Insider Secrets From an Airline Pilot

Veteran aviator provides insight on what happens in the cockpit

As told to

Veronica Stoddart,

AARP

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Published December 18, 2024

different scenes from a plane and airport

Veteran airline, corporate and general aviation pilot Capt. John Cox offers 14 insider secrets from the cockpit, what to know inside the cabin and advice on minimizing air travel hassles.

Kathleen Fu

With more people on the move, flying presents increased obstacles — from crowded terminals to delayed flights to lost luggage. As airports have gotten ever bigger, people are walking longer distances to reach their gates, which presents a unique challenge for older travelers with mobility issues. According to AARP 2024 Travel Trends research, among 50-plus travelers, 14 percent require accommodations for a disability for themselves and/or their companions, with 78 percent of those having a mobility disability. And 8 percent of 50-plus travelers express concern about accessibility issues at the airport. In the United States, for example, the longest airport trek is at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where the walk from an entrance in Terminal B to Terminal E is 2.16 miles, according to a recent survey by Kuru Footwear. That requires about 5,000 steps for the average person.

What’s more, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the airlines lost, damaged or delayed 2.8 million bags last year.

What’s a traveler to do? We turned to a veteran airline, corporate and general aviation pilot, Capt. John Cox, for answers. Cox is the president and CEO of Safety Operating Systems LLC — an aviation consultancy in flight and safety management, accident investigations and emergency response planning. Cox, 71, who flew for US Airways, has flown more than 14,000 hours with over 10,000 hours in command of jet airliners. Here, he reveals some secrets from the cockpit, what to know inside the cabin and offers advice on minimizing air travel hassles.

This “As told to” interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Secrets from the cockpit

How often is autopilot used and when? Today, most flights are flown by the autopilot, but most landings are manual. The autopilot is switched on after the plane gets a few thousand feet above the ground, and then the pilots manage the flight through the auto-flight system until 4 to 5 miles from the airport. Then they switch auto-flight off and manually land the plane unless visibility is restricted, in which case they leave the autopilot on for landing. Pilots will look out the windshield and adjust for height, speed, etc., but if visibility is restricted, they can’t do that. The autopilot uses radio signals so it can land in much lower visibility, as low as 300 feet.

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What happens if an airplane loses all power? The redundancy on airplanes is much greater than people realize. A plane is capable of flight on just one engine. … It’s very rare to lose all engines. I can think of three times it’s happened in a 50-year career. … Pilots are trained to fly with an inoperative engine and know how to get it restarted in flight. … There are multiple generators on the plane and battery backups, too. There are also multiple electrical and hydraulic systems. We train for the loss of those systems. I’ve had a number of different failures. … But the plane is not in danger. That’s how we get the safety record we have. Aviation is the safest form of transportation ever designed.

Do pilots have to put on the seat belt sign at the slightest wobble? And if so, should that alleviate passengers’ concerns? Not at the slightest wobble, but if bumps are expected, we turn the seat belt sign on. If we hear that other flights are experiencing turbulence, we will turn on the sign. Some turbulence cannot be predicted, so it is very important to keep your seat belt fastened when you are in your seat.

With the plane on autopilot so much, do you ever get bored? There are checks that we do all the time. We monitor the time, fuel burn and turbulence; we converse with fellow crew members and communicate with air traffic control. You’re constantly assessing what’s going on. I would never call flying boring; I enjoy it too much. Every few hours on longer flights, we get out of our seats to take a rest break. There are specific rules on how much time you can spend in the seat. If it’s a two-person crew on a domestic flight, you don’t want to spend more than eight hours in your seat. For international flights with relief pilots, it’s usually around three hours. That’s up to the discretion of the captain. You try to balance it so everyone is as fresh as possible. For international flights, there are typically three qualified pilots in the cockpit. On ultra-long flights of more than 16 hours, it’s four who can rotate into the pilot’s seat every few hours.

Is it easy to sleep in flight? That varies by individual. Typically, you don’t get a full night’s sleep; you take an extended nap of two to four hours. But it is a good break. On a long flight, flight attendants have rest areas, too.

Inside the cabin

Should you avoid asking for ice in your drinks because it’s made from old water? No, ice is catered on the airplane at each stop. It is fresh.

Should you avoid coffee on a flight because the coffee machines aren’t cleaned properly? The water tanks are treated and cleaned regularly. I have never heard of anyone having a problem with coffee or tea made with airplane water.

How often are the bathrooms cleaned? They are cleaned after every flight, and deep cleaned regularly, which is every few days.

What are the best places to sit on an aircraft for nervous flyers? Sitting over the wings will give the best ride in turbulence. Sitting in the tail will increase the feeling of movement during turbulence. There is no “safer” seat, they are all safe.

On minimizing air travel woes

Download the airport app. Airports are places that most people don’t go to often. Download the airport app before you arrive. It can tell you where to find coffee and how far it is to the gate. It also provides information for your connection and arrival airports. The apps are free and help you stay informed. You can delete them afterward.

Avoid long walks. I’m an advocate of wheelchair assistance. You have to tell the airline in advance that you have special needs. It should not be an ego thing. If you have half a mile or a mile to get to your gate, you may not want to expend that energy so you arrive exhausted. You can also use an electric cart to transport you to the gate, which you can get through the airline in advance. That will go into your passenger record [for that flight].

Ship your luggage in advance. Luggage-shipping services are excellent and can help you avoid the challenges of carrying on if you struggle to lift your bag into the overhead bin or of checking your bag and worrying about whether it’ll show up at the carousel. You can ship your luggage to the hotel if you have a reservation. I would always advocate taking at least one day’s worth of clothes and medications in your carry-on if you ship or check your luggage.

Use a digital luggage tracker. Whether you ship or check your luggage, put [a luggage tracker such as an Apple] AirTag or a Tile tracker in the bag so you can track it [digitally]. I have AirTags in all of my bags.

Have your airline number handy. I have my airline’s number in the favorites section of my phone’s contact list. When there’s a last-minute cancellation or delay, I call the airline first thing. I find a quiet corner and call to get rebooked rather than stand in a long line at the gate.

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