Monday, January 8, 2007

Your Flight Questions Answered

Whether you are an experienced air traveler or a novice, John Cronin's book, "Your Flight Questions Answered," has a little bit of something for everyone.
Written more as a reference guide, Cronin's book covers the many questions the flying public can have before, during, and after flight. Cronin divides his book into seven sections each containing several questions with detailed answers: flight cancellations and delays, baggage handling, weather, air traffic control, airports, airliners, and pilots. His questions are written in basic form, much like the questions a concerned passenger would ask who is unfamiliar with flying. For example, one question he covers: what are those tiny pieces of metal sticking straight up from the wing? He details his answer with the explanation that they are vortex generators, which create a vortex that prevents air from separating from the wing or other surface area on an aircraft. Cronin breaks down his explanations further with additional details and often includes a supporting picture or graph to visually stress the answer.
For those who frequently take to the air, Cronin covers a number of the more difficult questions regarding aircraft instrumentation, airport markings, and cabin pressure; these are things that we probably know something about but may be unable to give a satisfactory answer to the inquiring passenger. Although the questions may seem more directed toward passengers flying on an airliner, business aircraft crew may find Cronin's book a handy reference to have available to their passengers as well.

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