This week, retired pilot John Cox explains how the cabin pressurization system works on modern commercial airliners.
Author: John Cox, Special to USA TODAY
Ask the Captain: Can I fly with medical oxygen? Do airlines provide it or do I bring my own?
The days of flying with bulky oxygen tanks are largely gone. These days, passengers bring their own battery-operated portable oxygen concentrators.
Ask the Captain: How does ice on the wing affect the way a plane flies?
This week, retired US Airways Captain John Cox sheds light on how ice impacts a plane’s ability to fly and recalls some of his hairiest landings.
Ask the Captain: How fast can a plane descend if cabin pressure is lost?
This week, retired US Airways Captain John Cox discusses what is done in the event a cabin loses pressure and recalls his scariest flying experience.
Ask the Captain: Does taking off or landing near wildfires damage aircraft engines?
This week, retired US Airways pilot John Cox sets a reader’s mind at ease about flying near wildfires.
Ask the Captain: How is air filtered in airplane lavatories to prevent spreading coronavirus?
How is air filtered in plane lavatories? How much information is given to the passengers if an aircraft is having serious mechanical issues?
Ask The Captain: Why are 747 aircraft still popular as freighters but not for passenger service?
Every week, Capt. John Cox , a retired US Airways pilot, answers your questions about air travel and aircraft.
Ask the Captain: Can you fly over hurricanes? If not, how do you fly around them?
Pilots can – and do – fly over hurricanes but but it’s thunderstorm activity and wind speed that can ground flights and close airports.
Ask the Captain: What is the hardest airport to navigate? Are foreign airlines less safe?
Capt. John Cox shares the most challenging airports to fly into and explains why you shouldn’t assume foreign airlines are less safe than U.S. ones.
My Global Entry interview keeps getting canceled: Will I have to reapply? Ask the Captain
John Cox addresses the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Global Entry enrollment and explains why a domestic U.S. flight would enter Mexican airspace.