In most airplanes, air is compressed by the engines, cooled by the air conditioning system and then sent to the cabin.
Author: John Cox, Special to USA TODAY
Ask the Captain: Why do major airlines keep having computer issues that delay passengers?
Two computer issues in two weeks that caused flight delays on major airlines have passengers wondering what’s going on.
Ask the Captain: What’s that strange drilling sound on a plane?
Before pushback from the gate, I often hear what sounds like a drilling sound. Is it the cargo doors being secured or something else?
Ask the Captain: Why don’t airplanes ‘power back’ from the gate?
Now that rearview cameras are standard equipment on economy cars, it seems like pilots should be able to see behind the plane and power back.
Ask the Captain: All about airplane flaps and slats
To keep takeoff and landing speeds as low as possible, engineers include highly efficient flaps (and slats) on the wing.
Everything you ever wanted to know and more about the plane cockpits
While they look confusing to the layperson the pilots know exactly what each one does and how it is to be used.
Ask the Captain: Why are so many planes sliding off runways?
Why does it seem like more aircraft are sliding off runways and taxiways?
Ask the Captain: How safe are airports with short runways?
Runway length is carefully calculated before every takeoff and landing.
Snow. Ice. Freezing rain. How do pilots prep for winter weather?
With modern airplanes and well-trained pilots and ground staff, we fly safely in challenging conditions every winter.
Ask the Captain: Why haven’t black boxes been replaced by streaming technology?
The Digital Flight Data and Cockpit Voice recorders have proven to be very successful over the decades.