wings fall off?)to the insightful (do all planes carry enough fuel to circle round for a long time before landing?) to the unusual (how do gay pilots cope in a macho aviation culture?) Smith tackles questions and concerns with wit and aplomb, giving hard data where necessary to back up his case.

The biggest plus about this book is that the author presents his information with clarity and humor. He includes enough detail to educate the reader without overwhelming him/her. Even with my training in Physics, I was satisfied with his presentation of Bernouilli's principle (that keeps airplanes aloft). It was precise, concise and very comprehensible.

As can be expected, Smith delves into the technicalities of aircraft construction, pilot training and airport security. In addition, he touches on some topics which I'd assumed to be of not much significance to a pilot. Most notable among them is his lovingly nuanced coverage of airline logos. He notes, for instance, that the logo colors of an airline needs to be geographically evocative of the region it represents. A few color photographs would have really driven home his point here.

Smith also brings a multi-cultural perspective to his writing. He generously accords merit where he sees fit, even though the airline (or airport) is from a country that carries little cultural or economic cachet in the Western world. However, he is forthright in pointing out cultural factors that seem to have led to serious airplane accidents. He cites, for example, a crash that occurred because pilots from a stereotypically masculine culture did not heed the electronic warning relayed in a female voice.

Part aviator, part writer, artist and voice of reason, Smith brings a panoramic perspective into a complex topic. Highly recommended, in particular as a gift for those "hard to buy for" friends.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book for the Backpack
Review: This is a perfect book to read on the road.

It is breezy, witty, intelligent and covers just about any question I've ever come up with regarding airlines and the business of air travel.

Anyone who has ever flown should find this book compelling.


Rating:
Summary: Information and fun
Review: This is just a collection of the columns that appear on salon.com. I was hoping for a little more than that, since I regularly read his columns, and there wasn't really anything new. The author covers a wide range of topics, from why a plane flies to the best airport terminals. It's obvious that the author loves flying, and that is reflected in this book. A good read, but probably not much new to reader's of his column.