Cockpit Confidential, Questions, Answers, and Reflections: Everything you need to know about Air Tra

I am very pleased I bought an extra book as a gift for my family, and the first chapter is going to be strongly advised reading for my grandkids. What a superb piece of work. Ideally edited and just about spot on in terms of detail and content. Humorous in a nice dry way, and it invokes a refreshing concept of travel, from someone who really knows the subject, and takes a balanced view of it.

Not a book for 'anoraks' on this subject but good book for anybody interested in knowing a bit more about commercial air travel. Suitable for the almost entirely uninformed reader to the modestly knowledgeable it is very readable. It is informative, interesting and the writing style is fluid with wry humour frequently interjected.

This book gives answers to the questions that the curious, the enthusiast and even the nervous flyer would want answered. I found the book easy to read and the information was neither too technical or too "dumbed down". What makes this book really shine are the times where the author departs from Q&A. The "North Latitude: Fear and loathing on the high Atlantic" piece in particular is beautifully written. I would happily read a whole book full of this stuff.

As someone with a keen interest in aviation and a frequent flyer on commercial airlines, I picked up this book with a great degree of anticipation. The premise is excellent, there were some genuinely interesting subjects covered and I found the author's style affable and easy to read. However... At times it felt like an advertorial for the Boeing Company and particularly the Boeing 747. His flag-waving allied to regular snipes about other aircraft manufacturers, particularly Airbus, cheapens the book. As an American, Smith's experience lies with regional US airlines, so it's fair enough that this was very US-centric account. A more rounded vision of the global airline industry would have been more interesting though. What was less forgivable was his parochial view of the US's aircraft and airlines. Romantic claims about the 707 and its role as the pioneer of jet airline age have merit but not without a mention of the de Havilland Comet that preceded, and indeed inspired, it. In fact no mention of the Comet at all, not even in the Q&A section concerning why windows aren't bigger or different shapes on airlines - surely an ideal point in which to describe to the reader why the Comet suffered early disasters and gave the 707 its pre-eminence and competitive advantage? His obsession with the 747 is understandable - it's a truly great, ground-breaking aircraft. But that it's also the most attractive airliner is odd for someone who acknowledges to have seen Concorde. His opinion though I guess...beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And finally just some points of order relating to inaccurate comments about British Airways. His criticism of BA using the phrase 'the World's Favourite airline' when it is now statistically 21st. For the record when the slogan was introduced in 1989, BA were the world's favourite airline according to passenger numbers. When in 2001 they were surpassed by Lufthansa, the slogan was summarily dropped. And the comment that BA introduced the slogan 'The World's Favourite Airline' to charm Americans with 'cute spelling'. Could I respectfully remind the author that the language he speaks and writes in is English. As in England. 'Favourite' is not a cute spelling. It's how the word is spelt correctly. Finally, the tailfin of a BA airliner resembles a can of Pepsi according to the author. Pedantic I know, but surely he means a can of Pepsi looks like the tail fin of a BA airliner? The Pepsi logo he draws comparison to was introduced in 1973, BA's in 1972, although as part of BA's component parts, BOAC and BEA, far earlier. The Union Jack flag on which the logo is based has been in regular use since 1606. All-in-all, it's well worth a read though... it just needs a bit of editing.

A humorous and insightful view into the aviation world that includes funny and informative anecdotes, as well as broader aviation history notes that shall broaden how you think about “flying” and all that sandwiches it. A very entertainingly informative read.

Very interesting book with lots of information about air travel and airplanes that most people don't know. I skipped some parts which I wasn't interested in as I bought it mainly to help me with my fear of flying. Rationally, I think it has helped (or will because I haven't flown since I read it) but fear of flying is irrational so who knows. Glad I read it though.

The problem with flight in the 21st century is that the magic has gone out of it. This book addresses that. It's not just for geeks or people who want to feel a little bit more confident during turbulence - it's for those who look up and see one of the most remarkable achievements of modern man, safe flight for almost all, and want to know more. As I once heard a pilot announce after one short-haul trip in Europe, 'Next time you want to blast through the air in a pressurised aluminium tube, think of us...' Flying is astonishing, and that simple fact underpins everything in the book, whether the author is talking about the substandard service in US airlines or making the notable claim that even (proper) African airlines are safe. I bought the Kindle version and flew through it. Even the areas where he obviously has a bit of an axe to grind - for instance the bits about career opportunities and the regional airlines in the US - he does a good enough job to keep the pages turning. On others, for instance the complaining about the incessant noise of airports and the rebranding exercises of airlines, he is either spot on or entertaining, or both. Enjoy it next time you want to blast through the air in a pressurised aluminium tube, and don't want to take the experience for granted.

Flight enthusiasts will find this book very thorough and a joy to read. As a nervous flyer, I can't say I dispelled all my fears after reading this book but I certainly found some rational explanations for what was before a total mystery! Enjoyable read

Wer sich für die Verkehrsfliegerei interessiert und der englischen Sprache mächtig ist, findet hier ein gut zu lesendes Buch mit vielen Erklärungen, Tipps und Geschichten! Auch zum Nachschlagen von Technikfragen...

This book is aimed to the general aucience. It tries hard not to be so technic. It focus mostly about the most frequent asqued questions, and the reasons behind the procedures. The author is a veteran pilot and a plane lover since childhood, and he grasps a deep knowledge in the matter. Since I'm and engineer I was expecting a more in-depth technical book. It's not a con, more a matter of personal tastes.

Very well written book. Lots of questions and answers about aviation. Loved it.

J'avais déjà acheté le livre précédent de Patrick Smith, mais celui-ci est une nouvelle version révisée avec bien plus de contenu. Il mérite largement 5 étoiles ! Ce qui est sympa, c'est que au-delà de toutes les questions qu'on peut se poser en tant que passager, il écrit également des petites rubriques plus personnelles qui permettent de mieux comprendre par exemple ce que ça implique de devenir pilote, psychologiquement, et comment on ressent les choses quand on est aux commandes ! Il parle également du côté "voyage" qui fait partie du métier, avec ses avantages et ses inconvénients. Parmi mes livres aéronautiques, celui-ci est dans mon top 2 ! "Cockpit confidentials" vous satisfera car vous comprendrez beaucoup de choses après l'avoir lu et vous profiterez de votre savoir acquis lors de votre prochain vol. Ce livre est également facile à lire !

Lo que todo viajero en aviones modernos necesita saber. LA SEGURIDAD ES PRIMERO Despegues, ruidos, aterrizajes y opiniones sobre otros pilotos. Muy serio y profesional. muchas gracias.