Cockpit Confidential cover art

Cockpit Confidential

Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel: Questions, Answers, and Reflections

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Cockpit Confidential

By: Patrick Smith
Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $31.99

Buy Now for $31.99

About this listen

For millions of people, travel by air is a confounding, uncomfortable, and even fearful experience. Patrick Smith, airline pilot and author of the web's popular "Ask the Pilot" feature, separates fact from fallacy and tells you everything you need to know:

  • How planes fly, and a revealing look at the men and women who fly them
  • Straight talk on turbulence, pilot training, and safety
  • The real story on congestion, delays, and the dysfunction of the modern airport
  • The myths and misconceptions of cabin air and cockpit automation
  • Terrorism in perspective, and a provocative look at security
  • Airfares, seating woes, and the pitfalls of airline customer service

Cockpit Confidential covers not only the nuts and bolts of flying but also the grand theater of air travel, from airport architecture to inflight service to the excitement of travel abroad. It's a thoughtful, funny, at times deeply personal look into the strange and misunderstood world of commercial flying.

©2013 Patrick Smith (P)2016 Tantor Anxiety Disorders Engineering Mental Health Personal Development Psychology & Mental Health Travel Writing & Commentary Health Aviation Funny

Critic Reviews

"Smith paints an unflinching portrait of modern air travel with several fresh and unexpected insights." ( Publishers Weekly)
All stars
Most relevant  
Patrick has a vast experience in the airline business and share with us in this book. Small details such as airlines logo, airport taxes, seat design are discussed in great length which is a very interesting listen for an aviation enthusiast.

Great insight into aviation industry

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good general overview of the industry for travellers. I suspect the lack of technical detail will leave a few aeroplane enthusiasts wanting more.

Good general overview of the commercial aviation industry

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.